Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen1 Social assistance 2012

Social assistance : expenditure (at 2012 prices), households and recipients (persons) Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen2

Young adults in receipt of social assistance as a proportion of population of same age, 1990– Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen3

Number of households in receipt of social assistance by type of household, 1990– Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen4

Households in receipt of primary social assistance by duration of social assistance, %, 1990– Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen5

Households receiving social assistance and expenditure on social assistance, by yearly amount, 2012, % Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen6

Social Assistance 2012 In 2012, social assistance was granted to households and individuals. Both the number of households and the number of individuals in receipt of social assistance decreased by 0.2 per cent on Social assistance recipients accounted for 6.8% of the total population. In 2012, social assistance recipients accounted for 6.8 per cent of the total population. Total expenditure on social assistance came to EUR million in 2012, showing an increase of 5.6 per cent in real terms on the previous year. In 2012, a general increase was introduced into basic social security benefits detailed below. Basic amount of social assistance was raised by 6 per cent in general and by 10 per cent for single parents. Both basic unemployment allowance and labour market support were raised by EUR 100 per month. Moreover, earnings limits for housing allowance were raised so as to correspond with the adjusted benefit levels. The impact of these general increases was, however, a mere one per cent increase in the number of new recipients of social assistance. The changes in 2012 took primarily place in the proportions of the different types of households receiving social assistance. The amount of social assistance paid to persons who also receive unemployment benefits decreased, while the amount paid to single parents increased. In real terms, total expenditure on social assistance has risen by 37 per cent since 2005, although there has been no increase in the number of households or individuals in receipt of social assistance. This trend reflects the overall growth in both long-term unemployment and cost of living, which in turn extend people's need for long-term social assistance Social assistance 2012 / Ari Virtanen7