Virrat, a Finnish municipality with less than 7,000 inhabitants, wants more children. The aim is to have around 35-40 more babies in 2020. And that's why local authorities have announced a raise in the money that parents will get for every newborn, as long as they become permanent residents of the town.
According to the municipality's website, the aim is to "to reward" with a 4,000 euros bonus those families who chose Virrat to grow their children.
The money can be requested directly after the baby is born. But there are severe conditions: those interested should know that to obtain this benefit in its entirety they will have to commit to living in Virrat for a long time. According to local authorities, the funds will be paid in installments of 500 euros over a period of 8 years.
And a warning for those who are not yet familiar with this country: like all income in Finland, this benefit is subject to taxes.
From January 2020 onwards
"The first installment of 500 euros will be paid soon after birth," Virrat's website explains. But the remaining amounts will be received in over the following 7 years in January or February, provided that the child still lives in town. In order to confirm that, authorities will check the information of the Finnish Population Registry.
The benefit applies to those babies born from the beginning of 2020 onwards.
Towns that pay more
Located in the Pirkanmaa region and about 105 km north of the city of Tampere, Virrat has launched an ambitious policy to support children and youth, which includes stipends and affordable accommodation for students.
With the decision to raise the child benefit, Virrat joins other cities such as Lestijärvi and Miehikkälä, which gained worldwide fame last year for offering 10,000 euros for each child born. In these cases, the parents receive 1,000 euros each year for 10 years.
