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Annual Income

The special care allowance is determined on the basis of an annual income. You can estimate the amount of the allowance by using the calculator (in Finnish).

The annual income is calculated for a reference period of 12 calendar months prior to the calendar month that precedes the start of the entitlement to allowance for parents. Kela cannot issue a decision on the special care allowance until the reference period for the annual income has ended.

Wage or salary income

Earnings from private- or public-sector employment paid during the reference period are included in the annual income. As a rule, Kela receives information on wages and salaries that are included in the annual income from the national Incomes Register, so this information need not be reported to Kela separately.

The employer must report wage and salary information to the Incomes Register within five days of the date of payment. You can check the information submitted by your employer in the Incomes Register (vero.fi/income register). You log in to the online service with your online bank credentials or a mobile ID. Please note that employers also report income that is not included in the annual income, e.g. reimbursements of costs, to the Incomes Register. 

If you think that your earnings data in the Incomes Register contains inaccuracies or incorrect information, you should ask your employer to correct the information. You cannot correct the data contained in the national incomes register yourself. 

Example

Maija’s right to child care allowance starts 14 April 2022. The reference period is 1 March 2021–29.2.2022. During this period, Maija has received EUR 2,500 per month in wages (before taxes) and EUR 1,125 in holiday bonus (before taxes).

The annual income includes 12 months x EUR 2,500 + EUR 1,125 = EUR 31,125.*

The amount of the child care allowance is approximately EUR 65 per working day.

Foreign earned income can exceptionally be included in the annual income, even if you have not been entitled to social security in Finland, if all of the following conditions are met:

  • You have returned to Finland.
  • You have received salary during the review period while working in another European Union member state or a state where European Union legislation applies (e.g., Norway).
  • You have become insured for healthcare again in Finland and have no annual income from Finland.

If the salary you earned abroad significantly differs from the salary you would have received for equivalent work in Finland, your daily allowance will be based on an estimate made by Kela. This is an estimate of the income you would have earned for equivalent work in Finland, taking into account your education and qualifications.

Salary for insurance purposes

If you have been working abroad during the reference period and a salary for insurance purposes has been determined for this period of employment, the salary for insurance purposes will be taken into account in the annual income instead of the salary actually paid. 

Income under the self-employed persons' (YEL) and farmers' (MYEL) pension insurance schemes

The annual income for self-employed persons includes the confirmed income under the Self-Employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL) or the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) for the 12-month reference period. The annual income does not include wage income from one’s own company or income from self-employment.

If the confirmed income under the Self-Employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL) or the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) has changed during the reference period, the average confirmed income is used.

Example

Liisa’s right to child care allowance starts 15 February 2022. The reference period is 1 January–31 December 2021. The YEL income is EUR 20,000 per year.

The annual income includes the YEL income. 

The amount of the child care allowance is approximately EUR 46 per working day.*

*) Estimate

Self-employment and paid employment

If you are self-employed on a part-time basis, i.e. you have worked as a self-employed person during the reference period and at the same time worked as a salaried employee for another employer, your annual income will, in addition to the reported income under the YEL or MYEL scheme, also include the salary paid to you.

Grants and scholarships

If you have a research or arts grant or scholarship and you have a MYEL insurance with the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution (Mela) based on the grant or scholarship, your annual income is calculated on the basis of your reported income under the MYEL insurance.

If you are not under obligation to take out MYEL insurance, your grant or scholarship is not included in your annual income.

Benefit-based income

Your annual income can also be calculated on the basis of certain benefits you may receive.

This is referred to as benefit-based income and is calculated on the basis of the average daily amount of certain benefits you have received in the 12-month reference period.

The benefit-based income only includes the following benefits when the period of award falls within the 12-month reference period:

  • unemployment benefit
  • job alternation compensation
  • sickness allowance
  • daily allowance in accordance with the self-employed persons’ pension (YEL) scheme or sickness allowance paid by the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution (Mela)
  • partial sickness allowance
  • daily allowance for parents
  • special care allowances
  • sickness allowance on account of human cell, tissue and organ donation
  • rehabilitation allowance from Kela
  • rehabilitation allowance or rehabilitation increase provided under the earnings-related pension acts
  • disability pension provided under the earnings-related pension acts
  • disability pension provided under the National Pensions Act
  • guarantee pension as supplement to disability pension
  • adult education subsidy
  • adjustment pension or adjustment allowance for Members of Parliament
  • study grant.

Benefits paid to the employer are not included in the annual income because you have for the same period received wages that are included in the annual income.

Example

Pekka’s entitlement to child care allowance starts 14 February 2022. The reference period is 1 January–31 December 2021. Pekka has received EUR 60.00 per day for 5 days per week in earnings-related unemployment allowance during this period.

Based on the average earnings-related allowance, the child care allowance is approximately EUR 52 per day*. Paternity allowance is paid for 6 days a week.

*) Estimate

Benefits granted retrospectively for the reference period

If, after the decision has been issued, you are granted a benefit that should be included retrospectively in your annual income for the reference period, you should notify Kela. That way the benefit can be included in your annual income and the amount of your allowance can be recalculated.

Compensations for loss of income

Compensations for loss of income awarded during the reference period are included in the annual income if the compensation is based on one of the following:

  • accident at work
  • occupational disease
  • traffic accident
  • patient injury
  • military injury
  • communicable disease under the Act on Communicable Diseases (sickness allowance on account of an infectious disease).

Compensations for loss of income are taken into account to the amount awarded.

The compensation is usually not included in the annual income if payment continues alongside a Kela benefit awarded for the same period. Compensations paid to the employer are not included in the annual income because you have for the same period received wages that are included in the annual income.

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Last modified 10/11/2023