Dietary Grant for persons with coeliac disease

Kela pays coeliac patients over 16 years of age a compensation for the additional cost of gluten-free nutrition. This compensation is called Dietary Grant.

If a person under 16 years of age is diagnosed with coeliac disease, he or she can apply for Disability Allowance for persons under the age of 16.

Coeliac disease must be appropriately diagnosed

Coeliac disease is appropriately diagnosed if a small bowel biopsy shows an inflammation accompanied by the epithelial damage typical of coeliac disease (K90.0). The biopsy finding must be described in the doctor's statement. A diagnosis based solely on an antibody test is not accepted.

However, if coeliac disease was diagnosed years ago without the help of a biopsy, the application must be accompanied by a statement from a specialist physician, such as an internist. The statement must explain why no biopsy was taken and on what the diagnosis is based, as well as describe the clinical presentation, the effect of a gluten-free diet on the symptoms, the amount of coeliac-specific antibodies in blood and the potential for reducing the antibody levels (especially IgA-class antibodies) by dietary means.

In dermatitis herpetiformis (L13.0), the diagnosis must be based on a skin biopsy. The biopsy finding must be described in the doctor's statement.

Amount and payment

The amount of the Dietary Grant is EUR 23.60 per month (tax free). The grant is awarded indefinitely. The grant is paid monthly and the payment date is determined by the initial letter of the recipient's surname.

  • 4th day of the month A–K
  • 14th day of the month L–R
  • 22nd day of the month S–Ö.

The Dietary Grant is also available to coeliacs who are already receiving other benefits on the account of an illness.

If you are in an institutional care or other similar care settings for over 3 months the Dietary Grant is suspended.

How to claim

  • Fill in Kela form EV 259 (in Finnish)
  • Enclose a doctor's statement on the "B" form or other equivalent statement
  • If you have received Disability Allowance for persons under the age of 16 on account of coeliac disease, you need not provide a new doctor's statement if it was originally diagnosed by biopsy. However, you will not receive the Dietary Grant automatically, but must apply for it on the EV259 form.
  • Claim can be backdated by up to 6 months.

Updated 03/26/13