In Finland, support is built around cooperation between three actors: the national social insurance institution Kela, the wellbeing services counties responsible for social and healthcare services, and municipalities responsible for education and employment-related services.
For individuals and families, the system can sometimes feel fragmented because some services are granted based on diagnosis while others depend on an individual assessment of support needs. Even so, the Finnish model reflects a broader Nordic principle: disability support should cover the whole life course and promote equal participation in society.
How the Finnish support system works
Support for people with cp in Finland is organized through a “triple welfare system”:
- Kela provides social security benefits and some rehabilitation services.
- Wellbeing services counties organize healthcare, social services and disability services.
- Municipalities are responsible for services related to education and employment.
A major healthcare and social services reform in 2023 transferred responsibility for disability services from municipalities to wellbeing services counties. One of the main goals was to improve equality in access to services across the country.
Changes in services and benefits
Recent years have seen increased use of disability services among people with cp in Finland. This may reflect improved access to services, greater awareness of available support, and changes in administration after the 2023 reform.
At the same time, the number of people with cp receiving disability pensions has decreased. According to Kela database, in 2015 around 2,270 people with cp received disability pensions, compared with about 1,800 in 2024. The decline is especially visible among younger adults.
Several factors may explain this development. Support may increasingly focus on rehabilitation and community-based services rather than long-term pensions, assessment practices may have changed, and more young adults with cp may be pursuing education and employment.
The structure of benefits has also changed:
- the number of children receiving disability allowance has decreased
- the number of adults receiving disability allowance has increased
- the number of pensioners receiving care allowance has remained relatively stable.
Key challenges
One strength of the Finnish system is the broad public responsibility for disability support. At the same time, services are spread across several organisations, which can make the system difficult to navigate for individuals who need rehabilitation, social services, educational support and income security simultaneously.
Important future questions include:
- how to improve coordination between services and benefits
- how to ensure adequate income security
- how to support participation in education and employment without risking the loss of necessary services.
From a Nordic perspective, Finland represents a model in which the public sector carries significant responsibility for supporting people with cp throughout their lives. At the same time, the system continues to evolve as policymakers try to balance equality, economic sustainability and independent living.
About the author
Antti Teittinen, PhD (sociology)
Research Manager at The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela)
Chairperson of the Finnish CP Association
