Disability allowance for adults

In order to get disability allowance, you must have a long-term illness or disability that has been diagnosed by a doctor.

However, the diagnosis alone does not qualify you for disability allowance.

If your ability to function is reduced, you may find it difficult to take care of yourself, get around safely, clean your home or prepare meals. You may also find it challenging to study and do your job.

In order to be paid disability allowance, the illness or disability must already have limited your ability to function for a period of at least 12 months or be likely to do so in Kela’s estimation.

Note, however, that a reduction in your ability to function does not, alone, qualify you for disability allowance. We will also assess the degree of impairment caused by the illness or disability and how much help, guidance and supervision you need because of it.

If your ability to function is reduced over a longer period of time, your right to receive disability allowance will be assessed based on

• the degree of impairment caused by the illness or disability
• how much help and guidance you need in your daily life.

Kela assesses the impairment caused by the illness or disability on the basis of the classification of impairment defined in the Workers’ Compensation Act. You can be granted disability allowance on the basis of impairment if the impairment is considered significant enough. 

Kela assesses your need for help or guidance on the basis of your application. You can be paid disability allowance if you need help or guidance from another person e.g with the following activities: 

• getting around, dressing or washing  
• eating or remembering to eat or drink 
• seeing, hearing, speaking or keeping track of things 
• dealing with a health condition or taking medicine.

The help or guidance you need could for example be reminding you of things, giving you encouragement or keeping an eye on you.

The illness or disability may also have caused you additional expense e.g. in the form of money spent on support housing or therapy. You may need an assistive device or interpreter service in your daily life. However, using and needing assistive devices alone does not qualify you for disability allowance.

You cannot get disability allowance if you only need help with household chores or personal errands. However, persons who are blind or unable to move are always entitled to at least the basic rate of disability allowance.

You can get the basic rate of disability allowance if you meet both of the following requirements:

• your functional ability is reduced due to illness or disability continuously for at least a year
• your illness or disability causes significant impairment.

The basic rate can be paid for example to persons who

• due to illness or disability have difficulty in concentrating on activities that require continuous alertness,
• have diabetes requiring treatment with insulin and have developed secondary complications
• due to illness or disability need more time than normal for different everyday activities or the activities require assistive devices
• have difficulties in carrying out complicated tasks even though they can handle routine tasks independently.

The middle rate of disability allowance is available if you have a right to the basic rate and your illness or disability causes additional expenses on a continuing basis.

You can get the middle rate of disability allowance if

• your illness or disability causes significant impairment
• you need regular guidance and supervision or help with your daily activities.

The middle rate of disability allowance is available for example to persons who

• need weekly assistance in dressing/undressing, washing, moving or social interaction
• need guidance or reminders concerning the following of a daily rhythm, taking medication or other daily activities that follow a certain schedule.

If you only need guidance and assistance with household chores and personal errands, you cannot get disability allowance at the middle rate.

If you have a right to disability allowance at the basic rate and your illness or disability causes continuous additional expenses, you can get disability allowance at the middle rate instead of the basic rate. These additional expenses are referred to as special expenses. The special expenses you have each month must be at least the same amount as the middle rate of the disability allowance.

Special expenses include

• care fees for assisted living
• home care and home healthcare fees
• cleaning or shopping service fees
• transport fees for meal service
• visits to a doctor
• rehabilitation and treatment prescribed by a doctor
• medicines
• travel costs related to rehabilitation or treatment

You can get the highest rate of disability allowance if you

• are severely disabled
• need a lot of daily help or guidance and supervision in your everyday activities, such as dressing/undressing, washing, moving, social interaction
• are blind, unable to move or prelingually deaf

The highest rate of disability allowance cannot be granted on the basis of special expenses.

Kela can grant the allowance retrospectively for a maximum of 6 months. Retroactive payment is always considered from case to case.

If you do not submit a medical statement with your application, we will set a deadline for you to provide the required documents or information. If you cannot provide them by the deadline, you can call Kela to ask for an extension.

If you do not provide the document or information we have requested, we will have to turn down your application. We will review your application once you have provided the requested document or information.

File an application for continued payment with Kela well in advance of the end of the payment period so that payment of the allowance is not interrupted. Applications for the extended payment of the care allowance for pensioners should be filed within 6 months of the end of the previous payment period.

In most cases, you will need to include a new medical statement when applying for a higher rate of allowance. However, a new statement is not needed if you apply for a higher rate of allowance solely because of special expenses. In the Additional information section of the application, indicate that you are applying for a higher rate of allowance because of the expenses.