Complaints rise regarding Kela’s handling of social welfare applications in Finland

Incidents of complaints regarding social welfare decisions in Finland have risen significantly this year, with the Parliamentary Ombudsman receiving numerous reports about the Social Insurance Institution, Kela. Complainants claim Kela has repeatedly requested additional information from applicants, even when it has already been submitted.

Ombudsman advisor Tapio Räty noted the pattern indicating that previous documentation is often overlooked, leading to a lengthy cycle of additional requests which delays the processing of applications. Delays or incorrect negative decisions can have severe consequences for individuals reliant on state support.

Räty emphasized that the issue might stem from Kela employees not having sufficient time to thoroughly examine each case. A lack of consistent caseworkers for individual applicants further complicates the situation, as it hinders the development of familiarity with an applicant’s circumstances.

This year over 400 complaints related to social welfare have been filed with the Ombudsman by mid-November, a significant increase compared to 322 for all of the previous year. While small relative to over a million welfare applications received by Kela in the same period, the increase is noteworthy, as complaints are typically made after other avenues have been exhausted.

Kela employees have cited pressure and performance targets as contributing factors to the errors in decision-making. They express concern that the need to process applications quickly can compromise the quality of work and may lead to inconsistent decisions, with outcomes sometimes resembling a roll of the dice.

Despite these challenges, Kela’s leadership claims that the quality of decision-making is satisfactory and that systemic pressures do not impact the fairness of the outcomes. The institution faces increasing demands for its services due to cuts in other welfare provisions, which further escalates workloads and the likelihood of mistakes.