General social security benefit to be introduced in May – how the change will affect you

Updated 6.5.2026
Kela will begin paying a new benefit called the general social security benefit to the unemployed as of 1 May 2026. The general social security benefit replaces labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance. This change does not affect your status as a Kela customer, and you do not need to contact Kela.

If you are paid basic unemployment allowance

If you get basic unemployment allowance (peruspäiväraha), Kela will replace it with the general social security benefit (yleistuki) as of 1 May.

If you have been granted additional days to your basic unemployment allowance, they will also be replaced with the general social security benefit as of 1 May.

This change does not affect your status as a Kela customer. If your unemployment continues, stay registered as an active jobseeker with the employment services and continue to regularly file unemployment status reports in OmaKela every 4 weeks.

Please note that the general social security benefit is a means-tested benefit unlike basic unemployment allowance. This means that if you have capital income or other income, you may get a smaller amount of general social security benefit. More information about the means test (kela.fi).

If you are paid labour market subsidy

If you get labour market subsidy (työmarkkinatuki), Kela will replace it with the general social security benefit as of 1 May.

This change does not affect your status as a Kela customer. Stay registered as an active jobseeker with the employment services and continue to regularly file unemployment status reports in OmaKela every 4 weeks.

If you are 55 or older and Kela has been paying you labour market subsidy without applying a means test, this will change when you are switched over to the general social security benefit. The general social security benefit is a means-tested benefit. This means that if you have capital income or other income, you may get a smaller amount of general social security benefit. More information about the means test (kela.fi).

Kela will check your income

After the general social security benefit has been implemented, Kela will check if you have income that must be taken into account in the means test. You do not have to do anything or contact Kela.

Kela will tell you if Kela notices during the means test that you have income that affects how much general social security benefit you can get.

If you become unemployed as of 1 May

If you become unemployed or you are temporarily laid off, register immediately as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) on Job Market Finland.

If you are not a member of an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa), you can apply for the general social security benefit as of 1 May.

If you use up your earnings-related unemployment allowance

You can apply for the general social security benefit from Kela as of 1 May if you are still unemployed when you reach the end of the maximum payment period for your earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha). In that case, Kela will not apply a waiting period to your general social security benefit.

Stay registered as an active jobseeker with the employment services and apply for the general social security benefit in OmaKela. Go to the Unemployment section on Kela’s website for more detailed instructions on how to apply.

 

Payment details for the new benefit displayed with a delay in OmaKela

The first payments of general social security benefit will be made into customers’ bank accounts on Wednesday, 6 May. The amount of the general social security benefit is EUR 37.21 per day. This is the same amount Kela used to pay in labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance.

During the transition period, your unemployment benefits will be paid to you in two instalments. You will get your labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance in one instalment and your general social security benefit in another. Both instalments will be paid to you on the same day. The total amount of unemployment benefits you get for the four-week payment period is the same as before if your situation has not changed.

During the transition period, you may not always be able to see all payment details of your general social security benefit in OmaKela and there may be updating delays. After you have submitted your unemployment status report, general social security benefit will be automatically listed under Omat etuudet (My benefits) for you in OmaKela. However, it will take 1–4 days before you will be able to see Kela’s decision notice on your general social security benefit and its payment details in OmaKela even if Kela has approved your benefit for payment.

There is no need to worry even if the amount you see in the confirmation message you get after you have submitted your unemployment status report in OmaKela is smaller than usual.  Until the end of May, the confirmation message only shows how much labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance you will get and not your general social security benefit at all due to technical reasons.

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