Unemployment benefits for self-employed persons
On this page
When can self-employed persons get general social security benefit from Kela?
If your self-employment ends, you may have the right to general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela.
Do as follows after your self-employment has ended:
- Register as a jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta)
If your self-employment has ended, register immediately as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (tyomarkkinatori.fi). - Unemployment benefits from an unemployment fund or Kela?
If you are a member of an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa), apply for earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) from your fund (tyj.fi). If you do not belong to an unemployment fund, apply for general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela. - Keep your registration as a jobseeker valid
Complete and submit an unemployment status report in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) every 4 weeks. Your general social security benefit will be paid on the basis of your report. Read the instructions.
If you start self-employment while unemployed
If you start a business or some other form of self-employment while you are unemployed, Kela may continue to pay you general social security benefit for 4 months. Your general social security benefit will be adjusted to take into account the income you get from self-employment over the same period.
After 4 months have passed, the KEHA Centre (in Finnish) will assess whether you are self-employed on a full-time or part-time basis.
If the KEHA Centre considers you to be self-employed on a full-time basis, you cannot get general social security benefit during your self-employment.
If the KEHA Centre considers you to be self-employed on a part-time basis, you can get adjusted
general social security benefit during your self-employment.
We will contact you to ask for information about the income and expenses of your business if we need it. Kela will then use your tax information to adjust your general social security benefit based on your business income.
More information about what counts as full-time or part-time self-employment (tyomarkkinatori.fi).