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Quick guide to benefits available during illness and incapacity for work

Kela provides compensation for loss of income and expenses arising from illness and incapacity. This quick guide tells you what kind of financial assistance may be available from Kela during illness, and describes the benefits you can get to maintain and improve your work capacity.

If you fall ill At 30 days At 60 days At 90 days At 150 days At 300 days

If you fall ill

Sickness allowance

During a period of illness, Kela can pay you a sickness allowance It is usually paid after you have been ill for more than 10 days.

See a doctor

You need a medical certificate to qualify for sickness allowance. If the doctor expects that you will be unfit for work for more than 10 working days, you can be paid sickness allowance. If you are employed, sickness allowance is usually claimed by your employer, provided that you receive sick pay during the leave of absence.

Partial sickness allowance

The purpose of the partial sickness allowance is to support continued employment and promote the return to work. Make the necessary arrangements with your employer so that you can start working on a part-time basis. Kela pays you partial sickness allowance while you are employed part time.

See if you are able to return to work on a part-time basis

Contact your employer and occupational health care provider to agree on part-time work.

Find out about the disability allowance

Check your eligibility for the disability allowance. It is available to persons who are ill or have a disability, and is intended to support them in their daily lives, work and education.

Employer notifies the occupational health care provider

Your employer tells your occupational health care provider about your absence once you have been off work for health reasons for more than 30 days. This is an opportunity to discuss what arrangements could be made to support you in returning to work, including adjustments in your work schedule or responsibilities.

Claim sickness allowance within two months

Claim sickness allowance within two months of the beginning of incapacity for work and partial sickness allowance within two months of the day on which you began working on a part-time basis. If your employer continues to pay you during a leave of absence, the sickness allowance is usually claimed by the employer.

Claim sickness allowance online.

Apply now

At 60 days

Kela evaluates your need for rehabilitation

Kela evaluates your need for rehabilitation before sickness allowance has been paid for 150 days. You will be contacted by Kela as necessary.

Kela evaluates your need for rehabilitation before sickness allowance has been paid for 230 days. You will be contacted by Kela as necessary.

At 90 days

Send the statement from your occupational health doctor to Kela

Your occupational health doctor will assess your capacity for work at the latest when you have received sickness allowance for 90 working days. At the same time, your employer, in cooperation with the occupational health care provider and yourself, will evaluate your ability to continue working. Once sickness allowance has been paid for 90 days, continued payment requires a statement from the occupational health care provider. You must submit the statement to Kela yourself.

If your occupational health doctor has issued a new statement on your capacity for work after sickness allowance has been paid for 90 days, this statement must also be submitted to Kela.

Find out about your rehabilitation options

Once you have been paid sickness allowance for 150 days, you get a letter from Kela informing you about various rehabilitation options. If rehabilitation could be relevant for you, apply to Kela or your pension provider for rehabilitation. You need a medical certificate on form B to apply.

Payment of the sickness allowance ends

Sickness allowance is payable for a maximum of 300 days. To receive sickness allowance again for the same illness, you must have been fit for work for at least a year without interruption.

Additional days of payment

If, after receiving sickness allowance for the maximum period, you return to your job and work for a consecutive period of at least 30 days, you can get sickness allowance for an additional 50 days if you are diagnosed with the same illness again.

When payment of sickness allowance ends

If you remain unfit for work because of an illness or injury and cannot get sickness allowance any more, you can apply for a disability pension. It can be paid by your authorised pension provider, by Kela, or by both. If a decision on your pension application is delayed and you cannot get sickness allowance, register with the TE Office as an unemployed jobseeker. Please note that it is not possible to register retroactively.