Social assistance in Åland
In Åland you apply for social assistance from Kommunernas socialtjänst (KST). Social assistance is intended as a short-term benefit to help overcome temporary financial difficulties, to prevent the onset of such difficulties and to promote self-sufficiency. You can find more information on social assistance on the KST website.
The components of social assistance
Social assistance consists of three components, and in the first instance you are assessed for eligibility for basic social assistance. You may also have expenses that are not covered by basic social assistance, in which case you may be eligible for supplementary or preventive social assistance.
Basic social assistance consists of a basic component and then a contribution for other expenses not covered by the basic component. The basic component covers expenses such as food, clothing, public transport tickets, telephone bills, hobby expenses, etc. Minor healthcare costs are also included in the basic component of social assistance, therefore they cannot be recognised as separate expenditure. Examples of such costs are over-the-counter medicines, basic creams, vitamins and plasters.
Subsidies for other necessary expenses may include, for example, housing costs, healthcare and medical costs not included in the basic component, fees for municipal childcare and leisure activities, costs of contact with children, and expenses for obtaining a necessary identity document, residence permit or travel documents.
The housing costs that are authorised depend on the type of accommodation you have. This could include rent, interest on a mortgage, service charges, water and heating costs, household electricity, home insurance and essential moving costs. Moving expenses can be authorised if there is a justified reason, such as divorce or separation, health reasons, need for a larger home due to a change in family size, homelessness, or moving for work, study or to a cheaper home.
Information on the current amounts of the basic components can be found on the KST webpage on social assistance.
Supplementary social assistance may be granted to cover expenditure arising from the special needs or circumstances of a person or family. The expenditure must be necessary to ensure subsistence or promote self-sufficiency.
Special needs or circumstances may include long-term social assistance, a long-term or serious illness, special needs related to children's hobbies and other comparable circumstances or needs. Social assistance cannot generally cover debts, loans, tax arrears or consumption credits.
Preventive social assistance can be granted on a discretionary basis for activation measures, to secure housing, to alleviate problems caused by over-indebtedness or a sudden deterioration in your finances, and for other measures to help you manage on your own. Preventive social assistance is granted only in exceptional cases and for single occasions or months.
Right to social assistance
Basic social assistance may be granted to a person or family residing permanently in Åland. KST assesses each application individually. Social assistance ends when entitlement to the support no longer exists. This can occur if you move abroad, in the event of death, if you start work, and when the conditions for social assistance are no longer met. Income support may also end for other similar reasons or when the person themselves requests that the support be terminated.
During temporary stays, help and support should primarily be sought in other ways. This may involve asking for help from family, your insurance company or your home country. However, anyone staying in Åland has the right to receive support in urgent situations to ensure that necessary assistance is provided. If your stay in Åland is considered to be temporary and your situation is urgent, KST may grant you a payment commitment for assistance with travelling home, food and necessary prescription medicines. If your stay is permanent, other expenses may also be taken into account when your eligibility for social assistance is determined.
As a citizen of a Nordic country you are entitled to basic social assistance in accordance with the terms of the Act on Social Assistance immediately on arrival in Finland and Åland. In the same way that other permanent residents of Finland and Åland are entitled to it. Any social security benefits you may have from your country of origin will be looked into and taken into account when assessing your eligibility.
Applying for social assistance
Social assistance is last-resort financial support. This means that you must first apply for other benefits, such as housing allowance, sickness or pension benefits and unemployment and study benefits. Applications for social assistance are made via KST's e-services or using a paper form complete with attachments detailing expenses, income and bank statements.
More information
On the Info Norden website you can find information on social assistance and financial support in the other Nordic countries and which authorities to contact if you have questions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.