Amount and payment of partial care allowance

Partial care allowance is only paid for one child at a time even if there are several children eligible for the benefit in the family.

• The amount of partial care allowance is €100.30 per month.  

Care allowance can be paid starting from 1 August in the year when the child starts school. You can receive partial care allowance until the child's second year of school ends (31 July). If the child is enrolled in extended compulsory education, Kela can pay partial care allowance already in preschool until the child's third year in primary education ends.

Each year, Kela adjusts the partial care allowance with an index, which may change the amount of the allowance. The adjustment is made automatically. You do not have to do anything.

Payment

The allowance is paid in arrears on the last business day of the month. The decision shows the first payment date of the allowance. The decision is sent to your home address and is also available in the OmaKela e-service. Kela sends the data on child care allowances paid out to the national incomes register within five days of the date of payment.

Partial care allowance is not paid for a shorter period than one month. The allowance period does not have to start from the beginning of the month.

Partial care allowance can also be paid for a period shorter than one month if the total period for which it and other child care allowances have been granted is at least one month.

Starting 1 August 2022, families can only get partial care allowance for an uninterrupted period of at least one month. Payments shorter than a month are no longer added together.

Taxation

You must pay tax on the partial care allowance. When you receive wages or other taxable income in addition to the allowance, your allowance will be taxed according to the additional rate.

You can also ask the tax authorities to send a revised tax card for social security benefits to Kela.