Social Assistance in Helsinki in the 2010s
In the beginning of 2017, the administrative responsibility for basic social assistance was transferred from the municipalities to Kela. The transfer was expected to reduce poverty and improve access to primary benefits. In addition, it was thought to simplify and equalise the procedures related to decisions and payments, ease the compilation of statistics, and free resources for social work in the municipalities.
The aim of this project is to study the effects of the transfer on basic social assistance recipients and applicants and to examine how receiving other benefits from Kela linked to social assistance recipiency in 2011–2019, i.e. before and after the transfer. Additionally, this project explores the effects of lowering the reimbursement rate of Type 2 diabetes medicines in 2017 on the use of social assistance. The study focuses on the population of Helsinki during the abovementioned period.
The project combines the City of Helsinki’s social assistance data from 2011–2017 with Kela’s register data from 2011–2019.
Researchers
- Tuija Korpela, Leading Researcher
- Jenni Blomgren
- Hanna-Mari Heinonen
- Signe Jauhiainen
- Markus Kainu
- Markku Laatu
- Hannu Mattila
- Tapio Räsänen
- Hanna Rättö
Project Implementation Period
18.9.2017–31.12.2023. The project has ended.
Project Results
- Kela-siirto madalsi kynnystä hakea perustoimeentulotukea (Kelan tutkimusblogi 6.6.2024)
- Toimeentulotuen saajien terveysperusteisten etuuksien ja terveyspalveluiden käyttö: Rekisteritarkastelu Helsingissä ja Oulussa (Kela, työpapereita)
- Toimeentulotuen asiakkaat saavat terveysperusteisia etuuksia yleisemmin kuin muu väestö (Kela, tutkimusblogi 1.12.2023)
- Lower Threshold for Claiming? Basic Social Assistance Recipiency in Helsinki Before and After the Centralisation Reform (research article, in Finnish)
