Kela study shows declining home care allowance use in Finland

A study by Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) reveals that the use of home care allowance has decreased among both Finnish-born and foreign-born mothers between 2015 and 2021.

While a slightly lower percentage of foreign-born mothers utilize the support (80%) compared to Finnish-born mothers (83%), those born abroad tend to use the allowance for longer average periods. Specifically, the average duration for Finnish-born mothers dropped from 13 to 10 months, while for foreign-born mothers, it decreased from 16 to 13 months.

Research Chief Anneli Miettinen noted that the findings challenge common public perceptions that link the use of home care allowance primarily to immigrant populations. The study also found that usage patterns vary by country of origin, with the highest usage among mothers from refugee-origin countries and the lowest among those from the Americas, Australia, and Oceania. Additionally, income and education levels were found to be significant factors in usage rates across different groups.