Pregnancy allowance and special pregnancy allowance

No pregnancy allowance or special pregnancy allowance is paid to an adoptive family, but the family is entitled to parental allowance.

The pregnancy allowance is not increased or extended, even if more than one baby is born into the family at the same time.

In the case of multiple-birth pregnancies, the birthing parent often goes on sick leave before pregnancy leave starts, even if the pregnancy has been problem-free. If you have to go on sick leave during your pregnancy, consult your employer to find out if your sick leave will be paid or unpaid. If you are paid salary, Kela will pay the sickness allowance to your employer. If you will not be paid salary, you can apply for sickness allowance from Kela.

Pregnancy allowance can only be paid to the parent giving birth.

The family structure does not affect the pregnancy allowance.

Single parenting does not affect the length of the pregnancy allowance period or the amount of the allowance. Pregnancy allowance can only be paid to the parent giving birth.

If your baby is born more than 30 working days before the estimated due date, you will be paid pregnancy allowance starting from the first working day following the day of the birth.

If your baby is born more than 30 working days before the estimated due date, you can get parental allowance for an extended period. The number of additional days is calculated based on how many working days earlier than 30 working days before the estimated due date the baby was born. Both parents can use half of these additional days of parental allowance or give up and turn over some or all of the additional days to another person. Read more about giving up and turning over parental allowance to someone else.

For example, if the baby is born 42 working days before the estimated due date, the parents will get parental allowance for a total of 12 working days longer. The days are divided equally between both parents, i.e. they both get 6 additional working days of parental allowance.

If there is only one parent eligible for parental allowance, that parent is entitled to use all the additional days.

You can get pregnancy allowance also when your pregnancy has lasted at least 154 days and your pregnancy ends in miscarriage or it is terminated.

Pregnancy allowance is paid for 40 working days. In addition, you are entitled to parental allowance for 65 consecutive working days immediately after the pregnancy allowance period.

However, pregnancy or parental allowance is not paid if you are working.

Pregnancy allowance is not paid for days when you are working. Although pregnancy allowance is not paid, the pregnancy allowance days are still running and the days cannot be saved and used later. 

Working means any gainful employment as well as such activities as

• telecommuting from home or being on call or standby
• working in a company owned by yourself or a member of your family
• farming or forestry work
• independent scientific work and holding an office of trust, when it is related to one's principal employment or comes with monetary compensation.

However, you are not considered to be working when

• you act as an elected official within the meaning of the Local Government Act (unless you are a full-time or part-time official within the meaning of section 80 of the Local Government Act)
• you are an informal caregiver or you are a family caregiver working under a service contract. This does not, however, apply to professional family care.

If you go to work while on pregnancy leave, you should cancel your pregnancy allowance days in the OmaKela e-service. This will ensure that you are paid the correct amount of pregnancy allowance, and that you will not need to pay any of it back. You need not notify Kela of any salary details or about working on Sundays or midweek holidays.

You can get pregnancy allowance even though you are studying during your pregnancy. Receiving study grant payments does not prevent payment of pregnancy allowance.

You need not notify Kela that you are studying.

You are not entitled to pregnancy allowance during statutory annual leave or paid holidays under an employment contract. During such a period, your employer will pay you salary, which is why you do not incur any loss of earnings from taking care of your child. If your leave or absence from work is unpaid, you can get pregnancy allowance during that period.

However, if you take paid annual leave during your pregnancy leave, your pregnancy allowance days will keep running and you will not be able to postpone those days to be taken out later.

Report changes in the OmaKela e-service. This will ensure that you are paid the correct amount of pregnancy allowance, and that you will not need to pay any of it back.

Pregnancy allowance is paid only to the pregnant parent, it cannot be transferred to the other parent even if you fall ill during your pregnancy leave.

If you are unable to care for your child because you are ill, this may affect the other parent’s entitlement to parental allowance. In such a situation, you should contact Kela.

You may also be eligible for various sickness benefits that provide compensation for costs and loss of income due to illness. You cannot, however, get pregnancy allowance and sickness allowance for the same period. You may be eligible for rehabilitation allowance, but the amount of the allowance will be deducted from your pregnancy allowance.

If you are employed and fall ill while receiving pregnancy allowance, you can ask your employer if your pregnancy or parental leave will be converted into sick leave. This may affect the salary possibly paid for the period of absence from work.   

You cannot get pregnancy allowance and parental allowance paid for another child at the same time. You can choose for which child you seek a benefit.