Freelance work in the cultural sector is varied but often precarious. The amount of income can vary from season to season and is made up of several sources, such as grants, work allowances or salaries. Knowledge of social security structures is important to enable freelancers to secure their income even when work is not available or not possible.
General information on social security
Social protection is the economic and social security provided by society to help people cope with different situations in life. Social protection helps to guarantee basic security for all citizens, regardless of their income or life circumstances, and is a key element of the welfare state. Social security is mainly funded by taxes and is administered in Finland by organisations such as Kela (the Social Insurance Institution) and unemployment funds.
In Finland, social security in general applies to people who are permanently resident in Finland. Benefits are also granted on the basis of work, e.g. to workers from the EU/EEA. Finnish social security is divided into two main categories.
Basic services
Basic social security refers to benefits paid by Kela to ensure a basic income.
Examples of benefits include:
- Sickness allowance
- Student support
- Housing benefit
- Basic unemployment allowance
- Maternity and parental allowances
- National pension and guaranteed pension
- Income support (unemployment funds, employment pension institutions, etc.)
Income-based security
Benefits such as:
- Unemployment benefit on a fixed income
- Occupational pension
- Part of sickness and parental allowances