CHILD AND FAMILY POLICY IN FINLAND

Housing support
Forms of housing support available to families include the general housing allowance, stateguaranteed
housing loans and other interest subsidies as well as tax subsidies for housing
loans. The general housing allowance is intended to offset a portion of any reasonable
housing-related costs of low-income families from government funds.
The amount depends on the family’s size, income and housing-related outgoings and the
size of the home. The body responsible for processing applications for the general housing
allowance is the Social Insurance Institutiona.
Social assistance
Social assistance is the last-resort form of income security aimed at promoting the financial
independence of families. Social assistance is paid from local government funds to families
with no income or insufficient income to cover essential everyday expenses.
The purpose of social assistance is to ensure basic subsistence. The amount of social assistance
is based on the difference between families’ eligible expenses and their income and
assets. Eligible expenses include food and clothing, essential housing-related costs, health
care and hobbies. Supplementary social assistance is available for covering unforeseen expenses.
The purpose of preventive social assistance is to promote social security and independent
living. It is also designed to prevent social exclusion and long-term dependence on social
assistance.
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