Finland home care allowance reform is set to change eligibility rules for newly arrived immigrants, as Prime Minister Petteri Orpo advances a broader integration programme and Finance Minister Riikka Purra calls for stronger work requirements tied to social benefits.
Finland’s government has agreed to restrict access to the home care allowance for certain immigrants, according to reports by Yle and Iltalehti. The measure forms part of a wider reform package that aims to recalibrate how social security interacts with integration and employment policy.
The proposal introduces a residence requirement that would reshape who qualifies for the benefit and under what conditions.
Under the draft proposal, a parent who has lived in Finland for less than three years after the age of 16 will not be eligible for the home care allowance if they remain at home to care for a child.
Time spent living in another EU or EEA country, or in Switzerland, will count toward the three year requirement. This detail is intended to align the reform with European free movement rules while narrowing eligibility for recent arrivals from outside the bloc.
The restriction will apply only to the parent who has moved to Finland. It will not affect both parents automatically. In single parent households, the requirement will apply to the parent living with the child.
If approved by parliament, the change will take effect on 1 July 2026. It will apply only to those who move to Finland after the law enters into force.
According to Iltalehti, ministers have referred to the proposal as reflecting a “Norwegian model”, where access to certain family benefits is linked to prior residence.
Within the governing coalition, the measure has not been without debate. The Swedish People’s Party of Finland raised concerns that a broader restriction might create unintended consequences. One scenario discussed involved a Finnish citizen losing support because of their partner’s immigration background.
Government representatives have framed the amendment as part of a broader attempt to differentiate between newly arrived immigrants and permanent residents, while staying within constitutional limits.
Constitutional review slowed the process. Ministers revisited equality provisions and the constitutional right to basic social security before finalising the draft. The bill is expected to go before parliament this spring.
The Finland home care allowance reform is unfolding alongside a wider debate about work obligations tied to social benefits.
Earlier in February, Riikka Purra argued publicly that immigrants should be required to work as a condition for receiving certain forms of social assistance. In an interview with Suomen Uutiset, she pointed to Denmark as an example.
“In Denmark, social welfare, especially last resort support, is tied to a 37.5 hour weekly work requirement,” Purra said.
She described the Danish model as involving simple municipal tasks such as cleaning or gathering twigs, and argued that such duties do not displace existing jobs.
In a separate post on X, Purra suggested that some immigrants accept low paid work to secure residence permits and later leave employment because, in her view, social security makes continued work less financially attractive.
Her remarks drew criticism from opposition politicians and from members of her own governing partner, the National Coalition Party.
Former Helsinki mayor Juhana Vartiainen responded that incentive problems in the welfare system are not limited to immigrants.
“That is why reform of social security and labour legislation is necessary in any case,” he wrote.
Denmark expanded its work requirement last summer. The scheme applies to people who have lived in Denmark for fewer than nine of the past ten years and who have worked less than 2.5 years full time.
Participants must complete up to 37 hours per week of assigned activity to receive benefits.
Municipalities organise the tasks. These may include waste collection, sorting donated clothes, or assisting in care homes. Part of the weekly requirement can consist of supervised language classes or monitored job search.
Supporters argue that the model strengthens labour market participation and reinforces integration. Critics question whether mandatory low skill assignments meaningfully improve long term employment outcomes.
In Finland, the constitution guarantees everyone the right to essential subsistence. That principle shapes the boundaries of what lawmakers can change.
Research Professor Pasi Moisio of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare told Helsingin Sanomat that directly importing the Danish model would be difficult.
“The constitution and its interpretation grant immigrants a strong right to last resort social security,” Moisio said.
He added that Denmark operates with broader employment and integration services.
“In Finland, social security focuses on passive income transfers. There are fewer obligations or service opportunities,” he noted.
This structural difference means that any attempt to attach strict work requirements to basic benefits would likely face legal and administrative hurdles.
The Finland home care allowance reform signals a clear policy direction. Access to family benefits for newly arrived immigrants will increasingly be tied to residence history and, potentially, labour market participation.
For families planning to move to Finland after July 2026, the reform introduces a new calculation. The ability to rely on home care allowance during early settlement may no longer be guaranteed.
For policymakers, the debate goes beyond a single benefit. It reflects a broader question: how should a Nordic welfare state balance constitutional guarantees, fiscal sustainability, and integration goals in a changing migration landscape?
Parliament’s deliberations this spring will determine how far the government can go within those constitutional limits.
