Definitions of social assistance and unemployment benefits.

  • Unemployment benefit refers to labour market subsidy, basic unemployment allowance and earnings-related unemployment allowance.
  • Social assistance refers to basic social assistance paid to the applicant or his or her spouse or partner by Kela and supplementary and preventive social assistance paid by a wellbeing services county, City of Helsinki or Ã…land.

https://migri.fi/en/citizenship-application/means-of-support

It doesn't say unemployment benefits for spouse but social assistance.

"If your spouse has received social assistance

When we examine whether the income requirement is met, we also verify whether your spouse has been paid social assistance during the past 2 years. This is because all family members living together are considered to be recipients of social assistance from the date of payment of the social assistance. A spouse refers to a married spouse, a cohabiting partner and a registered partner."

by HappyBerry2024

11 comments

  1. What if about if a non Finnish citizen doesn’t use social benefits but their Finnish spouse does?

  3. If you live under the same house under co habitation laws in finland they look at the income of the entire household not the individual. Kela can take aocial assistance away if for example one partner earns enough they deem that the income is capable of taking care of the household.

    I believe there are different rules under the unemployment fund ties to your union.

  4. Imagine you get sick and you can’t work for 3 months, they treat you like criminals. You pay taxes for 8 years but you can’t get any benefits for more than 3 months. Only thieves and bandits can make such rules. Inhumane.

  5. I guess this is because so many student brought their family who got on benfits. It’s a shame that some innocents have to suffer, but Finland simply can’t afford to pay out to students families.

  6. I don’t have Finnish citizenship. I’ve considered it for a good while but ended up deciding against it once I realized there wasn’t much to be gained, as an already EU citizen. At least, from what I can see. I could be wrong.

    Who does this affect and why?

  7. Well this is absolutely just dumb.

    Let’s say I’m a non-EU third country national who has lived in Finland for enough time, has the language skills, continuously held a decent paying job, paid taxes via income, rent, and VAT purchases, owns property, has enough assets and dividend pay to fully cover expenses even if I don’t work, and married to a Finnish citizen who lost her job last year and received unemployment benefits for more than 3 months disqualifies me from attaining Finnish citizenship? Absolutely just stupid. How should my Finnish wife acquiring unemployment benefits a year ago before this law was even thought of affect my ability to become a Finnish citizen if I so choose? Citizenship is a very singular personal attribute, not a family matter.

    Another drop in the bucket for us to leave the country. Loss of nice tax revenue and economic opportunity for Finland. We’ll just take our business elsewhere.

  8. If all family members living together are considered to be one recipient, why not also one income tax payer?

  9. Do they mean during the past 2 years from date of application for citizenship or 2 years from effectivity of the law?

  11. I’m mean agree or disagree with the law, but, tbh , unless something really crazy happens you or your spouse shouldn’t ever qualify for social benefits if you’ve been here 8 years. Join a union or unemployment fund, means based unemployment for a spouse only kicks in if your income is tiny, like less than 2400€ gross per month

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