Supplementary or preventive social assistance

Complementary and preventive income support is provided by the social services of the well-being region. Complementary income support can be granted for special or exceptional situations or needs. Examples of special needs or circumstances include long-term receipt of income support (at least six months), long-term severe illness (lasting at least one year), and specific needs related to children's recreational activities.

The purpose of preventive income support is to promote your or your family's social security, self-sufficiency, and prevent social exclusion and long-term dependency on income support. Preventive support can be granted if it is necessary to improve your life situation or alleviate difficulties, such as a sudden deterioration in your financial situation.

Requirements

The service is intended for individuals in need of temporary financial assistance. The prerequisite for applying for complementary and preventive income support is that there is a valid positive or negative decision on basic income support from Kela.

User instruction

You can apply for complementary and preventive income support from the social services of your well-being region if you have specific expenses that are not covered by basic income support. Attachments are required on a case-by-case basis, and the need for attachments depends on the purpose of the income support.

Contact your residential municipality's Soihtu team by phone or through an electronic form. If you already have your own social services worker, contact them directly. The Soihtu team will be contacted if you do not have a client relationship yet.

You can apply for the basic social assistance in Kela. In the wellbeing services county, you can apply for supplementary and preventive assistance if you have special expenditure which the basic social assistance does not cover. You must have a valid decision on basic social assistance granted by Kela. The attachments you need depend on the purpose of the social assistance. You can ask for advice regarding applying for the social assistance at the social services of your municipality of residence.