Care Allowance for Pensioners

Care Allowance for Pensioners is intended to make it possible for pension recipients with an illness or disability to live at home, as well as to promote home care and to reimburse pension recipients for extra costs caused by illness or disability.

You can be granted the allowance if you have turned 16 years, live in Finland and receive either from Finland or abroad

  • earnings-related or national old-age pension or early old-age pension
  • earnings-related or national full disability pension, rehabilitation subsidy or individual early retirement pension*
  • a full disability pension on account of a traffic or other accident, or a compensation for loss earnings payable after one year has elapsed from a traffic accident or
  • Special Assistance for Immigrants.

* You are not eligible for Care Allowance for Pensioners if you receive partial disability pension, part-time pension, survivor's pensions or unemployment pension.

To qualify for the allowance, your functional status must be weakened for a period of at least one year. A person is concerned to have a functional impairment when his or her ability to

  • look after him- or herself (dressing and personal hygiene, for instance)
  • perform necessary household chores or
  • run errands outside the home

is weakened by illness or injury.

‘Functional impairment' does not refer to an impairment of one's ability to work. A need of assistance with household chores or running errands is not sufficient grounds for the Care Allowance.

In addition, the illness or disability must cause you regular

  • need of assistance
  • need of guidance or supervision, and/or
  • costs.

The care allowance is payable at three rates depending on the need of assistance, guidance and supervision as well as costs. Read more about the rates under Amount.

If you have lived abroad or are moving abroad

Care Allowance for Pensioners is usually only paid for persons living in Finland. If you have moved to Finland from abroad, you will not be eligible for the allowance until you have lived in Finland for 3 years. The allowance is usually paid abroad only if you live abroad temporarily (i.e. less than a year). In some cases the allowance is payable for persons living abroad even more than a year. Read more under Moving to or from Finland.

Updated 10/22/12