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22.9.2025 | The Government has submitted a proposal to Parliament for an act on general social security benefit. In the first stage, the general social security benefit would be a new social security benefit for unemployed jobseekers, replacing labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance. The legislation concerning the general social security benefit is scheduled to enter into force on 1 May 2026.

9.4.2026 | The Government is proposing changes aimed at preventing intentional misuse of social security, reducing incorrect social security payments and improving information exchange with Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

17.4.2026 | A total of 5,000 patients have been evacuated from Ukraine to EU Member States under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The 5,000th patient was evacuated to Finland. Finnish Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen and EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib met on 16 April to discuss issues such as the evacuation of patients.

22.9.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has today published three memorandums assessing the combined impacts of the Government’s changes to social security during this parliamentary term. The memorandums focus particularly on the impacts of the comprehensive reform of social assistance.

16.4.2026 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Child Home Care Allowances and Private Childcare Allowances. The proposal would implement the Norwegian model for child home care allowance. The proposal seeks to promote the integration and labour market position of women with an immigrant background and to increase the participation of children in early childhood education and care.

Support and benefits The Finnish social protection system includes various forms of financial support and benefits designed to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to take part in working life and society in general. Children and parentho...

Working life programmes Working life programmes The Government’s working life programmes produced concrete solutions for working life and the service system during the 2019–2023 government term. The implementation of the programmes was based on th...

Contact information Communications Unit / VIE Communications Unit / VIE Iina Bister, Communications Specialist Communications Unit / VIE Address Meritullinkatu 8, 00170 Helsinki Phone number +358295163015 Email [email protected] Mariina Cervera Li...

8.5.2025 | The series of social security dialogues held by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Timeout Foundation brought out a wide variety of views and development suggestions from citizens on the future of social security. The outcomes of the dialogues will be presented at a webinar on 15 May 2025.

9.5.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health requests comments on a draft government proposal concerning the general social security benefit by 19 June 2025. This is the first stage of the extensive social security reform where different basic social security benefits will be gradually combined into a single general social security benefit.

8.8.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of EUR 14.8 billion for the Ministry and its branch of government for 2026. This is about EUR 475 million less than in the 2025 Budget. The funding of wellbeing services counties is not included in the appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its branch of government. Instead, it falls under the main title of the Ministry of Finance.

27.5.2024 | The World Health Organization (WHO) is holding its 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva on 27 May–1 June 2024. This is one of the most significant World Health Assembly meetings in years. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

10.12.2024 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Timeout Foundation are hosting a series of 25 Timeout dialogues to discuss the future of social security. The aim is to increase public debate on social security, strengthen dialogue between various parties, increase citizens’ participation in the social security reform, and produce information to support decision-making.

10.1.2023 | Different ways of organising social security have been examined as part of the preparation of the social security reform. The report on alternative ways of organising social security, which was made by a working group consisting of researchers and experts, was published on Tuesday 10 January 2023.

26.3.2024 | Finland’s social security reform aims to streamline and simplify the social security system and to introduce more incentives for work. During this parliamentary term, the social security reform will include both government projects and the work of the Social Security Committee.

23.9.2024 | The Finnish Government proposes about EUR 15.2 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2025. This is about EUR 1.1 billion less than in 2024.

28.6.2022 | Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen will visit Tallinn on 29 June to meet with Estonia’s Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo. The topics to be discussed include the situation of Ukrainian refugees and the social security systems in both countries and developing them. 

13.12.2023 | The parliamentary Social Security Committee will meet for the first time during its second term on Thursday 14 December 2023.

4.7.2025 | Starting from 1 September 2025, persons aged 65 and over can book a private healthcare appointment and pay only a deductible that is equal to the client fee charged for public healthcare services. The pilot is based on developing the reimbursements paid by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). The President of the Republic approved the legislative amendments enabling the pilot on 4 July 2025.

16.3.2023 | The Social Security Committee’s interim report was published on Thursday 16 March 2023. The report includes 31 proposals for reforming social security under future governments and the policy guidelines for the Committee’s work during its second term.