Reduction or waiver of the client fee

You can apply for a reduction or waiver of income-related client fees for health and social services, as well as fixed-sum client fees for social services.

Income-related client fees for social services

• continuous and regular home care services (home care)
• long-term 24-hour service housing, communal housing, supported housing
• long-term institutional care
• long-term family care

Income-related client fees for health care

• long-term institutional care

Fixed-sum client fees for social services

• temporary home care services (home care)
• services promoting participation and social interaction (daytime activities)
• support services (safety services, cleaning, personal hygiene services, meal and grocery services, co-payments for transport services)
• short-term 24-hour service housing, temporary housing
• short-term institutional care
• short-term family care.

General guidance and advice regarding client fees can be obtained from the client fees service number at tel.  +358 9 310 44610  (Link starts a phone call) , on weekdays from 9–11. You can also contact the staff member assigned to you from the services for older persons. Applications for a reduction or waiver of the client fee are made through the Client Fee Decisions and Expert Support unit.

See How do I apply for reduction or waiver of the client fee

A reduction or waiver of the client fee cannot be granted for flat-rate health care fees, fees charged for missed appointments (penalty fees), or the co-payment for a service voucher. However, the value of a service voucher can be increased in accordance with the Service Voucher Act.

Examples of flat-rate health care fees include

• hospital care day fees
• outpatient clinic fees
• dental care fees
• temporary home nursing or at-home hospital care fees
• rehabilitation and therapy fees

Most flat-rate health care fees are included in the annual maximum client fee. Once the maximum is reached, the services included are generally free of charge.

Read more about the maximum client fee

If you are unable to pay flat-rate health care fees due to your financial situation, you can make arrangements for payment with the Financial Administration Services.

Apply for a reduction or waiver of the client fee using the electronic application. For a reduction or waiver of client fees for substance abuse services, you can apply informally through your designated case worker. For a reduction of the fee for the safety and alert call service, you can apply through the client guidance unit of your service area’s assessment operations.

Submit an electronic application (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)

Application using a form or in free format

Alternatively, you can fill in the fee reduction form or write a free-format application. Submit the application to the Client Fee Decisions and Expert Support unit along with supporting documents (e.g., invoices and bank statements).

Fill in the form Reduction or non-recovery of health care and social welfare client fees (pdf)

A free-format application must include

• Which fee the reduction or waiver applies to?
• The period for which, or the date from which, you are applying for the reduction or waiver?
• Your justification for why you are applying for a reduction or waiver of the fee.

Sign the application and attach copies of your and your spouse’s relevant expenses, as well as bank statements from the last three months.

The form or free-format application can be sent to the following address:

Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division
Client fee decisions and special support unit
PO Box 6032, 00099 City of Helsinki

Expenses considered when reducing or waiving a client fee

• rent/maintenance charge, attach a breakdown of rent/charges
• reasonable housing costs, e.g., electricity and water
• for a privately used home:
  • home insurance, i.e., contents insurance (basic home insurance)
  • any other mandatory property insurance
  • mortgage interest
• student loan interest
• child support
• interest on a car loan, if the car purchase has been subsidised under the Disability Services Act
• additional taxes on pension income (for the relevant month)
• home care support service fees and daytime activity fees related to home care (transport costs for meal and grocery services, personal hygiene services, and safety phone)
• private safety phone fee (monthly rental, etc.) not related to home care
• prescription medicines reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act, prescribed for at least three months
  • include a pharmacy purchase list of long-term medicines.
  • medication costs are taken into account up to the annual medicine cap. In long-term 24-hour service housing, medicines reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act are already considered in the client fee decision.
• garnishment
  • Attach the enforcement authority’s garnishment decision and a summary of the debtor’s enforcement matters if you have not submitted them previously.
• debt arrangement
  • Attach a copy of the district court’s decision or the payment plan if the amount to be paid is not stated in the district court’s decision.

Consideration of assets

The client fee will not be reduced or waived if the client or the spouses have total assets of 8,000 euros or more. Assets to be considered include available cash or quickly realizable property, such as mutual fund units, savings insurance, or securities. Fixed property (e.g., apartments or other real estate) is not considered as assets.