Kela: The number of recipients of general housing allowance and the amount turned to the decline

Public The number and expenses of housing allowance started to decline in 2024, Kela announced on Tuesday. The drop increased further in January 2025 with the new changes to the law.

“The number of recipients of housing allowance has decreased as a result of the cuts that came into force last April, as estimated in advance. Cuts for housing allowance will continue to reduce the number of support recipients, especially at the beginning of 2025, when the support for owner -occupied residents ended, ”says the research manager Signe Jauhiainen In the reel bulletin.

In December, general housing allowance was paid to more than 380,000 households, which was nearly 23,000 households less than a year earlier. In January this year, new changes came into force, and the number of recipients of general housing allowance continued to decrease in 21,000 households.

In 2024, Kela paid just under EUR 1.7 billion in general housing allowance. The amount of benefits paid decreased by 2 % compared to the previous year, given inflation.

Also, the average paid general housing allowance decreased compared to the previous two years. Last year, the average was EUR 327 per month.

Owner -occupied In addition to the end of the aid, it changed at the turn of the year that the applicant’s wealth is taken into account in the amount of general housing allowance.

According to Kela, the law changes were reflected in January: the general housing allowance was paid about EUR 122 million, less than five million less than a month earlier.

“Due to the removal of the protective component and the change in the basic liability, the cuts were particularly responsible for working communities,” Jauhiainen adds.

The number of those receiving general housing support decreased in all types of food in 2024. The relatively biggest drop was for childless couples.

However, clearly most of the recipients of general housing allowance in Finland are single -person households. In 2024, there were 275,000 of them. Families with children will be emphasized by the families of one guardian.