Has Kela rejected your application for a disability pension?
Kela rejecting your application for a disability pension can be disappointing, especially if your situation has been complicated for a long time. In this article, we will tell you the most common reasons why a disability pension application may be rejected and what you can do next.
Most customers apply for a disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) after they have been paid sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha). You can usually get sickness allowance for about one year. During that time, your ability to work will also be assessed to see if it could be supported with treatment or rehabilitation.
You can get rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) or disability pension if your medical condition or disability diminishes your ability to work so greatly that you cannot do any kind of work that would give you a reasonable amount of income.
Rehabilitation subsidy is a fixed-term disability pension. Kela grants rehabilitation subsidy when an assessment shows that your ability to work may still improve if you get treatment or rehabilitation that is in line with treatment guidelines. If your ability to work does not improve, Kela can grant you disability pension for the time being.
A common reason for Kela to reject a disability pension application is that the assessment shows that the customer still has some work ability left. This assessment is not based on your diagnosis alone, but rather on how your medical condition or disability affects your ability to work or study in practice.
Kela makes its decision based on your application and an up-to-date medical statement. The decision is based on law and established decision-making practices. This ensures that all applicants are treated fairly and equally.
If your application is rejected, the decision notice you get from Kela will give you information on what you can do next and where to get support.
How is work ability assessed?
Kela assesses your work ability differently for a disability pension than it does for sickness allowance.
For sickness allowance, Kela checks if you can do your actual or usual job.
For a disability pension, Kela checks if you can do any kind of work that can give you a reasonable amount of income. The assessment also takes into account factors such as your age, occupation, education and rehabilitation possibilities.
Another factor that affects the assessment is if your ability to work can be improved with treatment or rehabilitation. This is why you may be able to get sickness allowance but you do not qualify for a disability pension.
What are common reasons for Kela to reject an application?
Kela may reject your application for example when:
- you are considered to have some work ability left
- your work ability is estimated to improve with treatment and rehabilitation
- your medical condition prevents you from doing some work tasks but not all of them
- your life situation is difficult, but your medical condition still allows you to work some kind of job.
The following examples can help you understand when Kela will usually reject an application for a disability pension.
Person A is about 50 years old. They have osteoarthritis in both hips, and they are on the waiting list for a surgical evaluation for hip replacement surgery. Person A has to wait for the evaluation for a long time. Person A feels like both hips will need to be operated on. Person A can move around moderately well, but they cannot carry heavy items. Person A has to walk a lot in their job, which makes the pain in their hips worse.
Person A cannot go back to their physically demanding job, but they could do a less physical job. Kela rejects person A’s application for a non-fixed disability pension because they still have some work ability left and could do another job.
Person B is a middle-aged person who has undergone several periods of depression, which were classified as moderate at worst. Despite person B being on long-term antidepressants, their depression comes back soon after person B returns to work from sick leave. At home, person B can function normally.
Person B works at a psychiatric outpatient clinic where they care for patients. Person B often cannot stop thinking about their patients after work hours. Person B feels anxious and cannot sleep well as a result. Person B is sensitive and tends to also react to other stress factors with mental symptoms. Person B is considered to be fit for work, but they obviously need vocational rehabilitation. Kela rejects their application for one year of rehabilitation subsidy.
What can you do next?
Even if Kela does not grant you disability pension, you may qualify for other benefits and services that can help you move forward. Check below for the most common options.
If you cannot go back to work, register as a jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta). You may get earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) or general social security benefit (yleistuki) during your job search.
Examples of vocational rehabilitation you may be able to get include a work try-out, vocational rehabilitation assessment, education or training, and job coaching. Vocational rehabilitation will help you stay on in working life without exhausting your resources.
If you need treatment or therapy, contact your occupational healthcare provider, a health centre or the doctor in charge of your care or who has issued a medical statement B (B-lausunto) to you to discuss your options for medical rehabilitation. Medical rehabilitation (in Finnish) can help you manage better in daily life and support your functional capacity.
Disability allowance (vammaistuki) can help you financially if your functional capacity has been impaired for at least one year. The allowance is intended to support you in your daily life, work and studies if you are chronically ill or have a disability.
You can ask Kela to review its decision if you feel that the decision you got from Kela is not an accurate reflection of your current work ability. When you ask for a review, you must
- explain in your own words how your medical condition affects your ability to work or study
- submit necessary supporting documents with your request, such as medical statements.
You get instructions on how to ask for a review with every decision notice you get from Kela. Submitting a request for a review does not affect your other benefits.
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