The processing time for social assistance applications
We will process your application within 7 working days
We will process your social assistance application within seven working days (Monday to Friday) of receiving it and all the necessary supporting documents. Incoming applications are processed in the order in which we receive them. See the average processing time for social assistance applications in the past week.
Do not forget to submit the supporting documents
If supporting documents are missing from your application, we will ask you to submit them. We will make a decision on your application within seven working days of receiving the supporting documents. If we do not receive the missing supporting documents we may have to turn down your application.
Check what supporting documents you need to send with your application.
See pictures of how your application is processed at Kela
Urgent situations
There can be times when you need social assistance urgently. The reason could be a sudden change in your circumstances or that something unexpected has happened. An urgent situation can also be if you have almost or completely run out of food or medication and you do not have the money to buy more.
Kela will discuss your situation with you and then decide if your need for assistance is urgent
- If possible, send your application for social assistance and the necessary supporting documents in OmaKela before you contact Kela. OmaKela is available in Finnish and Swedish. If you have submitted your application and the supporting documents before calling us or visiting a service point, it will speed up the processing of the application.
- Call Kela’s customer service number 020 634 2550 or visit a Kela service point.
If your situation is considered urgent, we will issue a decision about urgent social assistance the same day or the following working day. Apart from urgent social assistance, your application will processed within the normal timeframe.
Urgent social assistance is usually granted in the form of vouchers. Medication vouchers are transmitted electronically from Kela to the pharmacies. You can pick up your food vouchers at the nearest Kela customer service point or, depending on your situation, for example at the social services office of your wellbeing services county.