We will reform and simplify social security

SDP has its own general security model to reform social security. In our model, social security remains cause-based. Social security should support people’s own activity, self-development, training, rehabilitation, and employment.

Social security should be clarified and developed into being more understandable from the client point of view so that individual needs and different life situations are taken into account. Perceived wellbeing must have a stronger emphasis in the evaluation of services. Perceived wellbeing refers to the individual’s assessment of how smooth, understandable, accessible, and fair they experience the benefit and service system to be and what kind of a service experience it provides, for example, a person applying for or receiving income security benefits. For perceived wellbeing, these are equally important as sufficient income security benefits or sufficient availability of health and social services. This must be taken very seriously in the social security reform. A clear benefit system gives people the opportunity to build themselves functioning and predictable everyday lives.

Basic security must be reformed so that it guarantees sufficient security, that is, that the need for concurrent income security is reduced. Transitions from one benefit to another should be seamless, without breaks or delays. In reforming the social security system, also the changing labour market and increase of remote work should be considered. The data content of the Incomes Register must be broadened to support the development of social security and seamless payment of benefits.

Adjustments to benefits tied to the National Pensions Index must be made as required under law or, if prices rise at an increasing pace, more often than once a year, if necessary.

The social security reform must also consider various groups that fall between the cracks of the current system. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how fragmented and scarce income is, for example, in the creative sectors. The social security system must be constructed so that the coordination of irregular income, such as grants, copyright income, entrepreneurial income, trade income, wages, and social security, is significantly easier and more predictable than it is now.

The higher risk of poverty and social exclusion of people who live alone must be taken into account in the reform.

SDP’s general security model dismantles bureaucracy and stops people from having to run from pillar to post. SDP’s model would make it possible to earn a small and irregular income so that the right to general security is always predictable.