Outi Antila, Kela’s Director General: “As experts on social security, we stand for trust, information and security in society”

Kela has published its annual report and financial statement for 2023. The benefit payments by Kela totalled €16.6 billion. Events in society also affected Kela’s operations.

“Kela’s importance for society as a whole becomes apparent in exceptional times, because as experts on social security we stand for trust, information and security in society,” Outi Antila, Kela’s Director General, emphasises.

In 2023, Finland strived to respond to the increase in electricity prices through the assistance with electricity costs and by taking into account a larger proportion of housing costs for the basic social assistance. The effects of rising inflation rates on social security benefits were reduced by time-limited increases to the benefits and a 4.2 percent increase to the benefits that are linked to the national pension index.

The wellbeing services counties started operations at the beginning of 2023, and this also affected Kela. The responsibilities of the wellbeing services counties as organisers of social and health services are closely linked to Kela's responsibilities. The cooperation between Kela and the wellbeing services counties is extremely important, and the cooperation has started well.

The war in Ukraine also showed in Kela’s benefit processing and customer service. The Ukrainians who have come to Finland started getting benefits from Kela from March 2023 onwards as the first Ukrainians became entitled to benefits on the basis of residence. However, a smaller number of Ukrainian customers than estimated have started receiving Kela benefits and the switch to Kela benefits has also occurred at a more even pace than expected.

Improved data mobility would save public expenditure

During last year’s negotiations on a new Government Programme, experts from Kela and Kela’s Kanta services provided ample support for the preparation of the Programme to the negotiators and the Ministries. In addition, the expertise of Kela’s researchers and the calculations of Kela’s actuaries were used as help.

The new Government Programme brought many changes to the social security benefits. Since last autumn, Kela has actively informed customers about the coming cuts and changes. Kela has made preparations to implement the changes by for instance providing training for the personnel and updating the information systems.

According to Antila, the aims concerning Kela and the Kanta services that have been included in the Government Programme would, when implemented, make it easier for people to contact different public authorities and bring much-needed savings in public expenditure.

“In my opinion, the statement about improved data mobility in the Government Programme is crucial. It makes cooperation with our partner organisations, such as the wellbeing services counties, TE Services and other public authorities, easier. Through the changes, we can at the same time also save public expenditure and make life easier for millions of our customers,” Antila emphasises.

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Kela’s annual report and financial statement for 2023 (in Finnish)