Supplementary and preventive social assistance
Social assistance is a last-resort form of financial assistance whose purpose is to ensure your income and that of your family and to promote your autonomy and independence.
You can apply for social assistance from Kela. Kela also grants urgent social assistance. Last-resort social assistance, i.e. supplementary and preventive social assistance, is granted by the social services of the wellbeing services county.
You can apply for supplementary and preventive social assistance from us on the basis of both a positive or negative decision on Kela's basic social assistance. You can receive supplementary social assistance if you already receive basic social assistance and have special needs. Special needs may result from long-term receipt of social assistance, long-term or severe illness, specific needs related to children's recreational activities and other comparable circumstances or needs. The aim of preventive social assistance is to promote your and your family's social security and independent living as well as to prevent social exclusion and long-term dependence on social assistance.
Conditions for receiving the Service
We can also grant social assistance if it is necessary to improve your life situation or to alleviate a difficult situation, such as if your financial situation suddenly deteriorating or you becoming over-indebted. Granting social assistance does not depend on whether you are entitled to basic social assistance. Instead, your actual financial situation will be taken into account. The wellbeing services county grants supplementary and preventive social assistance for the necessary expenses that are not in the scope of Kela's basic social assistance. Granting the assistance is subject to discretion and is always assessed on a case-by-case basis.Apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance online
- Espoo and Kauniainen(external link)
- Hanko, Inkoo, Karkkila, Kirkkonummi, Lohja, Raasepori, Siuntio, Vihti(external link)
If you are applying for social assistance with a printed application, you can pick up a paper form from adult social work service points or download the form from the link below.
How to apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance
Social assistance consists of three parts, of which Kela grants basic social assistance. You can apply for supplementary and preventive social assistance from the wellbeing services county. If you are applying for social assistance for burial expenses, read the instructions here.
Please note! You do not need to choose whether you are applying for preventive or supplementary social assistance from us. The person processing the application will determine which assistance form would be more suitable for your situation.
1. Start by applying for basic social assistance from Kela
You must first apply for basic social assistance from Kela. View the instructions on how to apply for basic social assistance from Kela.
If you wish, you can notify Kela in your basic social assistance application that you also want to apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance from the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. Kela will then direct your application directly to the wellbeing services county for processing. Remember to attach all necessary documents to your application (see section 2).
2. Collect the necessary documents and receipts to attach to your application
Attach the necessary attachments to your application. Attachments include:
- A positive or negative decision issued by Kela on basic social assistance. If Kela sends the application to the wellbeing services county on your behalf, you do not need to attach this decision to the application.
- A description of why and for what you need preventive or supplementary social assistance granted by the wellbeing services county.
- Your bank statements for the last two months.
- All receipts related to the need for support, such as invoices and any receipts for purchases or services for which you have applied for support.
3. Fill in either an electronic or printed application
Apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance online
If you are applying for social assistance with a printed application, you can pick up a paper form from adult social work service points or download the form from this page. Submit the application to the wellbeing services county in which you reside. The contact information can be found on the back of the application.
4. Wait for the decision
We will make the decision within seven working days if you have attached all the necessary documents to your application. The decision will be sent by letter to your home or you can view it in the Omapalvelu service. Read the decision carefully. The decision will state the following: whether the assistance will be paid to your account or directly to, e.g., your landlord or an invoicer.
5. If you feel that the decision is incorrect, do the following
If you think the decision is incorrect, you can apply for a correction or rectification. You can contact the public official who made the decision and report the error so that any corrections can be made as quickly as possible.
You can also submit a free-form written claim for a revised decision within 30 days of receiving your social assistance decision. In your claim for a revised decision, explain which decision you want revised and the grounds for your claim.
Submit the claim for a revised decision to the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County/Registry, P.O. Box 33, 02033 Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County