Finland’s child ombudsman condemns government’s child benefit reform as “astonishing”

Finland’s child ombudsman, Elina Pekkarinen, has sharply criticised the government’s proposed overhaul of child benefits, calling the plan “astonishing” in an interview with national broadcaster Yle on Tuesday.

Pekkarinen argued the reform would disproportionately harm large families and single-parent households, groups already at high risk of poverty. “Currently, we know that families with multiple children and single-parent families face a very real risk of poverty. Now, the proposal removes the increased support these family types receive,” she said.

The ombudsman described the changes as effectively redistributing funds from larger families to smaller ones, particularly those renting homes. “I don’t understand how this improves the situation for Finnish families with children,” Pekkarinen stated, emphasising that the current system treats children equitably by accounting for the higher costs faced by multi-child households and single parents.

She warned that the reform appears to target middle-income earners and the lower middle class, who have already borne the brunt of recent social welfare cuts and rising living costs. “They’ve already faced significant financial strain,” Pekkarinen noted.