Supplements to the 2021 budget:
Additional funds for wellbeing at work, unemployment security, services for children and young people, and vaccine research
The Government has presented a supplementary budget for 2021. The Government proposes an additional appropriation of EUR 135 million for the administrative branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, bringing the administrative branch’s total budget for 2021 to EUR 17.74 billion.
Appropriations in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will be allocated to work and wellbeing at work, unemployment security, services for children and young people, vaccine research and information management in healthcare and social welfare.
Additional funds for developing work and wellbeing at work
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 6 million for the development programme for work and wellbeing at work. The programme aims to reform operating practices, make effective use of technology in workplaces and create working-life innovations. The objective is to make Finland the leading developer of working-life innovations and the world leader in wellbeing at work by 2030.
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 1.4 million for the implementation of the projects of the working capacity programme that have been awarded government grants and for the development of an electronic self-assessment services for unemployed jobseekers. The Government proposes EUR 4 million for the project on well-functioning rehabilitation in healthcare and social welfare.
Temporary exceptions to unemployment security extended
The Government proposes that some of the temporary derogations from the unemployment security legislation will be extended until the end of March 2021. The Government proposes an increase of EUR 56.4 million for the unemployment security item to fund the extensions to the right of entrepreneurs to unemployment security and the raised exempt amount.
Better services for children and young people
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 16 million for the programme to address child and family services. The programme will develop family centres and early support in everyday life, child protection services, and low-threshold substance abuse and mental health services for children and young people.
COVID-19 testing reimbursed from health insurance
The Government proposes that EUR 45 million be allocated to raising temporarily the level of reimbursements from health insurance for COVID-19 testing. The reimbursement could be paid to service providers carrying out COVID-19 testing even when the employer instead of the insured paid the deductible. The Government also proposes to raise the amount of the reimbursement.
A centre for vaccine research
The Government proposes EUR 8 million for the corporatisation of a vaccine research centre. The new centre would be a state majority-owned company with special assignment. The Government proposes an increase of EUR 0.65 million for the operating costs of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare to compensate the loss of income caused by the establishment of a vaccine research centre.
Information management in healthcare and social welfare
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 23.8 million for the expenditure of national information management in healthcare and social welfare. Of this increase, EUR 3.8 million would be allocated to electronic processing of client data and the amendments to the act on electronic processing of client data due next year. The rest, EUR 20 million, would be an appropriation increase due to entering the capital of DigiFinland Oy as revenue. This will ensure the development of information management in healthcare and social welfare procured from DigiFinland Oy.
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 1.5 million for the implementation of the health sector growth strategy.
Institutions and agencies
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 12.3 million for the operating costs of the social insurance funds of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The need for additional funding is caused by the higher unemployment rate, which raises the operating costs of the General Fund for Social Security, which are fully state funded. Of the increase, EUR 3.5 million would go to the system-level changes required by the family leave reform and EUR 5.3 million to the developing of the benefit programmes and the services for clients.
The Government proposes an increase of two person-years and EUR 140,000 for the operating costs of the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health. The need for additional funding is caused by the development of the monitoring of information systems in healthcare and social welfare.
The Government proposes an increase of EUR 0.975 million for the operating costs of the occupational safety and health (OSH) division of the regional state administrative agencies and for the establishment of 15 new public posts of OSH inspectors.
Inquiries
Jiri Sironen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 295 163 410 (general questions)
Timo Lehtinen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 295 163 387 (general questions)
Kirsi Varhila, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 295 163 338 (general questions)
Mikko Staff, Director of Finance, tel. +358 295 163 214 (general questions)