Changes to Kela benefits in 2026

The basic unemployment allowance and the labour market subsidy will not increase in 2026. The amount of both benefits will remain the same as in 2025: EUR 37.21 per day.

Stricter mandatory waiting periods will apply to unemployment benefits as of 1 March 2026. A mandatory waiting period (karenssi) is a period during which the unemployed person does not get unemployment benefits because they have not looked for work or fulfilled other tasks required by employment services. Stricter mandatory waiting periods will apply both to unemployment benefits paid by Kela and those paid by unemployment funds.

The new mandatory waiting periods are:

• Employment services will impose a 7-day mandatory waiting period for the first infraction. You will not be paid any unemployment benefits during this time.
• Employment services will impose a 6-week obligation to work for the second infraction. This means that an unemployed jobseeker can get unemployment benefits only after they have fulfilled the obligation to work by either working or by participating in employment-promoting services for at least 6 weeks.

Read more about unemployment benefits and mandatory waiting periods.

The unemployment benefits currently paid out by Kela, that is labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance, will be replaced by a new general social security benefit introduced on 1 May 2026. The general social security benefit will be paid to unemployed jobseekers who do not qualify for or have used up their earnings-related unemployment allowance.

The amount of the general social security benefit will be EUR 37.21 per day (about EUR 800 per month). It corresponds to the existing labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance in 2025. If an unemployed jobseeker receives any earned income, it will reduce the amount of general social security benefit. The amount of general social security benefit is also reduced by any capital income the applicant receives and by certain other benefits. The income of the applicant’s partner does not affect the amount of general social security benefit.

Read more about the general social security benefit.

An amendment to the Act on Social Assistance will enter into force on 1 February 2026, imposing stricter requirements and criteria for receiving the benefit. Kela can reduce the basic amount of social assistance by 50% if a customer does not apply within a set deadline for the primary benefits they are likely entitled to. Primary benefits refer to benefits such as unemployment benefits, sickness allowance and financial aid for students.

The obligation to apply for full-time work will also be stricter. If the customer does not register as a jobseeker looking for full-time work within one month despite being told to do so, Kela will reduce the basic amount of their social assistance by 50%.

In connection with the reform, the earned-income deduction (also known as the exempt amount) of EUR 150 will be abolished from social assistance. In addition to this, the basic amount of social assistance for anyone over the age of 18 will be cut by 2–3%. For someone aged 18 or over and living alone, the cut amounts to a reduction of EUR 17.80 in the basic amount of their social assistance, calculated at the 2025 rate. The cuts to the basic amount will be implemented from 1 March 2026 onward.

Read more about the changes in social assistance.

There will be no increases to child benefits in 2026. The minimum rates of daily allowances for parents and the rates of child care allowances will also remain the same as in 2023–2025.

Check the child benefit payment dates in 2026.

The amounts of child support and child maintenance allowance will decrease by 0.2% in response to a change in the cost-of-living index. As of 1 January 2026, the full child maintenance allowance will be EUR 197.71 per month per child.

Read more about child maintenance allowance.

The maternity grant will increase to EUR 210 as of 1 April 2026. The maternity grant is granted either in the form of a maternity package or a one-off payment. At present, the maternity grant is the equivalent of EUR 170. The increased maternity grant will be available to customers whose estimated due date or the date when their adopted child is placed in their care is 1 April 2026 or later.

Read more about the maternity grant.

The list of risk factors that are grounds for granting special pregnancy allowance will be supplemented. In addition, it becomes possible to grant partial special pregnancy allowance. You can get special pregnancy allowance if you have to stay off work before you go on pregnancy leave because your work involves a risk to your pregnancy. The changes apply to customers who are granted special pregnancy allowance on or after 1 January 2026.

Read more about changes in the special pregnancy allowance.

As a consequence of a new amendment to the Act on Child Maintenance Allowance, Kela will be obliged to notify the wellbeing services county of changes in the financial situation of the parent liable to provide maintenance for a child and also of repeated exemptions from payment of child support debt. Kela will use income and tax data to assess the liable parent’s financial situation. The legislative amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

Read more about the change to child maintenance allowance.

As of 1 January 2026, the criteria for granting special care allowance will be specified so that, going forward, the most crucial criterion is the level of care instead of the place of care. Kela can pay special care allowance to parents who participate in specialist-level treatment or rehabilitation that is given to their child due to the child’s illness, medical condition or disability. Specialist-level treatment can also be provided outside hospitals or hospital outpatient clinics.

Read more about the conditions for granting special care allowance.

Study grant rates will not be index adjusted, so the rates will stay the same as in 2023–2025. An 18-year-old student living independently will qualify for a study grant of EUR 279.38 per month in 2026.

The meal subsidy for higher education students will increase. As of 1 January 2026, the meal subsidy will be EUR 2.80. Until then, the meal subsidy is EUR 2.55. However, the maximum prices for student meals will also be raised. After these changes, students will pay EUR 3.10 for a subsidised meal, i.e. 15 cents more than before. The reason for the increased meal subsidy and the raised maximum prices is cost increases.

The pensions paid by Kela (national pension, guarantee pension, surviving spouse’s pension, orphan’s pension), along with front-veterans’ supplements will be increased by 0.5% as of 1 January 2026 in line with the National Pensions Index. The full amount of the guarantee pension will be EUR 990.90 per month in 2026. The full amount is paid out if the pensioner is not paid any other pensions or if their pensions are very small.

Disability allowances will also be increased by 0.5%. Disability allowance at the basic rate for persons under 16 years of age and for persons aged 16 years or over will be EUR 110.49 per month in 2026. The basic care allowance for pensioners will be EUR 84.56 per month.

See this table for the euro amounts of benefits as of 1 January 2026 (in Finnish).

The initial deductible and the maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs will be increased by 0.5% in line with the National Pensions Index. In 2026, the initial deductible on prescription medicines will be EUR 70.33, while the maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs will be EUR 636.12. Low-income customers now have a new option: credit for medicine costs from Kela. This allows customers to pay the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs in instalments.

Read more about reimbursements for medicine costs.

The reimbursements from Kela for the costs for private medical care will be cut. The reimbursement from Kela for the costs of appointments with a general practitioner or specialist in the private sector will decrease from EUR 30 to EUR 8 as of 1 January 2026. The reimbursements for appointments with gynaecologists and psychiatrists in the private sector will remain unchanged.

Read more about Kela reimbursements for private medical care.

Customers who are 65 or older can see a general practitioner in the private sector at the price of the local user fee charged by public healthcare providers. This option is provided as part of a pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare for persons aged 65 or over, which began in September and will continue until the end of 2027. The price of doctor’s appointments within the pilot study will increase from EUR 28.20 to EUR 30.20 from the beginning of 2026.

Read more about the pilot study on freedom of choice.

There will be changes to the amount of donor allowance paid to organ donors. As of 2026, the donor allowance will compensate for the donor’s actual loss of income due to cell, tissue or organ donation and any necessary associated tests or examinations.

Read more about donor allowance.