Authors

• SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health

Keywords

Social Insurance Institution of Finland, housing, right to a minimum income, social reform, social security, social security benefits, social services, social welfare finance, social workers, universal basic income, welfare policy

Abstract

The sociobarometer is a wide-ranging survey charting expert opinion on the welfare of Finnish citizens and the present state of welfare services in Finland. Collection rounds were planned to have been conducted less frequently after the 2015 sociobarometer, but the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) made the initiative that the barometer charts, for three subsequent years, the effect of the 2017 reform where responsibility for granting basic social assistance was transferred to Kela from municipal social welfare offices. Because of this, between the more extensive biennial sociobarometers, these special sociobarometer surveys are conducted, of which the 2016 sociobarometer is the first. The respondents were managers of municipal health and social service offices, select staff at Kela who were relevant for the survey in terms of social assistance, and social workers in social assistance and adult social work. The study was funded by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and Finland's Slot Machine Association (RAY).

The first questions surveyed the transfer of the responsibility for granting basic social assistance from municipal social welfare offices to Kela. The respondents were asked whether they thought it was the right call to transfer the responsibility to Kela for granting and paying basic social assistance. They were asked to evaluate the likeliness of a variety of effects caused by the transfer (e.g. whether the transfer would increase/decrease administrative costs, lower the threshold of applying for social assistance, speed up getting a decision for social assistance, or reduce bureaucracy). The respondents were also asked to what extent they agreed on a set of statements regarding the implementation of the transfer (e.g. whether the respondent's own organisation had informed people sufficiently about changes, whether preparations had been sufficient, and whether employees knew how their work would change). Opinions on the efficiency of cooperation between Kela and the social services were also charted, as well as opinions on the current level of basic social security in Finland and possible development needs. The study also surveyed the respondents' opinions about a system that would guarantee universal basic income for all persons permanently residing in Finland, and they were asked to evaluate suggestions for a model of universal basic income. Managers of municipal health and social service offices and social workers were also asked about housing costs, homelessness and whether there was a sufficient number of moderately priced rental apartments available in the area.

Finally, the survey covered the health and social services reform ('Sote reform') with questions that were only presented to managers of municipal health and social service offices. They were asked to evaluate the reform in general as well as how well the implementation of the reform had succeeded and what factors had affected the success of the implementation. The survey also examined the managers' views on how costs of the reform could be kept down in the long run, and what effects the so-called freedom of choice for customers would have on e.g. the availability and quality of services.

Depending on the respondent group, background variables included educational background, job title, qualification, major region (NUTS2), number of inhabitants in the municipality, statistical grouping of municipalities.