Finland to scrap rehabilitative work programs despite proven mental health benefits

Finland’s government plans to dismantle its rehabilitative work activity programs—a move critics warn could shift costs to an already strained healthcare system and leave thousands without critical support.

The decision, part of broader social service cuts aimed at saving €100 million, would replace the current system with a narrower “working-age support service” starting in 2028. A public consultation on the legislative proposal closes Friday, with over 40 responses submitted so far, including warnings from five welfare regions and Helsinki’s city administration.

Anssi Makkonen, a 36-year-old from Lahti, credits the program with stabilizing his life after years of unemployment and worsening anxiety. “When you’re stuck at home for too long, home starts to feel like a prison,” he told Yle. After losing his job in 2018, his mental health deteriorated; even taking out the trash triggered panic. Since joining the rehabilitative work program in March, he said, “the routine has brought my life back to something close to normal.”

Welfare regions fear the new service will exclude many who currently rely on support. Päijät-Häme, Finland’s hardest-hit unemployment area where nearly half of jobseekers are long-term unemployed, warned that reduced funding could push vulnerable individuals toward costlier mental health services. “We can’t afford to add more strain to healthcare,” said Mika Forsberg, director of family and social services for the region.

The welfare region also criticized the rushed legislative process, noting that cost estimates for the current program rely on outdated data. Without state reimbursements for rehabilitation days—currently €1 million annually in Päijät-Häme alone—the financial gap from 2028 onward remains unclear.

Over 10,000 Finns participated in rehabilitative work activities this year. Makkonen, who now attends a creative workshop and hopes to study graphic design for video games, said losing the program would return him to isolation. “I don’t want to go back to that limbo.”