I appeal to the parliament, the government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to ensure that the right of the unemployed to create music, publish videos, and engage in other creative hobbies is secured more clearly than it currently is.
In 2017, Yle reported on Tommi Ignatius, whose music hobby was interpreted as full-time entrepreneurship, and he was required to repay 8,500 euros in unemployment benefits. According to a follow-up report by Yle, the repayment was waived, and the activity was deemed part-time.
According to Voice.fi, which referenced a news article from Ilta-Sanomat, Niko Huuskonen lost his unemployment benefits after publishing music on platforms such as YouTube and Spotify. His reported music income was a total of 14 cents.
On April 16, 2026, Hanna Kosonen raised in parliament the case of a drum hobbyist who faced a repayment threat of 70,000–110,000 euros. According to the speech, the repayment did not occur. Even such a threat shows how serious the consequences of ambiguous classifications can be for an individual.
These cases require political clarification. The unemployed must be able to maintain their skills, express themselves, and participate in culture without unreasonable uncertainty about their livelihood. A YouTube channel, a Spotify release, or minimal copyright income alone does not indicate that a person is a full-time entrepreneur or prevented from receiving full-time employment.
I demand the following actions:
- The boundary between hobbies, part-time activities, and full-time entrepreneurship must be clarified in legislation and national authority guidelines.
- The assessment of full-time status must be based on individually investigated work volume and the actual commitment to the activity. The publishing platform, the number of works, or the potential for future income must not solely determine the matter.
- Job seekers must be provided with understandable written guidance on what information they need to report and how the planned activity may affect their benefits. The confidentiality of individuals who have acted according to the guidance provided by authorities in good faith must be strengthened.
- In retroactive decisions, the start date of the activity, the grounds for full-time status, and the conditions for repayment must be clarified and justified. The reasonableness stipulated by law must be assessed appropriately.
- The board must investigate the consistency of solutions regarding creative hobbies and whether the obligations of investigation, hearing, consultation, and justification under administrative law are fulfilled.
- If illegal procedures are found in the investigations, the errors must be corrected and responsibilities examined in the appropriate procedure.
The legal grounds for the appeal are particularly sections 6, 8 subsection 1, 31 subsection 1, 34 subsection 1, and 45 subsection 1 of the administrative law, as well as the provisions concerning equality, freedom of speech, freedom of art, social security, and legal protection in the constitution.
I do not claim based on news that individual officials have committed a crime. I demand an investigation into the legality of decision-making and regulations whose consequences cannot be understood in advance by the unemployed.
Unemployment security must support job seeking and ensure livelihood. It should not create fear that publishing one’s own piece or video will lead to years of financial uncertainty.
Sources:
Yle 5.5.2017:
https://yle.fi/a/3-9592502
Yle 7.8.2017, recovery was waived:
https://yle.fi/a/3-9742576
Voice.fi 31.7.2026, summary of IS news:
https://www.voice.fi/ilmiot/is-tyoton-niko-tienasi-musiikilla-14-senttia-kela-katkaisi-tuet
Reiteration of Hanna Kosonen’s speech on 16.4.2026:
https://eduskunnassa.kuultua.fi/puheenvuorot/2026/37/2026_37_2_45
Administrative law:
https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2003/434
The Constitution of Finland:
https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1999/731
Unemployment security law:
https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2002/1290
Comments
0 comments