Sickness allowance

You can get sickness allowance if you cannot do your work due to illness. You may also get sickness allowance if you have two or more jobs and have to stop working in some of them due to your illness.

If your employer continues to pay you a salary while you are absent from work (sick pay), your employer will usually apply for sickness allowance on your behalf. In such cases, Kela will pay the sickness allowance to your employer. If you get sick pay from several employers during your sick leave, the allowance will be divided among them in proportion to the payments they have made to you.

If your sick leave continues after your employer has stopped paying you sick pay or if your employer does not pay you sick pay in the first place, Kela will pay the sickness allowance directly to you. If the amount of sick pay provided by your employer is smaller than the sickness allowance, Kela will pay the difference to you.

The duration of paid sick leave is defined in industry-specific collective agreements. For more information about paid sick leave, contact the person responsible for pay and compensation matters at your workplace.

If you get sick during you annual leave and you have to take sick leave, Kela will pay the sickness allowance to you even if your employer pays you a salary during your annual leave.

Self-employed persons

Self-employed persons can get sickness allowance. You can get sickness allowance even if your income is so low that you are not obliged to take out self-employed persons’ pension insurance (YEL) or farmers’ pension insurance (MYEL).

If you have a valid YEL insurance policy in place when you become unfit for work, you may have the right to YEL allowance for the duration of the waiting period required to qualify for sickness allowance.

If you have a valid MYEL insurance policy in place when you become unfit for work, you may have the right to Mela sickness allowance for the duration of the waiting period required to qualify for sickness allowance. We will forward your application for Mela sickness allowance to Mela (mela.fi) on your behalf.

If you are insured under both schemes, you can be paid both allowances.

Grant recipients

If you are paid a grant or scholarship, you may be eligible for sickness allowance if your illness prevents you from carrying out the work for which you were awarded the grant or scholarship.

If you have a valid MYEL insurance policy in place when you become unfit for work, you may be entitled to Mela sickness allowance for the duration of the waiting period required to qualify for sickness allowance. We will forward your application for Mela sickness allowance to Mela on your behalf.

You can get sickness allowance if you fall ill while you are registered as an unemployed jobseeker. You can be paid unemployment benefits for the duration of the waiting period required to qualify for sickness allowance.

If you apply for sickness allowance, stay registered as an active jobseeker with the employment services. This way you will not lose your unemployment benefits.

When processing your application for sickness allowance, Kela will assess your work capacity against the job you had before you became unemployed or a closely comparable job. If you have been unemployed for a long time, your work capacity can be assessed against some other job you are qualified for in terms of education or from which you have work experience.

Sickness allowance days do not count towards the 400-day maximum limit for earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha).

You can get sickness allowance if you fall ill during your studies.

Kela can pay you student financial aid in addition to your sickness allowance if you are paid sickness allowance for 17 days or less during the calendar month. In such case, your study grant will be deducted from your sickness allowance. You will stop receiving financial aid from the beginning of the month in which you receive sickness allowance for 18 days or more.

If we stop the payment of your student financial aid because we pay you sickness allowance, you also lose your right to the housing supplement for students. You can apply for general housing allowance instead. After we stop paying you sickness allowance, you have to apply for student financial aid and the housing supplement again. 

A short illness and diminished academic performance do not prevent you from receiving financial aid. You can continue studying to a small extent even while you are being paid sickness allowance.

Read more about if you fall ill while enrolled in upper secondary education.

Read more about if you fall ill while enrolled in higher education.

Working while studying

If you work while you are studying and go on paid sick leave, Kela will pay the sickness allowance to your employer up to the amount of sick pay you receive from your employer. If the sickness allowance is paid entirely to your employer, you still have the right to student financial aid even if your employer is paid the allowance for 18 days or longer.

Read more about how illness can affect your financial aid

You can get sickness allowance if you fall ill during your parental leave or child care leave. When processing your application for sickness allowance, Kela will assess your work capacity against the work you did before your leave began. If you do other work during your leave, Kela will assess your work capacity against this work instead.

If you are on child care leave, your work capacity will be assessed against your capacity to manage your household and care for your children.

If the birthing parent falls so ill while receiving pregnancy allowance that they are unable to care for the child, the other parent may stay at home to look after the child and use days of parental allowance to do so. In such case, the birthing parent can get sickness allowance from Kela.

You cannot be paid pregnancy allowance, special pregnancy allowance, parental allowance or partial parental allowance while you are being paid sickness allowance.

How long you remain unfit for work and whether you are paid sickness allowance may affect your right to child care allowances. Your illness may also affect your right to partial care allowance. If you fall ill while being paid any form of child care allowance, please call Kela. Kela will check whether your illness will affect the allowances you get.

Sickness allowance counts as income and affects any child home care or private day care allowances you may be receiving. Sickness allowance may also reduce the amount of any income-tested care supplement you may be receiving.

You can get benefits from Kela if your child falls ill and you stay at home to care for them.

If you are under 68 years of age and you are paid a pension while being gainfully employed at the same time, you may have the right to sickness allowance.

Conscripts

You cannot get sickness allowance during your military service.

Persons on job alternation leave

You can apply for sickness allowance if you fall ill while on job alternation leave. When processing your application for sickness allowance, Kela will assess your work capacity against the work you did before your leave began. If you do other work during your leave, Kela will assess your work capacity against this work instead.

Informal caregivers and family caregivers

You can get sickness allowance if you fall ill while serving as an informal caregiver or a family caregiver. When processing your application for sickness allowance, Kela will assess your work capacity against the care you have been providing.

Managing your own household

You can get sickness allowance even if you are not employed, a self-employed person, a student or an unemployed jobseeker and even if none of the life situations described above apply to your situation. If there is no other point of comparison available, Kela will assess your work capacity against how you manage your own household.

Moving to Finland from another country

If you move to Finland from another country, your right to sickness allowance will be determined based on whether you are living in Finland permanently or working in Finland and on your reason for moving to Finland.

If you get sickness allowance from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, your country of origin will probably pay the benefit to the end of the payment period even if you move to Finland.

Moving abroad from Finland

Your right to sickness allowance may be affected if you move to another country from Finland. Kela will assess your right to sickness allowance based on how long you will be staying abroad, your country of destination, and your reason for leaving Finland.

If you have been granted sickness allowance and you move to another EU or EEA country or Switzerland during the sickness allowance period, Kela will continue paying the allowance despite your move. You will continue receiving sickness allowance until the end of the payment period. 

If you move to some other country than an EU or EEA country or Switzerland while being paid sickness allowance and you lose your right to Kela benefits, the last day you will get sickness allowance is the day you move away from Finland. If you move away from Finland before your sickness allowance period begins and you lose your right to Kela benefits, you will not get any sickness allowance payments.

Kela will deduct from your sickness allowance other benefits and compensations that are paid for the same period of time and on account of the same disability if they have been granted to you on account of the following:

• an employment accident, occupational disease or traffic accident
• an accident that occurred or a service-related illness that arose during military or non-military service or crisis management duties.

If you are unfit for work for any of the above reasons, you should contact your insurance provider first to apply for compensation for loss of income. If you are injured or contract a service-related illness during military or non-military service or crisis management duties, apply for compensation from the State Treasury.

If the processing of the matter is delayed at your insurance provider, you can apply for sickness allowance from Kela. Ask your insurance provider to issue a certificate of delay for Kela so that Kela can process your application for sickness allowance.

Partial disability pension

• Partial disability pension will affect the amount of sickness allowance paid to you under certain conditions.
• Your partial disability pension will be deducted from your sickness allowance in certain situations. This depends on when you start getting your pension and if it is paid to you for the same period as your sickness allowance.

Old-age pension, early old-age pension, part-time pension, years-of-service pension or guarantee pension

• If you are paid one of these pensions, you generally do not have the right to sickness allowance.
• You may, however, have the right to sickness allowance if you are under 68 years of age and you were working immediately before you became unfit for work while receiving your pension at the same time. If this is the case, your allowance will be determined based on the annual income you have been paid during your retirement.

Full disability pension

• If you are paid this pension, you generally do not have the right to sickness allowance.
• You may, however, have the right to sickness allowance if you are under 68 years of age and you were working immediately before you became unfit for work while receiving your pension at the same time. This applies also if your disability pension was granted on the basis of blindness or a mobility disability. If this is the case, your allowance will be determined based on the annual income you have been paid during your retirement.
• If you were granted disability pension on the basis of blindness or a mobility disability, your disability pension will not affect the amount of sickness allowance.

Partial early old-age pension

• This pension will not prevent you from being granted sickness allowance or affect its amount.

Rehabilitation allowance, partial rehabilitation allowance and discretionary rehabilitation assistance

• You do not have the right to sickness allowance if you get one of these benefits.

Compensation for loss of income paid by an insurance company during rehabilitation

• You do not have the right to sickness allowance if you are paid this kind of compensation (only applies to compensation paid under the Employment Accidents Insurance Act, the Motor Liability Insurance Act or the Military Accidents Act).

Daily allowances for parents

• Not payable at the same time as sickness allowance. Daily allowances for parents include parental allowance, pregnancy allowance and special pregnancy allowance.

Unemployment benefits

• Not payable at the same time as sickness allowance. You can be paid unemployment benefits for the duration of the waiting period required to qualify for sickness allowance.

Financial aid for students

• Financial aid payments will be deducted from your sickness allowance until you are paid sickness allowance for 18 days or more in a calendar month. Financial aid will be discontinued if you have fewer than 18 days of active study in a calendar month.

Your employer will notify your occupational healthcare provider about your absence once you have been off work for health reasons for 30 days.

You should remain in contact with your workplace even during a lengthy sick leave. Talk to your employer about the required arrangements. You should also think about how your employer could support your capacity for work and discuss it with your employer. That way any accommodations that could support your return to work, such as changes in your schedule or responsibilities, can be made flexibly.

Discuss your return to work with your occupational healthcare provider as well. Your employer and your occupational healthcare provider will work together with you to draw up a plan for your return to work.

Kela will assess your need for rehabilitation when processing your application for sickness allowance at the latest once you have been paid sickness allowance for 60 working days. At that point, you will also receive a letter from Kela telling you about various rehabilitation options and rehabilitation providers.

In the event of a prolonged illness, you will need a statement from your occupational health doctor about whether you can continue working. Your occupational health doctor will evaluate your remaining capacity for work. Your employer and occupational healthcare provider will work together with you to assess your ability to continue working.

Your occupational healthcare provider must submit a statement to Kela at the latest once you have been paid sickness allowance for 90 working days. If your occupational healthcare provider has not submitted a statement to Kela, you can submit it yourself. The payment of sickness allowance can be suspended if the statement is not submitted to Kela.

If you are not an employee, you do not need to submit a statement issued by an occupational healthcare provider.

If necessary, Kela will assess your need for rehabilitation when processing your application for sickness allowance once you have been paid sickness allowance for a period of 150 and 230 days.

Once you have been paid sickness allowance for 150 working days, Kela will send you a letter with rehabilitation options and instructions on how to apply for a disability pension.

If necessary, your occupational healthcare provider can also assess your ability to continue working once you have been paid sickness allowance for a period of 150 and 230 working days. If your occupational healthcare provider has issued this kind of statement, the provider must submit it to Kela. If your occupational healthcare provider has not submitted a statement to Kela, you can submit it yourself. The lack of a statement will not, however, prevent you from continuing to get sickness allowance.

Partial sickness allowance

If you are an employee or a self-employed person, you can work part-time while receiving a partial sickness allowance for a maximum period of 150 working days.

Rehabilitation arranged by Kela

You can apply for rehabilitation even if Kela or your occupational healthcare provider has not suggested it to you. If you feel like you need rehabilitation, see your occupational health doctor or personal doctor first. Once you have received a statement from your doctor recommending rehabilitation, you can apply for rehabilitation from Kela.

Kela provides access to

• vocational rehabilitation
• vocational rehabilitation for young persons
• medical rehabilitation offered on a discretionary basis, which covers
  • group rehabilitation
  • multidisciplinary individual rehabilitation
  • neuropsychological rehabilitation provided on a discretionary basis
• rehabilitative psychotherapy
• intensive medical rehabilitation.

You can get rehabilitation allowance for the duration of your rehabilitation.

Authorised pension providers

Authorised pension providers can provide vocational rehabilitation to persons with a longer history of employment (approximately five years) for example in the form of retraining and services that support work capacity.

Authorised pension providers also pay out partial disability pension, rehabilitation subsidy and disability pension.

Insurance companies

Insurance companies will pay compensation for rehabilitation costs if the need for rehabilitation arises as a result of an employment accident, an occupational disease or a traffic injury.

Municipal employment services

Municipalities are responsible for providing employment services, career counselling and access to training intended to improve employment prospects to unemployed jobseekers.

• A medical certificate A (an A certificate), a medical statement B (a B statement) or a medical statement BC (a BC statement). As a rule, you can get a maximum of 60 working days of sickness allowance with an A certificate. You will then need a B statement, a BC statement or some other statement regarding your inability to work. You may be asked to provide further documentation even before the 60-day period is over.
• If you have sustained an injury in a traffic accident or other incident or if you have an occupational disease, you can submit the requested information in the OmaKela e-service or enclose the form Accident report SV 143e (PDF) with your application. 
  • If you have been injured in an occupational accident or if you have an occupational disease, you must also enclose your insurance company’s decision or a certificate of delay with your application.

Employees

If you have more than one job, you must provide information on all of your jobs and work duties. State in your application which jobs you have been unable to do due to your illness and which jobs you have been able to continue.

You must enclose an assessment of your ability to continue working issued by your occupational healthcare provider with your application at the latest once you have been paid sickness allowance for 90 working days. If your occupational healthcare provider has not submitted such a statement to Kela, you can submit it yourself in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish only) or by post.

If necessary, Kela will ask you to provide further information or to submit an application. Visit the OmaKela e-service if you want to see the information your employer has provided to Kela. You will also receive a written notice of the decision Kela has made based on the application your employer has submitted.

Unemployed persons

State in your application what kind of work you did before you became unemployed and which type of job you are applying for. List the same industries and jobs in your application that you have listed in your job search plan drawn up together with the help of employment services or TE services.

Provide a medical certificate of your inability to work to Kela and notify your municipality’s employment services of your illness. Note the days you have been unable to work due to your illness in your unemployment status report as well. Keep submitting unemployment status reports until you receive a decision on your sickness allowance.

Self-employed persons and grant recipients

If you are a self-employed person and you are insured under the self-employed persons’ (YEL) or farmers’ (MYEL) pension insurance scheme, note in your application if you want to apply for YEL allowance or Mela sickness allowance for the duration of the waiting period that applies to the sickness allowance paid by Kela. We will forward your application for Mela sickness allowance to Mela on your behalf.

If you are a grant recipient, please name the organisation that pays your grant and provide a description of the work you do with the help of the grant in your application. Also explain how your illness prevents you from doing this work.

Persons on job alternation leave, parental leave or child care leave

State in your application what kind of job you did before you went on leave and describe your work duties. If you work somewhere else during your leave, describe your duties at this job in your application.

If you are on child care leave, describe in your application what arrangements have been made with regard to your household and child care tasks for the duration of your illness.

Informal caregivers and family caregivers

Describe in your application what duties you have as a caregiver or care provider and explain what arrangements have been made to ensure the care of your family member or the person in family care during your illness.

Managing your own household

If you manage your own household, describe in your application the tasks involved and explain how your illness prevents you from managing your household.

Do as follows if you cannot use OmaKela:

1. Apply for sickness allowance on the form Sickness allowances SV 8e (PDF).
2. Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
3. Fill in the form and print it out. Remember to sign the form.
4. Send the form together with any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

If you become unable to work because of an illness, you should apply for sickness allowance within the next two months.

You do not need to submit a new application if you become unable to work again within 30 calendar days of the end of the previous sickness allowance period. You can renew your application by sending in a medical certificate or statement as an attachment in the OmaKela e-service. 

Apply for an extension to your sickness allowance within two months of the date on which you became unable to work again.

You must notify Kela of any changes in your circumstances that could affect the amount of your sickness allowance or your right to get it.

Notify Kela if

• you start working while you are being paid sickness allowance
• you move abroad
• you are a student and you begin to study on a full-time basis
• your employment income under the YEL Pensions Act or MYEL Pension Act changes and this change applies to the time before your sickness allowance period.

In this way, the benefit is paid to the correct amount and you also do not lose any benefit due to you. Read how to report changes in OmaKela.

If you do not notify Kela of the changes, you may be paid benefits you do not have the right to. In that case, the benefits will be recovered from you later.

If your circumstances change, be sure to check how these changes could affect other benefits that you get from Kela.