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FAQ
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| Income support |
| 1 Who is entitled to income support? |
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If a person or a family cannot get a sufficient living with their own income, assets or by other means, they can receive income support (living allowance). Income support is given as a last resort. That’s why a person’s possibilities to get other benefits are sorted out before granting the support. Income support is generally granted for one month at a time. |
2 Can a student get income support? |
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A student’s primary support is student allowance, which consists of study grant, housing allowance as well as state-guaranteed student loan. Studies cannot be financed with income support and it is not an alternative to student loan. If the primary benefits are not sufficient a student can be granted income support. |
3 Can self-employed get income support? |
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A self-employed person can in some situations get income support temporarily. Receipts of the business’ situation must be enclosed to the application. An unprofitable business is not supported with income support. |
4 Do Social Services Department pay for a rent deposit? |
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A person or a family with low-income or of limited means can be granted a rent deposit, if the move is necessary and the rent reasonable. The rent deposit is given as a promissory note and it will not be paid in cash into the bank account of a client or a landlord. |
Housing |
| 5 Can Social Services Department help with finding an apartment or provide housing? |
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The Social Services Department does not provide rental flats and cannot help with finding a flat.
The Real Estate Department’s Housing Affairs Division is responsible for the rental flats owned by the City.
For further information, see www.stadinasunnot.fi. Information on the various housing options available in the metropolitan area can be found, for example, on the Helsinki Region website (housing section). The Social Services Department provides flats for special groups that need support in living, for example, sheltered accommodation for the elderly (Senior Info, housing section) or the disabled. |
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The service centre for the homeless on Hietaniemenkatu is available for contact around the clock. |
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When a flat has been found, for example, on the open market, the Social Services Department can grant a rent deposit and a rent allowance as income support to those with low income or without means. In matters pertaining to rent deposits and income support, contact the social service centre relative to your home address. |
Divorce, maintenance and custody of children |
| 6 How do you file for divorce and what should be taken into account? |
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A divorce can be filed at Helsinki District Court, where the application can be submitted jointly by both spouses or by one of them only. You can get more information from the District Court office. The divorce is preceded by a mandatory six-month reconsideration period, which will begin after a joint application has been submitted or when the other spouse has been notified of the application made by one spouse.
The final divorce must be applied for separately after the reconsideration period, within one year from the start of the reconsideration period, otherwise the application will lapse.
The current Marriage Act does not recognise judicial separation; the spouses can live together or separately during the reconsideration period.
If the spouses have underage children, they should agree on the care of their children, maintenance and visiting rights. The agreements are legally binding only if they have been confirmed by the District Court or the Social Welfare Board. The Social Welfare Board confirms only the agreements that have been made at the Family Legal Matters unit of the Social Services Department, information tel. +358 9 3104 3447 on Mon, Wed and Fri from 9 to 11 am. |
7 How is the amount of child maintenance determined? |
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Contrary to the common conception, child maintenance is always determined case by case and not on the basis of a general formula, such as a percentage of the income. By law, the amount of maintenance is determined by the payer’s ability to pay and the child’s need to get maintenance. When the maintenance is agreed upon, both parents’ financial situation, income, wealth, debts, the number of other dependants, work, etc. are taken into account. The children’s costs are divided between the parents according to their ability to pay for them. The amount of time that the child spends living with each parent will also be taken into account.
Social Services will not decide on the amount of maintenance; this will be agreed upon by the parents and will only be confirmed by the Social Welfare Board. Child welfare supervisors will provide help in negotiations and give suggestions on a reasonable amount of maintenance, and they will protect the child's interests.
The maintenance agreement can be made at the Family Law unit of the Social Services Department, where you need to book an appointment with a child welfare supervisor, tel. +358 9 3104 3419 (switch) on weekdays between 9 and 11 am. |
Transportation services |
| 8 Who is entitled to transportation services and how do you apply for them? |
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Transport services granted by the Social Services Department can be used for leisure journeys, errands as well as work and study journeys in the metropolitan area. A personal city card can be granted as transport support, entitling its possessor to use the Helsingin Matkapalvelu service (link). The customer pays a co-payment amount equal to the price of a single ticket for public transport. A specific number of journeys, to be assessed case by case, is granted. The transport support cannot be used for visits to the doctor or hospital, which can be compensated by Kela. |
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Transport services can be granted to severely disabled people who cannot use public transport without unreasonable difficulties. Applications shall be submitted to the social instructor for the disabled at the local social work unit. |
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According to the Social Welfare Act, transport services can also be provided to the elderly and those who cannot get transport services under the Services and Assistance for the Disabled Act. Applications shall be submitted to the social instructor for the disabled at the local social work unit. |
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There are a total of 25 Jouko neighbour routes within the various districts in Helsinki, three of which are operated on a request basis without a fixed route. The majority of the Jouko lines operate route traffic on weekdays from Monday through Friday at approx. an hour’s interval. The needs of the elderly, the physically handicapped and those using aids have been taken into consideration in the planning of Jouko lines. The drivers will help passengers get on or off the bus as needed. |
Domestic services |
| 9 Home care for the elderly |
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Home care for the elderly assists those with difficulties in coping with daily functions or in need of home nursing. Home care is applied by contacting the local home care instructors at the health centre. Social Services is nowadays only responsible for the home care provided to families with children. |
Sheltered accommodation |
| 10 Applying for sheltered accommodation |
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As a main rule, municipal sheltered accommodation can only be offered for round-the-clock care. Sheltered accommodation can be granted to people for whom home care services are inadequate. The fees charged for sheltered accommodation are based on the monthly hours agreed in the care and service plan made for the tenant. Other charges include rent, basic charge and meal charge. The charges are assessed according to the customer’s ability to pay, and they shall not exceed the costs caused by producing the services. Municipal sheltered accommodation can be applied for by contacting a social worker of the Social Services for the Elderly at the Social and contact work unit in your residential area, switch +358 9 310 4011. |
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If a customer has received a favourable decision on the need for sheltered accommodation, the customer can choose to take a service voucher for sheltered accommodation, valid in service voucher units approved by the municipality, instead of utilising the municipal service. The service voucher is meant for the round-the-clock sheltered accommodation of people over 65 years of age. |
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You can apply for private sheltered accommodation with a personal application with attachments regarding the specific housing. Private sheltered accommodation is paid for by the tenant. |
