Finland’s spending on basic social assistance will exceed an estimated one billion euros this year, according the national benefits agency Kela.
The social assistance benefit is a last-resort form of financial aid for people to manage basic living expenses.
Last year, spending on basic social assistance was 825 million euros — up nearly 15 percent from the previous year and marking the biggest increase among all benefits
Kela also recently reported that the number of social assistance recipients had increased by 17,000 in April compared to the same time last year. The benefit was paid to more than 150,000 households.
According to Kela, part of that increase was prompted by a number of Ukrainians in Finland gaining a municipality of residence, making them eligible for social security benefits. Cuts to unemployment and housing benefits have also contributed to the figure, according to the agency.
Kela also forecasts increased spending this year on student benefits, health insurance benefits, and unemployment benefits.
In contrast, it estimated that spending on the general housing allowance will decrease to around 1.35 billion euros — roughly 300 million euros less than last year.
