Apply for other benefits before you apply for social assistance
Social assistance (toimeentulotuki) is a form of financial assistance that is granted as a last resort. This means that you must first apply for all other benefits you may qualify for before you apply for social assistance.
According to a legislative proposal submitted by the Government, the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance can be reduced by 50% from 1 February 2026 onwards if you do not look for full-time jobs and apply for the other benefits that you have the right to after Kela has asked you to do so. We recommend that you check which benefits you qualify for right away so that you can apply for them before the law enters into force. This way Kela does not have to reduce your basic amount. More information about the legislative proposal.
After you have applied for all other benefits you may have the right to, Kela can usually issue you a decision on social assistance that covers more than one month.
Check what your primary benefits are
Select the option that best describes your life situation below.
If you are between the ages of 17 and 64 and you are unemployed, register as an unemployed jobseeker who is looking for a full-time job with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta). Next, you should apply for unemployment benefits and make sure you stay registered as an active jobseeker. Unemployment benefits are your primary benefits. This means that they take precedence over social assistance. If you are under 25 and unemployed, and you do not have vocational qualifications or a higher education degree, you also have to apply for at least 2 places of study in the spring.
If you do not register with employment services, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance.
Have you fallen ill while unemployed? Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
If you work part time or do short temporary jobs, you have to complete the following steps before you apply for social assistance starting from 1 February 2026:
- register with employment services as a jobseeker looking for a full-time job and be ready and available to accept work
- check if you have the right to adjusted unemployment benefit.
This requirement comes from a legislative amendment that is intended to enter into force on 1 February 2026. We recommend that you prepare for the upcoming changes now. Learn more about upcoming changes to social assistance.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance.
Are you too ill to work? Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
If you apply for social assistance, we will check if your business makes a profit. Kela considers your business profitable if you get an income from it that is about the same as the labour market subsidy (about EUR 595 per month). If your business is clearly unprofitable, Kela will set a deadline for you. You must either make your business profitable or close it down by the deadline.
If you choose to continue your unprofitable business after the deadline and you apply for social assistance, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance.
Are you too ill to work? Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Apply for student financial aid (opintotuki) before you apply for social assistance. Student financial aid is comprised of a study grant, the student housing supplement and a government guarantee for your student loan.
If you cannot get student financial aid, try to find out if you can earn enough income to support yourself in some other way, for example by working, before you apply for social assistance.
If your studies have not progressed as quickly as they should have, check if you can get an extension to your student financial aid period. If you have run out of student financial aid months or cannot get student financial aid for some other reason, you have to find other ways to secure your livelihood. Other benefits you can apply for include general housing allowance and unemployment benefits.
If you cannot support yourself in any of these ways and you apply for social assistance, we may have to reduce your basic amount. However, the reduction will not be made if you are a student under 18.
Are you too ill to study? Read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
See also: Seven benefits Kela offers to young people with a disability or chronic illness
Your primary benefit is sickness allowance. This means that it takes precedence over social assistance. Sickness allowance provides compensation for loss of income resulting from a period of incapacity for work lasting less than 12 months. Sickness allowance has a waiting period (omavastuuaika). It is usually the first day of illness and the following 9 working days (Monday to Friday). Apply for sickness allowance first before you apply for social assistance.
If your illness or disability makes it difficult for you to study, work or live your daily life independently, talk to your doctor about rehabilitation. Kela can help you check what options are available for rehabilitation. Kela may pay you rehabilitation allowance for the duration of your rehabilitation.
See also: What to do if my work capacity has declined? Follow these six steps to move forward
If you are still unable to work after Kela has paid you sickness allowance for the maximum amount of time, you can apply for rehabilitation subsidy or disability pension.
If you do not have the right to sickness allowance or any other benefits Kela pays based on incapacity for work, you have to register as a jobseeker looking for a full-time job with employment services, be ready and available to accept work and apply for unemployment benefits. If you do not register with employment services, we may have to reduce the basic amount of your social assistance.
If you cannot study due to illness, your primary benefit is sickness allowance. You cannot usually be paid student financial aid and sickness allowance at the same time. If you are granted sickness allowance, we will automatically stop paying you student financial aid. Remember to tell Kela when you return to studying full time.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance.
If you are pregnant or you are caring for a child under the age of 2 at home, your primary benefits are daily allowances for parents. This means that they take precedence over social assistance. After your child has been born, apply for child benefit. Remember to also apply for child maintenance allowance if necessary.
If you have a child under the age of 3 who does not go to a municipal day care (early childhood education, varhaiskasvatus), you can apply for child home care allowance.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance.
If you are 65 or older, your primary benefit is old-age pension. This means that it takes precedence over social assistance. If your earnings-related pension is small or you do not get one, Kela will pay you a national pension that supplements your earnings-related pension. Kela can pay you a guarantee pension in addition to the national pension if your other pensions are very small.
If you are under 65 and unable to work, read more about primary benefits in the event of illness.
Before you apply for social assistance, make sure that you have already applied for all primary benefits that you may have the right to, such as housing allowance for pensioners or care allowance for pensioners.
See also: Seven benefits Kela offers to young people with a disability or chronic illness
Kela will reduce the basic amount by 50% if you do not apply for primary benefits first
The Finnish Government has proposed a legislative change to Parliament. According to the proposal, Kela will reduce the basic amount of social assistance by 50% for people who do not look for full-time work and apply for the primary benefits they have the right to within one month of being asked to do so by Kela.
If the change passes into law, it will take effect on 1 February 2026. Read more about this change.
| Applicant or family member | Full basic amount (EUR per month) | Reduced basic amount (EUR per month) | Reduced basic amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-person household | 593.55 | 296.78 | 9.89 |
| Person aged 18 or over living in a shared household | 504.52 | 252.26 | 8.41 |
| Single parent | 676.65 | 338.33 | 11.28 |
| Person aged 18 or over living with their parent(s) | 433.29 | 216.65 | 7.22 |
Kela only reduces the basic amount of the person who has not looked for full-time work or applied for other benefits they qualify for. Kela will not reduce the basic amounts of children under the age of 18. The figures shown in the table were calculated based on the basic amounts for 2025.
You can always contact Kela
If you or your family would like to talk to a Kela specialist about social assistance, please call Kela’s customer service at 020 634 2550 or visit a Kela service point.