Special circumstances

If a baby is born prematurely before the start of maternity leave (i.e. earlier than 30 working days before the estimated due date), maternity allowance is paid starting from the next working day after the day the baby was born. In such a case, the period of parental allowance will be extended by as many working days as the maternity allowance was moved forward.

If a pregnancy ends in miscarriage before the 22nd week of pregnancy, the mother is not entitled to maternity allowance.

If a pregnancy is terminated, mothers are entitled to a maternity allowance if the pregnancy lasted over 154 days (22 weeks of pregnancy). Fathers are entitled to a paternity allowance during the maternity allowance period for up to 18 working days after a termination. If the child's father is unable to take time off from work immediately, the paternity allowance can be granted from a later date but not past the point at which 18 working days have elapsed since the termination. The paternity allowance period must be taken in one go.

If the parents want to give their child up for adoption, they can contact the social welfare office of their home municipality or Save the Children. The mother is entitled to take maternity leave and she will receive maternity allowance from Kela. When the period of maternity allowance has ended, parental allowance will not be paid to the biological parents but to the adoptive family. The family should notify Kela about the adoption in order to avoid being paid too much allowance, which, if that should happen, they will later have to pay back.

If a child is taken into custody or placed in emergency institutional or foster care in accordance with the Child Welfare Act, the child's mother can take the maternity leave due to her, during which Kela will pay her maternity allowance. Parental allowance is not paid unless a parent participates in the care of the child during a period of custody or emergency placement. Social services will notify Kela if a child is taken into custody or put into emergency placement as well as indicate whether the parent is participating in the care of the child.

If the mother is taken ill and cannot look after the child, the father can stay home and take care of the child. During this time, parental allowance is paid to the father. The father will receive the allowance after a waiting period which consists of the day the mother was taken ill + 9 working days. The mother may be entitled to sickness allowance from Kela.

If pregnancy has lasted 154 days (22 weeks of pregnancy) or more, and the child is stillborn or dies at birth or soon thereafter, Kela will pay maternity allowance for 105 working days. Eligibility for the maternity grant is retained as well, but no parental allowance or child benefit is paid. If pregnancy ends in a live birth before 154 days, the mother is entitled to maternity allowance for 105 working days.

If a child is stillborn or dies at birth, paternity allowance can be paid during the maternity allowance period for up to 18 working days following the death of the child. If the child's father is unable to take time off from work immediately, the paternity allowance can be granted from a later date but not past the point at which 18 working days have elapsed since the child's death. The paternity allowance period must be taken in one go.

Maternity, paternity or parental allowance are not payable if pregnancy ends in miscarriage before having lasted 154 days (22 weeks of pregnancy) and the child is stillborn. Special maternity allowance is payable up until the miscarriage if the other eligibility conditions are met.

If a child dies during the paternity allowance period, payment of paternity allowance will continue until the end of the current payment period (for up to 18 working days).

If a child dies when either the mother or the father is on parental leave, Kela will pay parental allowance for 12 working days starting from the date of death and ending, at the latest, the month when the parental allowance period ends. Payment of child benefit ends at the beginning of the following month.

No extension for multiple birth is added to the parental allowance period if only one of two or more children that are born at the same time is alive when the parental allowance period begins. If at least two of the children are alive when the parental allowance period begins, the extended period of payment is completed.

If the mother dies, the father can stay home to take care of the child. If the mother has been receiving maternity allowance, the remaining allowance can instead be paid to the father as parental allowance. After this, the father will receive parental allowance in the normal way. If the father is not cohabiting, he can claim child benefit and receive single-parent supplement as well.

If the father dies, his allowances and leaves cannot be transferred to the mother.

In addition, orphan's pension will offer financial security for the child, if one or both of the parents die. Surviving spouse's pension provides financial security to widows and widowers. A widow/widower or a child may also be entitled to survivors’ pension or assistance pension under an accident, motor third party, military accident or patient insurance.

Social assistance, or income support, is the last-resort form of financial assistance. It is available to individuals and families who are unable to make a living by any other means, and whose income and assets and other social benefits do not cover their necessary daily expenses.

Concerning recovery of overpaid Kela benefits, you can contact Kela's Overpayment Recovery Unit in order to make a payment plan. If collection of a debt is not successful, Kela will recover the debt through an enforcement order.