Toimeentulotuki

Basic social assistance is governed by the Act on Social Assistance (1412/1997). In the 2017 reform, basic social assistance was transferred from municipal social services to Kela; supplementary and preventive social assistance remained the responsibility of the municipality. This is the most common reason an applicant gets bounced between Kela and the city — Kela handles the basic needs, the municipality handles the exceptional cases.

The benefit is awarded under the law on a household basis, the same principle that applies to general housing allowance. Decisions can be appealed to the Social Security Appeal Board and onward to the Insurance Court.

Toimeentulotuki is by nature a last-resort benefit. Kela is required by law to confirm that the applicant has first applied for all the primary benefits they are entitled to — for example housing allowance, unemployment benefit, sickness allowance or student aid. The application can be rejected if these have not been applied for.

Toimeentulotuki is intended for a person or household that cannot cover essential daily expenses from other income or assets. Typical applicants include the long-term unemployed whose labour-market subsidy does not cover housing costs, students during the summer when student aid is not running, and pensioners whose pension falls below their essential expenses.

The benefit is not granted if the household has readily-realisable assets — for example more than €1,000 in savings per household member, an investment property, or sellable assets of value. A primary residence, a car in normal use and household goods do not, however, prevent the benefit.

The applicant does not have to be a Finnish citizen, but residence must be permanent. EU citizens need a registered right of residence and third-country nationals a valid residence permit.

Toimeentulotuki has two main parts, applied for from different authorities:

1) Basic social assistance — Kela. Covers expenses defined by law: food, clothing, minor health-care expenses, personal and household hygiene, local transport, newspapers, telephone, hobbies and recreation, housing costs (rent, water, electricity, home insurance), essential health-care costs.

2) Supplementary social assistance — municipality (your own social services). Covers expenses arising from special needs or circumstances that basic assistance does not cover: special diet, children's hobbies, funeral costs, special illness costs, moving costs.

3) Preventive social assistance — municipality. Granted on a discretionary basis to prevent financial difficulty, e.g. paying rent arrears to avoid eviction.

In practice, Kela handles the bulk of the support. If an applicant has exceptional expenses, Kela directs the supplementary or preventive part to the municipality.

The amount of basic social assistance is calculated by comparing the household's expenses against the basic component and other recognised expenses, and subtracting the household's income and assets.

In 2026 the basic component for a single-person household is about €587/month (Helsinki/the capital region slightly higher, the rest of Finland a flat rate). A second adult and children add stepped components. The basic component covers daily expenses such as food, clothing, hygiene and minor recreation.

Housing costs, health care and other actual essential expenses are added on top of the basic component, but only to a reasonable extent. For housing costs the same reasonableness principle applies as in general housing allowance — municipality-level maxima determine how much rent is accepted.

The formula, simplified: Benefit = (basic component + other accepted expenses) − (available income and assets). If the result is positive, that amount is paid.

Kela's first check on a social-assistance application is: has the applicant applied for all the benefits they are entitled to? If not, the application can be returned or rejected. The most common primary benefits to apply for first:

• General housing allowance — covers housing costs that would otherwise fall on social assistance.
• Unemployment benefit — basic daily allowance or labour-market subsidy if you are unemployed.
• Sickness daily allowance — if you are unable to work due to illness.
• Parental daily allowance — if there is a small child in the family.
• Student aid — if you are a full-time student.
• Child benefit — universal but the subject of a separate application.
• Pension (national / guarantee) — if you are of pensionable age or receiving a disability pension.

Only once these have been applied for (positively or negatively decided) does Kela process the social-assistance application.

Toimeentulotuki can be applied for retroactively for the current and previous month at most. Older support is not granted — so the application should be made as soon as you notice that money does not stretch.

The application is made via OmaKela while logged in. Processing time in urgent cases is at most 7 working days; if the funds needed for food are gone, a decision must be issued the same or next working day.

You will need: bank statements for the previous two months, receipts for housing costs (rental contract, latest rent receipt), receipts for essential health-care expenses (prescriptions, dental receipts) and proof of income (payslips, benefit decisions).