Instructions for Granting Supplementary and Preventive Social Assistance in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County

This guide provides guidelines for granting supplementary and preventive social assistance in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. The guide elaborates on the practices, principles, and premises related to decision-making. 

As a supporting document, a separate annex detailing the criteria for granting social assistance and taking reasonableness into account has been prepared.

This guide was prepared in the late summer of 2022, coinciding with the establishment of the Wellbeing Services County, by the preparation group for financial support (chaired by Kaisa Palomäki).

Change history: 

• 15 August 2022: Approved by the preparation group
• 03 January 2023: Corrected references to sections of the Social Assistance Act.

Social assistance is granted in accordance with the Act on Social Assistance (1412/1997); the Act Amending the Act on Social Assistance (1023/2022), including its appendices; and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health’s Handbook for the application of the act on social assistance (STM, 2013:4), to the extent that it aligns with the current legislation.  

This guide is intended to elaborate and clarify the principles, procedures, and determination of supplementary and preventive social assistance. Providing application-of-law instructions also aims to ensure uniform practice for residents of the Wellbeing Services County in the application of the Social Assistance Act. However, instructions confirmed by the body responsible for social welfare in the Wellbeing Services County cannot solely serve as the basis for decisions. Instead, decisions must always be grounded in the provisions of the Social Assistance Act. Supplementary and preventive social assistance serve as tools of social work, and decisions should be made using case-by-case discretion.  

The primary purpose of basic, supplementary, and preventive social assistance is to secure basic social security, such as food and housing expenses. The basis for granting supplementary social assistance may be a special reason related to the client’s life circumstances, which is not covered by basic social assistance. In turn, the basis for granting preventive social assistance is to prevent long-term dependency on social assistance and the prolongation of difficult circumstances. 

If there are concerns that financial support alone may not be sufficient, a service needs assessment must be drawn up. If the client is applying for a high amount of assistance or if indebtedness is recurrent, an individual office-holder cannot make a decision without consulting with the senior office-holder or the adult social work team.

Social assistance consists of basic social assistance, supplementary social assistance, and preventive social assistance.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) is responsible for granting basic social assistance, which includes the basic amount and other basic expenses. The amount of basic social assistance is determined by the difference between expenses, as defined in the Social (12) 4 Assistance Act, and available income and assets. http://www.kela.fi/web/en/social-assistance(external link) 

Detailed information on the expenses covered by basic social assistance and the applicable granting criteria can be found on Kela’s website. https://www.kela.fi/kelan-etuusohjeet(external link) 

The wellbeing services county grants supplementary and preventive social assistance based on means testing.

The responsibility for granting basic social assistance transferred to Kela on 1 January 2017; and the responsibility for granting supplementary and preventive social assistance transferred to the wellbeing services counties on 1 January 2023. One can apply for discretionary supplementary and preventive social assistance from the Wellbeing Services County. However, one should generally always first apply for basic social assistance from Kela. The decision and calculations made at Kela are utilised in assessing the need for supplementary social assistance. A social service worker in the Wellbeing Services County will examine the information concerning the granting of basic social assistance through a shared system.

It is possible to apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance at the same time as applying for basic social assistance from Kela. When the application for basic social assistance includes expenses other than those covered by the basic amount and basic expenses of social assistance, Kela will, upon the client's request, forward the application to the wellbeing services county after making a decision on basic social assistance. (Act on Social Assistance 1412/1997, section 14c). 

An application for supplementary or preventive social assistance is made to the wellbeing services county once the applicant has received a decision from Kela on basic social assistance for the relevant period. (Act on Social Assistance 1412/1997, section 14). Social assistance is applied for in writing, electronically, during a scheduled appointment, or in another manner approved by the authority.  The decision on social assistance must be made without delay, no later than on the seventh weekday (Mon–Fri) after receipt of the application.

Clients are primarily instructed to apply for supplementary and preventive social assistance electronically or using a paper form. Written and electronic applications promote the realisation of the client’s protection under the law, as matters and descriptions are recorded as the client intended. Section 19 of the Administrative Procedure Act states than a matter may also be filed verbally by the consent of the authority. Acceptance of verbal applications involves considering the client’s interests as well as their individual needs and circumstances. Such situations and needs include

• Acute crisis situations in which the matter must be filed without delay for decision-making.
• When the client is unable to apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance in writing or electronically due to reduced functional capacity, illiteracy, or a similar reason.

A verbal application for supplementary or preventive social assistance is always processed by the recipient of the application.

The decision-making authority for supplementary and preventive social assistance is provided for in the delegation rule.

Decision-makers in the Wellbeing Services County always assess each application separately to determine whether there is a basis for granting supplementary or preventive social assistance. In assessing the need for assistance, particular attention is paid to the following issues:

• the individual life circumstances of the client or the family
• the objectives as defined in the Social Assistance Act
• the last-resort nature of social assistance
• the duration of social assistance clientship
• the reasonableness and necessity of assistance in relation to the last-resort nature of social assistance, the duration of social assistance clientship, and to the promotion of the objectives laid down in the Social Assistance Act.

When the applicant’s need for social assistance is urgent, the application must be processed on the day it was received or the following weekday. Basic social assistance granted by Kela is the primary form of social assistance in urgent situations. Kela will process applications as urgent when necessary. The applicant should be instructed to submit an application to Kela for social assistance and to request Kela to process the application as urgent. In urgent situations, the decision on social assistance must be made on the same day the application was received, or, at latest, on the following weekday. In other situations, the decision must be made no later than on the seventh weekday after the application was received (Social Assistance Act 1412/1997, sections 14b and 14c). 

An applicant who is applying for urgent basic social assistance must either call Kela’s customer service or visit a Kela service point and (12) 6 provide reasons for urgency. The need for urgent social assistance may arise, for example, on the following grounds:

• an urgent need to cover food expenses
• a threat of not having electricity or heating
• urgent need for medicine • eviction or an acute threat of eviction
• travel expenses (being discharged from a hospital)
• falling ill or being involved in an accident (hospital care, fire)
• a crisis in the family (divorce or domestic violence, death of a loved one)
• falling victim to crime.

In exceptional situations, the Wellbeing Services County may grant social assistance to secure urgent and necessary expenses, even if Kela has not assessed and decided on the right to basic social assistance. In such cases, the assistance is preventive social assistance and will not be considered as income in the decision on basic social assistance. Outside office-hours, unforeseen situations are assessed by the social and crisis emergency services.

Decisions on supplementary social assistance will not be made urgently before Kela's decision and calculations. A decision on preventive social assistance (Act on Social Assistance 1412/1997, section 8) can be made without a decision and calculation from Kela if the situation is urgent and there is reason to believe that the client will not become eligible for basic social assistance.  

When granting supplementary social assistance, expenses deemed necessary for securing livelihood or promoting independent coping, resulting from the individual's or family’s specific needs or circumstances are taken into account as necessary. (Act on Social Assistance 1412/1997, section 7c).) 

When granting supplementary social assistance, the applicant must have a decision from Kela for the corresponding month. A small surplus in Kela’s calculation for basic social assistance can be discretionarily disregarded when making a decision to grant supplementary social assistance.  

When considering supplementary social assistance, the following factors should be taken into account: 

• The applicant has housing expenses that are not covered by basic social assistance
• The applicant has costs related to children’s hobbies that are deemed necessary to consider
• The applicant has been a long-term or recurring recipient of social assistance
• The applicant has special needs or expenses related to their life circumstances that are deemed necessary to consider
• The applicant has a chronic or serious illness or other special situation, and basic social assistance and other benefits do not cover all the expenses deemed necessary. The applicant must present a medical certificate from public health services or other expert statement. Expenses accepted primarily include costs incurred through public health care services. 

Supplementary social assistance includes expenses that can be standardised and directed. These expenses are defined in a separate annex. Moreover, supplementary social assistance is a tool for systematic social work, which sometimes requires mapping out the client’s life situation together with the client.

Supplementary social assistance may potentially be granted for the following expenses:

• reasonable guardianship fees (referring to appointed legal guardians, Finnish: “edunvalvoja”)
• reasonable hobby expenses
• necessary funeral and burial expenses
• essential household purchases. These can include items such as dishes, furniture, home textiles, household appliances and basic home setup costs
• certain childcare items, such as bicycles, prams, or strollers
• reasonable education expenses, particularly for those not entitled to free upper secondary education
• co-payment and reasonable travel costs for a supported holiday arranged by an organisation or association
• recognition of qualifications / degrees.

Act on Social Assistance 1412/1997, section 8: The Wellbeing Services County, based on its principles, grants preventive social assistance to achieve the objectives stated in section 1, subsection 2. Preventive social assistance can be granted for measures taken to activate the assistance recipient, secure their housing, alleviate difficulties due to over indebtedness or a sudden deterioration in their financial situation, and for other purposes that enhance the recipient’s ability to cope independently.

Preventive social assistance is a last resort form of financial assistance and serves as a tool in systematic social work. The purpose of preventive social assistance is to promote a person's or family's social security, independent coping, and to prevent social exclusion and long-term dependency on social assistance.  

Preventive social assistance can be granted to young people and families with children, for instance, to: 

• support parenting and ensure the child can grow up in a healthy environment; particularly, if the family is large or includes children with disabilities or serious illnesses  
• implement measures that prevent social exclusion among young people and promote activation.

In addition, preventive social assistance can be granted to:  

• alleviate difficulties resulting from over-indebtedness or a sudden deterioration of the recipient’s financial situation
• mitigate problems arising from a sudden crisis
• interrupt the need for long-term social assistance  
• foster the recipient’s social security and ability to cope independently in other ways than those listed above. 

Preventive social assistance covers, for example, arrears on rent, electricity, and water bills. However, the decision will take into account the client’s ability to pay the arrears through a payment plan or surplus income from basic social assistance.   

Preventive social assistance is usually a one-time provision unless the person's situation requires otherwise. The purpose of preventive social assistance is to prevent social exclusion and long-term dependency on social assistance. Preventive social assistance is not restricted to the aforementioned purposes and should be granted as necessary. The granting of preventive social assistance does not depend on the client's eligibility for basic social assistance. Instead, the client's financial situation is taken into account as it is. When assessing the need for the assistance, it should be investigated whether the Wellbeing Services County is obligated to provide the service under the Social Welfare Act or other legislation.

Every person residing in the municipality has, in an urgent situation, the right to receive social services based on their individual needs so that their right to indispensable care and subsistence is not endangered (Social Welfare Act, section 12). The guiding principle is the client’s need for support, which is assessed by a social welfare professional. Necessary livelihood can be secured with preventive social assistance or with support according to section 12 of the Social Welfare Act. Primarily, (12) 9 urgent social assistance for those residing in the municipality (food and medicine) is granted by Kela. The Wellbeing Services County will assess the individual's need for housing and other essential financial support.

A person is considered undocumented if they live and reside in a state without having a full, legal right of residence. A person whose nature of stay is other than temporary is not considered as undocumented. A municipality of residence under the Municipality of Residence Act contributes to the assessment of the nature of stay as other than temporary. Before granting assistance, it must be determined whether the person has received reception allowance from the reception centre, basic social assistance from Kela, or support from other wellbeing services counties. A person may have been previously assisted by a municipality or wellbeing services county using an artificial personal identity code in the client information system, or they may have a personal identity code.

The Wellbeing Services County can apply for state compensation from Kela for the urgent and necessary social welfare costs of undocumented people who have received a negative asylum decision (and whose reception services have ended). These costs include food, medication, and temporary accommodation.

The deadlines for social assistance are continuously monitored. It is the duty of every decision-maker for social assistance to ensure that social assistance applications are processed within the statutory processing time. Senior social workers monitor the fulfilment of the statutory service time on a daily basis. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) conducts nationwide monitoring of processing times for social assistance and, in the future, will request monitoring data from wellbeing services counties.

The validity and content of decisions regarding supplementary and preventive social assistance are monitored daily in connection with implementing social assistance decisions and through spot checks by senior social workers. Observed errors are addressed immediately. If a client notices an error in their social assistance decision, the decision can be reviewed and rectified. In this case, the client should contact the decision-maker either by phone or in writing.

Each decision includes instructions for appeal. A free form written appeal should be addressed to the Individual Matters Subcommittee of the Wellbeing Services County. The appeal must be made within 30 days of the client being deemed to have received the decision. The committee may determine that the office-holder’s decision will not be changed. The committee can also overturn the office-holder’s decision or return the application to the decision-maker for reconsideration. If the client is dissatisfied with the committee's decision, they can further appeal to the Administrative Court.

If the granting of social assistance was based on deliberately misleading information or a deliberate neglect of the notification obligation as provided for in section 17, the Wellbeing Services County or Kela may recover the paid assistance from the person who provided such information or neglected their notification obligation, to the extent that the granting of assistance was, for this reason, based on erroneous information.

A municipality’s duty to provide aftercare arises if the young person has been in the custody of social services or they have been placed as a support measure in open care for six months. Provisions on providing financial support for a young person in aftercare are laid down in chapter 12 of the Child Welfare Act.

The duty of a municipality to provide aftercare terminates when five years have passed since the child was last a client of child welfare services after termination of placement outside the home referred to in subsection 1. The duty to provide aftercare terminates at the latest when the young person concerned turns 25 years old. (Child Welfare Act section 75, subsection 3.)

Financial support as part of aftercare can be granted for housing, supporting studies and employment, and for other purposes that promote independence. Financial support can be granted in the form of:

1. Basic social assistance (Kela)
2. Supplementary or preventive social assistance
3. Financial support as part of aftercare in accordance with the Child Welfare Act
4. Funds for promoting independence

In the case of a child or young person in aftercare, supplementary social assistance can be granted to supplement basic social assistance when the client is entitled to social assistance and applies for it. Financial support as part of aftercare can be granted in other situations where in accordance with the Child Welfare Act it is justified to provide financial support for the child or young person in aftercare in order to support and secure their housing and rehabilitation. The decision to grant financial support as part of aftercare is made by a social welfare professional. According to section 30 of the Child Welfare Act, the client plan for the child or young person in aftercare must include the purpose and objectives of aftercare as well as the arrangement of special support and assistance.

Financial support as part of aftercare under the Child Welfare Act can be granted for:

• Driving school
• Hobbies
• For trips to visit relatives or people close to the young person.
• Studies
• Family celebrations
• Discretionary temporary assistance for essential housing, food, or medical expenses

If, during their placement, the child or young person has benefits that can be claimed, the social services will, according to section 77 of the Child Welfare Act, reserve 40% of the claimed benefits for the purpose of promoting independence. These accumulated funds are referred to as funds for promoting independence. If the child or young person does not have funds for promoting independence or if they are insufficient, a young person in the process of becoming independent in connection with end of their placement must be supported with expenses related housing, education, and other expenses related to becoming independent. Initial financial support can be granted to a young person in aftercare as part of financial support in aftercare under the Child Welfare Act.

The financial support as part of aftercare in accordance with the Child Welfare Act includes expenses that can be standardised and directed. Further decisions about these will be made as the organisation is built up. Financial support as part of aftercare is individually assessed in connection with drafting the aftercare client plan.