New Disability Services Act
The new Disability Services Act (675/2023) entered into force on 1 January 2025. The new Act includes a three-year transition period until 31 December 2027. The transition period means that service and client fee decisions made under the previous regulations will remain in force for the validity period indicated in the decision, but no longer than until 31 December 2027. By 1 January 2028, all decisions must comply with the new legislation.
If the service or client fee decision was issued to the client on the basis of the regulations in force before 1 January 2025, the client fees or the service’s exemption from fees will continue to be determined according to that earlier legislation. Decisions concerning the client may be brought into line with the new Disability Services Act during the transition period either at the client’s initiative or by the City of Helsinki, if the client’s service needs require it.
As a rule, services for persons with disabilities are provided under a primary act, such as the Social Welfare Act or the Act on Services for Older Persons. For this reason, persons with disabilities pay for health and social services in the same way as other service users. Services under the Disability Services Act, on the other hand, are special services, which is why these services are primarily free of charge. However, maintenance fees and client fees may be charged for some services provided under the Disability Services Act.
Fees for different services
In housing services for persons with disabilities, no fee is charged from the client for support, guidance, assistance, care or nursing. The client pays for meals and electricity, for the sauna, for the use of the washing machine, and for any shared detergents and hygiene products they use. In addition, the client pays rent directly to the landlord. This applies to all persons aged 16 and over.
For persons under 16 years of age, a client fee is charged in housing services in the same way as in long-term institutional care.
Rent
The Premises Services of the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Division, the service provider or another landlord makes a tenancy agreement with the client. The rent is paid directly to the landlord.
Maintenance fee and the fee charged for electricity use
The maintenance fee covers everyday expenses that arise regardless of whether a person has a disability and that are not related to the person’s need for assistance or support. The maintenance fee covers, among other things, expenses arising from
- shared cleaning supplies
- hygiene products
- use of the washing machine and sauna in shared facilities, and
- expenses arising from supplies in shared facilities.
The fees are charged as follows:
- maintenance fee: EUR 30 per month
- electricity: EUR 13.50 per month (apartments without an electricity meter or where electricity is not included in the rent).
Meal services
Meals are paid for according to individual meals.
No separate fee is charged for a special diet.
The meal fees are as follows:
- main meal: EUR 6.10
- snack: EUR 3.10
Institutional care and family care
A client fee for long-term institutional care and family care is charged according to the client’s ability to pay (income-related fee). In family care, the client always retains at least 195 euros per month as personal spending money, and in long-term institutional care at least 131 euros per month.
Short-term housing service
The client fee for short-term housing service is EUR 42.40 per day.
Short-term institutional care
The client fee for short-term institutional care is EUR 66.90 per day, and the fee for part-time care is 30,70 euros per day.
Short-term family care
The client fee for short-term family care is EUR 42.40 per day.
Rehabilitation care
The client fee for rehabilitation care provided as special care for persons with intellectual disabilities is EUR 23.00 per care day.
Exceptions
If the client has a valid decision on housing services for persons with severe disabilities at home and short-term housing service is part of the housing service, the client pays only for meals for that period.
If the client pays rent to another housing unit during a short-term care period, only meals are charged for the short-term care.
Care during a family caregiver’s statutory leave
The client fee for care during a family caregiver’s leave is EUR 12.80 per day. For care provided at home, a client fee of EUR 12.80 is charged for each commencing 12 hour period.
No client fee is charged when a substitute family caregiver or hourly respite care is used.
In daytime activities granted under the Act on Services and Support for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, a fee is charged for meals eaten, but transport is free of charge for the client.
In daytime activities under the Disability Services Act, a client fee is charged for meals and transport.
Fees are also charged for meals and transport in work activities granted under the Social Welfare Act.
If the client attends daytime activities during short-term care organised in housing services or family care, the client pays separately for meals. The institutional care fee also covers meals during daytime activities.
The co-payment for transport service trips under the Disability Services Act and for mobility support trips under the Social Welfare Act is determined based on the decision of the Social, Health and Rescue Committee and according to HSL zone ticket prices. Within the transport service area (Helsinki, Sipoo, Vantaa, Espoo, Kauniainen), the client pays a co-payment corresponding to the price of an AB-zone ticket.
Work and study trips
The client may choose whether to pay the co-payment retroactively as a single payment based on the number of trips used or according to the price of a monthly ticket. A client using work or study trips does not need to pay separately for errand and leisure trips.
Student trips outside the transport service area
The client pays a co-payment for completed student trips equal to the price of a public transport student ticket.
Work trips outside the transport service area
The client pays a co-payment corresponding to the cheapest public transport option available to them.
Trips granted for receiving special care for persons with intellectual disabilities
Trips granted for receiving special care for persons with intellectual disabilities are free of charge for the client. Reimbursement may be applied for afterwards, against a receipt or invoice, for trips to the intellectual disability clinic that are not health care trips.
The client fee for meals eaten during holiday activities for children with disabilities is EUR 6.10 per day.
Who to contact regarding client fee matters?
If your matter concerns client fee billing or payment cap matters, or invoice due dates, please contact the Financial Management Services (Talpa) via the e-service. You log in to the service with strong authentication.
Go to Talpa’s e-service(Link leads to external service)
Talpa’s client service number tel. +358 9 310 25300(Link starts a phone call) , on weekdays at 9.00–15.00.
If your matter concerns client fee decisions, fee reductions or waivers, client fees for short-term realised service periods in purchased services, or fees for realised meal and shopping services, please contact the Client Fee Decisions and Expert Support of the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division.
Client fees service number tel. +358 9 310 44610 (Link starts a phone call) , on weekdays at 9.00–11.00 (call-back service).
Contact us electronically(Link leads to external service)
Postal address: PO Box 6032, 00099 City of Helsinki
Email: sotepe.asiakasmaksut@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
