December is a busy month at Kela’s phone service – Use the OmaKela e-service to avoid queues

December and the turn of the year are a busy time at Kela, as benefit decisions are reviewed to comply with upcoming adjustments in benefit rules and changes reported by customers. Many customers feel the need to call and check their situation, which leads to queues in phone service.

Every day, around 8000 people call Kela’s phone service (In Finnish?). The average waiting time in the week of 29 November 2021 was approximately 13 minutes. The busiest time is at noon, in the middle of the week and at the turn of the month. Daily approximately 300 persons answer calls from customers.

In the run-up to Christmas, the number of calls will most likely increase. December and the turn of the year are the busiest time of the year.

“We regret the inconvenience that this may cause our customers and understand their need to get their matters sorted out before Christmas”, says Antti Jussila, director of customer service at Kela.

In urgent cases, customers should not hang up while waiting to speak to a customer service specialist. Otherwise they will return to the back of the queue when they next place a call.

Check online whether your application has been decided

Log in to our e-service to check the status of your application and to see the decision that may have been issued. Our customer service specialists cannot tell you how long it will take to review your application or when you can expect a decision on it. Visit Kela's website to check the average processing times for different benefits. 

If your application is missing information or if you are expected to action to move the process forward, we will contact you. Remember to give a phone number where you can be reached.

Use the call-back service or book a phone appointment

Kela’s phone service offers a call-back service, and most phone calls are taken care of in this manner. When you choose call-back service, we will return your call within an hour, and the call is free of charge. In order for us to be able to take care of all the calls, the availability of the service is limited.

You can also book an appointment for service by phone. That will give a Kela customer service specialist the opportunity to look at your situation beforehand and to call you at the agreed time. You can book an appointment at www.kela.fi/appointments. Calls from Kela are free of charge to you.

If you pay us a visit, please pay attention to health safety measures

You can visit any of Kela’s customer service points near you. Use the customer service locator to find out the opening hours and whether to book an appointment in advance.

Learn more