Social assistance is the last-resort financial support included in social welfare. The assistance is means-tested and it is usually granted for one month at a time. Its amount is based on the client’s essential expenses.

The assistance is the amount by which the client's eligible expenses exceed income and assets. Social assistance consists of basic social assistance, supplementary social assistance and preventive social assistance.

More information: 

• Social Assistance Act (in Finnish)
• More information on social assistance
• More infromation about social assistance guidance (in Finnish)