Care allowance for pensioners

The care allowance for pensioners is intended as support for pensioners with a disability or chronic illness as regards their daily life, functional ability, rehabilitation and care.

You may be entitled to care allowance if the following criteria are met:

  • you are retired full-time
  • you have an illness or a disability that has been diagnosed by a doctor
  • your functional capacity is impaired for at least a year
  • you need assistance or guidance due to illness or disability.

Retired full-time

Care allowance for pensioners can be awarded to persons aged 16 years or over who live in Finland and who receive for instance old-age pension, disability pension, rehabilitation subsidy or surviving spouse's pension from Finland or from abroad.

If you receive only partial disability pension, part-time pension or unemployment pension, you are not entitled to care allowance for pensioners. However, you may be entitled to disability allowance for persons aged 16 years or over.

Reduced functional capacity for at least a year

One prerequisite for entitlement to care allowance is that your functional capacity is reduced continuously for at least one year due to disability or illness. This means that you have difficulties in taking care of your everyday chores or of yourself due to illness or disability.

However, care allowance cannot be granted solely on the grounds of reduced functional capacity.

Need of assistance decisive

The entitlement to the allowance is also determined on the basis of your need of assistance, guidance and supervision due to disability or illness.

Kela assesses the need of assistance or guidance on the basis of the application. Granting of the care allowance presupposes that you need

  • help with personal activities, such as washing, dressing and communication
  • guidance and supervision, such as reminders, urging and looking after in daily activities

Three levels of allowance

The care allowance for pensioners is payable at three different rates: care allowance at the basic rate, care allowance at the middle rate and care allowance at the highest rate. The rate of allowance that you will be granted is affected by your need of assistance, guidance and supervision.

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