The income limits for assistance with student loan interest will be raised as of the beginning of March. This means that more people who have ended their studies may be able to get interest assistance. The number of recipients of interest assistance has been rising since 2023.

Income limits for interest assistance to be raised in March

Kela’s annual report and financial statement for 2023 show how for instance the inflation and the energy crisis affected Kela’s operations. Kela paid a total of €16.6 billion in benefits during 2023.

Outi Antila, Kela’s Director General: “As experts on social security, we stand for trust, information and security in society”

As of 1 January 2026, Kela no longer confirms a pension recipient’s vital status to foreign pension providers. Customers can contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) instead for assistance with confirming their vital status.

Kela no longer confirms vital status for foreign pensions – contact DVV instead

As of mid-April, public authorities have shifted to using Suomi.fi Messages as the primary means of delivering official mail. Kela will continue to use the OmaKela e-service as the main channel for decision notices and letters, and customers will get a notification when they have a new decision notice or letter available in OmaKela. Customers who do not use OmaKela will continue to get paper copies of decision notices and letters by mail.

Official mail from Finnish authorities now primarily digital – OmaKela remains main channel for mail from Kela

Kela has published a new AI register on its website. The register has information on all artificial intelligence (AI) applications used at Kela. Kela uses AI in different ways, for example in its chatbots.

Kela publishes new AI register with information on all AI applications used at Kela

Persons who do not have a valid residence permit no longer qualify for residence-based Kela benefits starting from 1 April 2026. The right to residence-based benefits ends immediately when a negative decision is issued on a residence permit even if the decision is appealed.

Persons without a valid residence permit no longer qualify for residence-based Kela benefits as of 1 April 2026

Kela’s new practice streamlines the processing of care allowance applications and lightens the workload of wellbeing services counties. With this new process in place, a new medical statement does not need to be submitted together with an application for the review of care allowance for pensioners if the customer lives in an institutional geriatric care facility or an assisted geriatric living facility that provides round-the-clock care.

Reviews of care allowance for pensioners can now be processed without a medical statement if the recipient is in round-the-clock geriatric care

There are changes in the opening hours of Kela’s customer service during the Easter holidays. The holidays also affect the due dates of benefit applications and the payment dates of benefits. You can handle almost everything related to Kela’s benefits and services in the OmaKela e-service.

Changes in Kela’s benefit payments and customer service opening hours during Easter

Thousands of students exceeded their income limit for student financial aid in 2025. These students have until the end of April to pay back financial aid they received in 2025 if they want to avoid the recovery process that will add a 7.5% increase to the amount they owe Kela.

Approximately 34,500 students exceeded their annual income limit last year – pay back student financial aid by the end of April to avoid recovery

As of Monday 16 March, Kela’s customer service numbers that provide service in English will answer calls between 9.00 and 16.00. The new opening hours are the same as the opening hours of Kela's phone service in Finnish and Swedish. 

Longer opening hours for Kela’s English-language phone service 

Kela recovers overpaid student financial aid from students whose income exceeds the annual income limit. In 2024, the income of about 28,000 students who received student financial aid exceeded the annual income limit. Kela has sent approximately 2,500 more preliminary decisions to students in 2025 than it did last year.

Financial aid may be recovered from over 28,000 students

You can now grant a Suomi.fi mandate in person at Kela’s service points in Kuopio and Lahti if you do not have online banking credentials or a Mobile ID. With a Suomi.fi mandate, a trusted person can act on your behalf for example at pharmacies and in the e-services of social welfare, healthcare and tax authorities. The pilot study on assisted authorisation will run until the end of August 2026.

Kela piloting assisted authorisation with Suomi.fi mandates – give someone else permission to act on your behalf in OmaKela and MyKanta

Kela has confirmed the value of the National Pensions Index as of 1 January 2024. However, the Government proposes that next year the index increase be made to only some of the benefits that are tied to the National Pensions Index. Parliament also considers other Government proposals regarding cuts in and increases to benefits.

The National Pensions Index means an increase of 5.9 per cent to only some Kela benefits – the Government proposes a freeze to the other benefits

Cases of suspected benefit fraud involving Kela benefits occur most often among recipients of basic social assistance, unemployment benefits and the general housing allowance. In 2025, suspected cases of benefit fraud accounted for less than 0.05% of all benefits paid by Kela.

Social assistance and unemployment benefits top the statistics for suspected cases of benefit fraud in 2025

The Act on General Social Security Benefit entered into force on 1 May 2026.  Over 240,000 unemployed persons on labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance will be transferred under the general social security benefit in May.

New Kela benefit for the unemployed: general social security benefit

Those who have fled the war in Ukraine to Finland may qualify for Kela-paid pensions in spring 2026 if they are at least 65 years old and have lived in Finland permanently for three years. Pension applications that are submitted before the three-year residence requirement has been met will be rejected.

First wave of people who have fled the war in Ukraine may qualify for Kela-paid pensions starting in spring 2026

A pilot study on remote services jointly organised by public authorities at Suomi-piste service points is set to end in Imatra, Nurmes and Porvoo on 27 February 2026. During the pilot study, customers can access Kela’s services via a video connection at Suomi-piste service points.

Remote service pilot at Suomi-piste service points ending in Imatra, Nurmes and Porvoo – Kela’s services still available

Applying for further or higher education is not only an important opportunity for you to continue your studies and improve your employment prospects, but also one way you can help secure your right to unemployment benefits.

Are you under 25? – Your unemployment benefits may be affected if you do not apply for further or higher education

Due to a legislative amendment affecting social assistance that entered into force at the beginning of February, the basic amount of all persons aged 18 and over will be reduced by 2–3% as of 1 March. This change is motivated by savings targets established for central government finances.

Basic amount of social assistance to be reduced for everyone aged 18 or over as of 1 March

Kela will begin to pay a new general social security benefit for the unemployed on 1 May 2026. The new benefit will replace the existing Kela-paid unemployment benefits, which are labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance. The general social security benefit is a means-tested benefit, which means that means testing will now be applied more widely to unemployment benefit recipients. Customers who have capital income, for example, may get a smaller amount of unemployment benefits than before.

General social security benefit for the unemployed introduced on 1 May – means testing to apply more widely than before 

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The maintenance breaks are due to updates. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Käyttökatkot johtuvat päivitystöistä. Pahoittelemme katkoista mahdollisesti aiheutuvaa haittaa.

Avbrotten beror på uppdateringar. Vi beklagar det besvär som avbrotten eventuellt kan medföra.

Possible maintenance breaks in the Kela’s online services between 8pm on 13 May 2026 and 8pm on 14 May 2026

Kelan verkkopalveluissa voi esiintyä käyttökatkoja 13.5 klo 20 - 14.5. klo 20.00

Avbrott kan förekomma i FPA:s webbtjänster 13.5 kl. 20 - 14.5. kl. 20

Kela’s online service for recruitment is unavailable 16 May 01:00–08:00. During the interruption it is not possible to register or log in to the recruitment system. The interruption is due to updates. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Kelan rekrytointipalvelussa on käyttökatko 16.5. klo 01.00–08.00. Katkon aikana rekrytointijärjestelmään ei voi rekisteröityä tai kirjautua. Käyttökatkon syynä ovat päivitystyöt. Pahoittelemme häiriötä.

FPA:s rekryteringstjänst kan inte användas 16.5. kl. 01.00–08.00. Under avbrottet kan man inte registrera sig eller logga in i rekryteringssystemet. Avbrottet beror på uppdateringar. Vi beklagar störningen.

Interruption in online service for recruitment 16 May 01:00–08:00

Rekrytointipalvelussa käyttökatko 16.5. klo 01.00–08.00

Avbrott i rekryteringstjänsten 16.5. kl. 01.00–08.00

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<p>When you visit a service point, bring proof of identity, such as your passport or driver’s licence. If you are acting on behalf of another person, you need <a href="https://www.kela.fi/authorising-another-person"> a specific power of attorney</a> from that person and proof of your identity.</p><p>If you bring your online banking credentials or a mobile certificate, you can manage your Kela-related affairs on a self-service computer at the service point.</p><p>You are permitted to bring a guide dog, an assistance dog or a government working dog to a service point.</p>

Customer service points where service is provided by Kela’s employees. You can get personal advice in all Kela-related matters.

You can also go to a joint service point or a remote service point. You can get general guidance and submit applications at joint service points. At remote service points, you can communicate with a Kela specialist via a video connection.

<p>When you visit a Kela customer service point, bring proof of identity, such as your passport or driver’s licence. If you are acting on behalf of another person, you need  <a href="https://www.kela.fi/authorising-another-person">a specific power of attorney</a> from that person and proof of your identity.</p><p>If you bring your online banking credentials or a mobile certificate, you can manage your Kela-related affairs on a self-service computer at the customer service point. </p><p>You are permitted to bring a guide dog, an assistance dog or a government working dog to a customer service point.</p>

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