How the war in Ukraine affects the benefits available from Kela

Persons arriving from Ukraine have a right to most Kela benefits. This requires either that Kela considers them to be living in Finland permanently or that they are working in Finland and their pay is at last EUR 741.75 per month.

Temporary protection

Just like asylum seekers, persons who apply for and receive temporary protection have a right to stay at the reception centre and to receive the services available there. For example, they have access to healthcare and necessary social services, they get a reception allowance, and their essential subsistence is guaranteed. They also have the option to arrange their accommodation independently. Persons under temporary protection have a right to work and to study.

As to persons who have been granted temporary protection, who moved to Finland after the start of the war in Ukraine and who do not have existing ties to Finland, the basic rule is that they are not eligible for Kela benefits. Persons who have been granted temporary protection may be eligible for the residence-based benefits available from Kela, if Kela considers their residence in Finland to be of a permanent nature. This is based on an overall assessment of each person’s circumstances.

Kela can consider someone to be living permanently in Finland if

• a family member (spouse/partner or under-age child) is already living in Finland
• they have lived in Finland previously
• they will work or study in Finland for at least two years.

There may also be an entitlement to Kela benefits for someone who works in Finland and is paid at least EUR 741.75 per month.

Asylum seekers are covered by the reception services

Persons who arrive in Finland and apply for asylum come within the scope of the so-called reception services. The reception centre secures their livelihood and provides them with access to other services while their residence permit application is being reviewed. Asylum seekers are not eligible for Kela benefits. 

If a person has not applied for asylum or temporary protection and therefore cannot secure a livelihood with the help of the reception services, they have a right to at least the essential part of basic social assistance should they need financial support. The essential part of basic social assistance covers food and necessary prescription medicines, which are made available on a voucher. However, they must first explore other possibilities for securing a livelihood, such as using savings or money transfers. 

Read more:

• Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine (migri.fi)

Everyone has the right to urgent medical treatment in the public healthcare system regardless of their nationality or country of origin. However, the services will be provided at the recipient’s own cost. 

Asylum seekers and persons who have been issued a residence permit under the temporary protection provision get health services through the reception centre. 

Usually, the right to use public health services is linked to one's residence in a specific municipality (“home municipality”). Persons with a home municipality can get all public health services by paying the same fee as the local residents. Their nationality or country of origin is not relevant. Public health services are also available to those who are working in Finland. 

Finally, public healthcare providers have discretion to offer care for the same price paid by the local residents even if one does not have a Finnish home municipality and does not work in Finland.  

Persons who are granted temporary protection receive a temporary residence permit (B). Financial aid for students is not available to those staying in Finland on a temporary residence permit. Financial aid can be granted to persons with a continuous (A) or permanent (P) residence permit or an EU residence permit for third-country nationals.

If a person under temporary protection is not registered as a resident of any Finnish municipality (i.e. does not have a “home municipality”), he or she cannot get school transport subsidy payments, which require the recipient to be a full-time student and to have a home municipality.

Everyone in Finland has the right to at least a basic level of subsistence if they are unable to secure a living otherwise. This security is provided in the form of basic social assistance. In practice, this means that Kela provides vouchers for food and essential prescription medicines, which are valid for a short period of time. The amount of social assistance provided depends on the income and assets available to the client. The decision to grant basic social assistance may contain a provision to recover all or part of the assistance granted at a later time. This could be the case if a client has income or assets which they for some reason cannot access at the time the assistance is granted.

The pensions and the housing allowance for pensioners provided by Kela will continue to be paid normally regardless of any problems that may currently exist when it comes to accessing Russian pension payments.

Provide to Kela either other relevant documents which may be available to you or a verbal explanation of the issue. Kela will consider whether the documents and explanation you provide are sufficiently informative and will contact you if needed.

Everyone in Finland has the right to at least a basic level of subsistence if they are unable to secure a living in some other way. This security is provided in the form of basic social assistance. In practice, this means that Kela provides vouchers for food and essential prescription medicines, which are valid for a short period of time.

The amount of social assistance provided depends on the income and assets available to the client. The decision to grant basic social assistance may contain a provision to recover all or part of the assistance granted at a later time. This could be the case if a client has income or assets which they for some reason cannot access at the time the assistance is granted.

National pensions, guarantee pensions, child increases and survivors’ pensions (with the exception of the additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension) will continue to be paid normally despite the current situation. They will not be adjusted based on exchange rate fluctuations alone. However, the housing allowance for pensioners can be reviewed following a change in the ruble’s exchange rate if the income of the person receiving the allowance changes substantially. This applies also to the additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension. 

Russian nationals can be paid benefits just like the nationals of any other country. When someone applies for benefits Kela determines whether they are considered to be permanently living in Finland or if they could be entitled to Kela benefits on the basis of employment. Further, Russian nationals must have a valid residence permit, which is granted by the Finnish Immigration Service.

Kela can pay financial aid to students who are studying in Russia. In addition, some other benefits, including those for families with children, may be payable during brief holiday trips.

A household on general housing allowance can host Ukrainians fleeing the war for up to six months without it affecting their housing allowance.

There is no way to gift the maternity package to Ukraine through Kela. If you would like to make private arrangements to send your maternity package to Ukraine, we would recommend you to contact a suitable charity to find out what kind of goods and clothes are needed the most. 

Quite a few people have thought of sending maternity packages as a concrete way to offer assistance. However, Kela cannot send maternity packages to Ukraine for the following reasons:

• The maternity package is a social security benefit available to individual customers. Kela is not allowed under the law to sell or give them away.
• Kela does not have extra maternity packages to give away.
• Kela does not have access to an international supply chain to deliver assistance. Concrete forms of assistance can be more usefully provided by organisations that have ready access to logistics to provide crisis aid and expertise in delivering emergency assistance.

Also, many charities have discouraged people from sending additional clothes but rather to prioritise other supplies. Kela will offer assistance and support as it best can while complying with the law and will continue to monitor the situation actively.