Apply for other benefits before you apply for social assistance
Social assistance (toimeentulotuki) is granted as a last resort when you cannot get help from anywhere else. This means that you must first apply for all other benefits you may qualify for before you apply for social assistance.
After you have applied for all primary benefits you may have the right to, Kela can usually issue you a decision on social assistance that covers more than one month.
In addition to Kela benefits, you may have the right to other benefits or compensation paid by other actors such as your unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa), wellbeing services county, authorised pension provider or insurance company.
Which benefits do you have to apply for first before you apply for social assistance?
Select the option that best describes your life situation below.
Unemployment benefits are your primary benefits. This means that you have to apply for unemployment benefits first before you apply for social assistance.
There are two kinds of unemployment benefits: earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) and the general social security benefit (yleistuki). If you are a member of an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa) through your labour union or otherwise, apply for earnings-related unemployment allowance from your fund. If you do not belong to an unemployment fund, apply for general social security benefit from Kela.
Are you 17–64 and unemployed?
Do this before you apply for social assistance:
- Register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).
- Apply for unemployment benefits.
- Stay registered as an active jobseeker. Stay in contact with the employment authorities as agreed and keep all appointments. Comply with all instructions and deadlines given to you.
- If you are under 25 and you are unemployed and you do not have a vocational qualification or a higher education degree, you must also apply for admission to education in the spring.
If you do not register with the employment services and apply for unemployment benefits, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance. If we reduce your basic amount, you get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Have you fallen ill while unemployed?
Apply for sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) before you apply for social assistance. If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to study, work or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
A mandatory waiting period or an obligation to work will result in a reduction in the basic amount
Kela can reduce the basic amount of your social assistance if you lose your right to unemployment benefits because a mandatory waiting period (karenssi), an obligation to work (työssäolovelvoite) or an obligation that applies to persons under 25 has been imposed on you. If we have to reduce your basic amount, you will get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
If you work part time or do short temporary jobs for less than 30 hours a week, you must look for full-time work before you apply for social assistance.
Do this before you apply for social assistance:
- Register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).
- Check if you qualify for adjusted unemployment benefits.
- Stay registered as an active jobseeker. Stay in contact with the employment authorities as agreed and keep all appointments. Comply with all instructions and deadlines given to you.
If you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance. If we have to reduce your basic amount, you will get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Are you too ill to work?
Apply for sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) before you apply for social assistance. If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to study, work or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
If you do not earn enough income from your business to support yourself, you must register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services before you apply for social assistance. The amount Kela pays in general social security benefit (yleistuki) (about EUR 595 per month in 2026) is considered to be enough income from your business to support yourself. This also applies to independently employed persons, such as freelancers, professional athletes and social media influencers.
Social assistance is not meant as a form of long-term support for business activities that do not give you enough income.
Structure your self-employment so that it gives you a basic level of income
If you cannot get enough income from your business to support yourself and you apply for social assistance, we will give you a deadline of one month. During that time, you can restructure your business so that it gives you enough income or show us documentation that proves you can get enough income from your business to support yourself.
If you cannot get enough income from your business to support yourself
If it is not possible for you to get enough income from your business to support yourself, you must close your business and register as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services before you apply for social assistance.
In that case, do as follows:
- Register as a jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).
- Make sure that you are available for work on the labour market.
- Apply for unemployment benefits.
- Stay registered as an active jobseeker. Stay in contact with the employment authorities as agreed and keep all appointments. Comply with all instructions and deadlines given to you.
If you do not register with the employment services, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance. If we reduce your basic amount, you get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Are you too ill to work?
Apply for sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) before you apply for social assistance. If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to study, work or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
Financial aid for students (opintotuki) is your primary benefit. This means that you have to apply for a study grant (opintoraha) and the student housing supplement (asumislisä) first before you apply for social assistance. Students who are 18 or older are also expected to apply for a student loan before they apply for social assistance. Learn more about social assistance for students.
What if you cannot get student financial aid?
If you cannot get student financial aid, find out if you can get enough income to support yourself in some other way (for example through work or other benefits or assets) before you apply for social assistance. Working for at least 30 hours a week is considered enough to support yourself financially.
If you cannot get other benefits or income
If you cannot support yourself in any of the ways listed above and you apply for social assistance, we may have to reduce your basic amount. If we reduce your basic amount, you get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Social assistance is generally not meant to serve as a source of income for students to fund their studies. However, we will not reduce the basic amount of your social assistance if you register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services and apply for unemployment benefits. Doing so usually means that you will have to stop your studies.
Have your studies not progressed as quickly as they should have?
If your studies have not progressed as quickly as they should have, check if you can get an extension to your student financial aid period. If you have run out of student financial aid months or cannot get student financial aid for some other reason, you have to find other ways to support yourself financially instead of applying for social assistance. Other benefits you can apply for include general housing allowance (yleinen asumistuki) and unemployment benefits.
However, if you are studying for your first vocational qualification and Kela has paid you student financial aid for the maximum aid period, you can apply to be paid social assistance for 3 months if necessary. After that, Kela may grant you another 3 months of social assistance if you can prove that you are making progress with your studies and that you will graduate within 12 months of the day on which your maximum aid period ended.
Kela can grant you social assistance for your studies for a maximum of one year in total counting from the day when your maximum aid period ended. Kela will not reduce the basic amount of your social assistance in these situations.
Are you too ill to study?
Apply for sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) before you apply for social assistance. If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to study, work or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Read more about the seven benefits Kela offers to young people with a disability or chronic illness.
Sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) is your primary benefit. This means that you have to apply for sickness allowance first before you apply for social assistance.
Does an illness or disability make it difficult for you to work, study or manage independently?
If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to work, study or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Kela can help you check what options are available for rehabilitation. Kela may pay you rehabilitation allowance (kuntoutusraha) for the duration of your rehabilitation.
Find the right Kela rehabilitation for you.
More information about rehabilitation allowance.
See also: What to do if my work capacity has declined? Follow these six steps to move forward.
Have you been paid sickness allowance for the maximum period?
If you are still unable to work after Kela has paid you sickness allowance for the maximum period, you can apply for rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) or disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke). You must also register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work and apply for unemployment benefits.This will give you financial security when you apply for benefits due to incapacity for work and wait for Kela’s decision.
What if you cannot get sickness allowance?
Do this if you do not qualify for sickness allowance or other benefits Kela may pay due to incapacity for work:
- Register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).
- You can tell the employment services if you have any issues with your work capacity when you register as a jobseeker. The employment services will take your situation into account in your job search.
- Apply for unemployment benefits.
- Stay registered as an active jobseeker. Stay in contact with the employment authorities as agreed and keep all appointments. Comply with all instructions and deadlines given to you.
Make sure you register with the employment services while you are still waiting for a decision on your sickness allowance or some other benefit that can be paid to you based on your incapacity for work. If you do not register with employment services, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance. If we reduce your basic amount, you get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Read also: Has Kela rejected your application for a disability pension?
Are you too ill to study?
If you are a student and you cannot study because of an illness, your primary benefit is sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha). This means that you have to apply for sickness allowance before you apply for social assistance. You usually cannot be paid student financial aid (opintotuki) and sickness allowance at the same time. If you are granted sickness allowance, we will automatically stop paying you student financial aid. Remember to tell Kela when you return to studying full time.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
Daily allowances for parents, child benefit, child maintenance allowance and child home care allowance are your primary benefits when a child is born to your family. This means that you have to apply for these benefits first before you apply for social assistance.
Are you pregnant or taking care of a child under 2 at home?
If you are pregnant or taking care of a child under the age of 2 at home, apply for daily allowances for parents before you apply for social assistance.
Has a baby been born to your family?
Once your child has been born, apply for child benefit (lapsilisä). Remember to also apply for child maintenance allowance (elatustuki) if necessary.
Do you have a child under 3?
If you have a child under the age of 3 who does not go to a municipal day care (early childhood education, varhaiskasvatus), you can apply for child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki).
Is your youngest child over 3 and you no longer qualify for child home care allowance?
Do this before you apply for social assistance:
- Register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).
- Apply for unemployment benefits.
- Stay registered as an active jobseeker. Stay in contact with the employment authorities as agreed and keep all appointments. Comply with all instructions and deadlines given to you.
If you do not register with the employment services within one month of when Kela asks you to do so, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance. If we reduce your basic amount, you get less social assistance. More information about when Kela may reduce the basic amount.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
If you are 65 or older, old-age pension (vanhuuseläke) is your primary benefit. This means that you have to apply for old-age pension first before you apply for social assistance.
There are many kinds of old-age pensions. If your earnings-related pension (työeläke) is small or you do not get one, Kela will pay you a national pension (kansaneläke) that supplements your earnings-related pension. Kela can also pay you a guarantee pension (takuueläke) in addition to the national pension if your other pensions are very small.
If you are under 65 and unable to work, read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Read more about the seven benefits Kela offers to young people with a disability or chronic illness.
Apply for all other primary benefits as well
Remember to also apply for all other primary benefits you may have the right to. For example, you may qualify for housing allowance (asumistuki).
You can always contact Kela
If you or someone in your family would like to talk to a Kela staff member about social assistance, call Kela’s customer service at 020 634 2550 or visit a Kela service point.
You also have the right to a personal consultation with a social welfare professional. You can ask us to contact the social services of your wellbeing services county, or you can contact them yourself.