Social Security and Living Arrangements of Low-Income Families: Final Report on LAPSOSET Project
Abstract
Research project LAPSOSET has studied low-income families, social security benefits and their changes, effects of child care allowance, families living apart, and child maintenance. Materials of this study consist of previous studies, register data, and interviews with experts.
General housing allowance is significant for single parents. Nearly half of single parents and 6 per cent of two-parent households received general housing allowance in 2022. In 2023, 46,600 families received basic social assistance. Eight per cent of 0–17-year-old children lived in a family receiving basic social assistance. Most of these families received basic social assistance for a short term. According to microsimulations, the benefit changes in 2024 will increase the at-risk-of-poverty rate.
It has become more common for children to live with both parents after the parents’ separation. Living in two households increases the total cost of children for the family. The equivalent disposable income of the secondary parent will decrease if children’s costs are taken into account.
Child maintenance and maintenance benefit as supplement or substitute is important for low-income families when parents are living apart. Early and pre-emptive support for parents is needed to facilitate the agreement for child maintenance.
Full text in Finnish (julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi)
Authors
Signe Jauhiainen, Anneli Miettinen, Lauri Mäkinen, Tiina Ristikari, Tapio Räsänen, Ella Sihvonen, Ilkka Virmasalo
Additional Information
- Peer-Reviewed: no.
- Open Access: yes.
- Cite as: Jauhiainen, S., Miettinen, A., Mäkinen, L., Ristikari, T., Räsänen, T., Sihvonen, E., & Virmasalo, I. (2024). Lapsiperheiden pienituloisuus, sosiaaliturva ja asumisjärjestelyt: LAPSOSET-hankkeen loppuraportti (Valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimustoiminnan julkaisusarja 2024:35). Valtioneuvoston kanslia. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-383-478-1
