Take care of Kela-matters in advance – the holiday season affects benefit payment dates
We recommend that you handle any Kela matters well in advance before Christmas. The holiday season affects payment dates of Kela-benefits and the first few weeks of the new year is a busy time at Kela.
Assistance payments are deposited into customers’ accounts before Christmas if the application and other required documents arrive at Kela by 11 December. The holiday season also affects due dates for filing unemployment status reports and the benefit payment dates.
Kela’s customer service points and telephone service are closed over Christmas and on New Year’s Day. The first few weeks of the year are often very busy at Kela.
Apply for social assistance well in advance
The last payment date for social assistance before Christmas is 22 December. Customers whose application and other required documents arrive at Kela by 11 December will have their social assistance payment deposited into their account by 22 December.
If a customer is in urgent need of social assistance, the customer should call the customer service number 020 634 2550 or contact a Kela customer service point. This could be, for example, because the customer has an urgent need for a voucher to buy food or medicines.
If the customer has urgent need of social assistance outside Kela’s office hours, the municipality can after due consideration award preventive social assistance. Customers whose situation becomes critical during the Christmas holiday may contact the emergency social services helpline of their local municipal authority.
Report days of unemployment in time
Due to the Christmas holidays, the due dates for filing unemployment status reports and the benefit payment dates have been brought forward to an earlier date. You can check your date in the e-service (OmaKela) and on the form for the unemployment status report that has been sent to you.
When the reporting period for the unemployment status report ends on 20 or 21 December 2023
- the report can be submitted on 20 December 2023
- the payments are deposited into the account on 22 December at the earliest.
When the reporting period for the unemployment status report ends 22, 23 or 24 December 2023
- the report can be submitted on 21 December 2023
- the payments are deposited into the account on 27 December at the earliest.
When the reporting period for the unemployment status report ends on 25 December 2023
- the report can be submitted on 22 December 2023
- the payments are deposited into the account on 28 December at the earliest.
We recommend that you file the unemployment status report in the e-service already on the morning of the date of filing the report, so that the report can be processed as soon as possible.
Kela’s phone service open between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Kela's telephone service is open between Christmas and New Year’s Day from Wednesday to Friday 9:00-15:00.
There may be changes to the opening hours of Kela’s customer service points in the days between Christmas and New Year and after New Year. Please check the opening hours in the kela.fi service.
We wish our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!