New integration assistance to improve incentives to work and strengthen language skills

New integration assistance to improve incentives to work and strengthen language skills

The Government is proposing a new type of integration assistance. The general social security benefit would be paid as integration assistance to immigrants registered as unemployed jobseekers who do not meet the prior work requirement or have lived in Finland for less than three years.

The Government proposes amending the Act on a General Social Security Benefit, the Act on the Organisation of Employment Services and the Act on the National Certificates of Language Proficiency.

The general social security benefit would be paid as integration assistance to unemployed jobseekers who do not meet the prior work requirement, have lived in Finland for less than three years during the previous ten years and are in need of financial support.

"The aim of integration assistance is to promote the integration and employment of immigrants in Finland. In addition to reforming this benefit, we will improve integration services and give immigrants a strong right to language training in future. Finland needs work-based and competence-based immigration, and people who come here must also have realistic opportunities and incentives to find employment. Language skills are central to finding a job," says Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

The level of integration assistance would be slightly lower than that of general social security benefit. It would correspond to the basic amount of basic social assistance for a person living alone (EUR 33.64 per day in 2026).

The work and residence requirement for receiving the general social security benefit would not apply if:

• the person's mother tongue is Finnish, Swedish or Sami
• the person has completed the primary and lower secondary education syllabus (comprehensive school syllabus) or the general upper secondary school syllabus, the matriculation examination or a vocational qualification in Finnish, Swedish or Sami
• the person has demonstrated Finnish or Swedish language skills in accordance with the target level (B1.1) in at least two areas or
• the person cannot demonstrate their language skills due to a disability or other similar reason.

This means that immigrants registered as unemployed jobseekers could be paid the general social security benefit instead of integration assistance, for instance after they have demonstrated sufficient skills in Finnish or Swedish.
The employment authorities would be responsible for ensuring that jobseekers receiving integration assistance have access to services that meet their needs. These services should be organised, or a jobseeker should be referred to them, at the latest when the person has been registered as a jobseeker for a total of six months.

The intermediate-level National Certificate of Language Proficiency test in Finnish or Swedish or one of its subtests would be free of charge for those who would not participate in integration training because of their individual abilities, skills or needs.

In addition, the Act on a General Social Security Benefit would be amended so that an unemployed jobseeker in the country with a residence permit granted on the basis of temporary protection would be entitled to the general social security benefit or integration assistance subject to similar conditions as other people who have moved to Finland. This amendment would mean that Ukrainians fleeing the war to Finland, among other people, would be included in the scope of the general social security benefit instead of social assistance.

Aim is to promote labour market participation and access to language training

The aim of integration assistance is to promote the participation of immigrants in the labour market and their access to language training within a reasonable time. This means strengthening the responsibility and ownership of people who have recently moved to Finland for their effective language learning and access to the labour market by providing more incentives to participate in employment-promoting services and language training. Sufficient language skills and participation in the labour market are key prerequisites for the integration into society of people moving to Finland.

The Government submitted a proposal on the amendments to Parliament on 4 June. The amendments are scheduled to enter into force on 1 April 2027. The new integration assistance would only apply to people who move to Finland after the Act enters into force.

• Decision material (in Finnish)

Integration assistance is part of the Programme of Prime Minister Orpo's Government

In line with the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government, the Government will implement a new type of integration assistance for immigrants, which will include an incentive and obligation to integrate. In addition, the net level of labour market subsidy will be brought to the level of the basic component of basic social assistance. Sufficient and verified Finnish language skills will raise the labour market subsidy to the current level.

The Government will invest in services promoting the language skills and employment of those receiving integration assistance through legislation on the maximum waiting time to access services (time guarantee). The central government transfers to municipalities for basic public services would be increased by EUR 7.3 million in 2027 and by EUR 12.9 million in 2030 when the change is fully in force.

Since the labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance for unemployed jobseekers was replaced by the general social security benefit on 1 May 2026, the new integration assistance would be included in the Act on a General Social Security Benefit.

Inquiries

Emmi Venäläinen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Social Security, tel. +358 29 516 3058
Jere Päivinen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 29 516 3108
Silja Dahlgren, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 29 516 3391 (on leave until 5 June 2026)
Timo Meling, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (labour policy requirements), tel. +358 29 504 9084
Mira Sinkkonen, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, (integration and testing of language proficiency), tel. +358 29 504 7293

Email addresses are in the format: [email protected].