You can get flexible care allowance from Kela if you work no more than 30 hours a week while caring for a child under 3.
Can I get flexible care allowance?
You can get flexible care allowance if
you are the parent or other guardian of a child
you look after your child, who is under 3 years of age
you are employed in the private or public sector or are self-employed and insured under the self-employed persons’ (YEL) or farmers’ (MYEL) pension scheme
you work no more than 30 hours per week on average or no more than 80% of normal full-time hours. For the allowance to be granted it is sufficient that either one of the criteria is met.
All the hours you work as an employee or self-employed person count as your working hours.
Flexible care allowance can also be claimed by a non-custodial parent who looks after their child.
Flexible care allowance is available even if the child has a place in municipal or private early childhood education.
You can get flexible care allowance for only one child at a time. This also applies to parents of multiple-birth families. However, the parents can apply for flexible care allowance for two children as long as they apply for two different children.
You can get flexible care allowance for a child at the same time as the child's other parent, if you look after the child at different times. Parents can look after their child on separate days, or one parent can look after the child in the morning and the other in the afternoon. If the child does not attend municipal early childhood education, one parent can also apply for child home care allowance while the other parent applies for flexible care allowance.
You can get flexible care allowance and child home care allowance at the same time if your child is not in municipal day care and is being looked after by someone else during your working hours. For instance, you can get flexible care allowance if your spouse looks after your child during your working hours and applies for child home care allowance in their own name. Learn more about the child home care allowance.
Flexible care allowance can be paid at the same time as private day care allowance.
You cannot get flexible care allowance in the following situations:
You receive pregnancy, parental or paternity allowance for the same period of time.
You receive child home care allowance and care for your child yourself.
You receive partial care allowance for one of the children in your family.
You fall ill and are on sick leave for at least 4 weeks. The entitlement to flexible care allowance ends if you become unfit for work.
How much flexible care allowance can I get?
Working hours no more than 22.5 hours per week or no more than 60% of normal full-time working hours
flexible care allowance EUR 269.24 per month
Working hours 22.5–30 hours per week or 60–80% of normal full-time working hours
flexible care allowance EUR 179.49 per month
Your working hours can vary week to week, but the average number of hours you work may not exceed the maximum. The average hours are calculated over the entire period for which you receive the allowance.
You can get flexible care allowance starting from the day your baby is born. However, you cannot get flexible care allowance for the same period of time as pregnancy or parental allowance. Flexible care allowance can be paid until your child reaches the age of 3.
It is not paid for periods shorter than one month. The allowance period does not have to start from the beginning of the month.
The flexible care allowance is available retroactively for six months from the date of the application.
How to apply for flexible care allowance
File an application for the flexible care allowance in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). If you live in the Åland Islands you should apply for flexible care allowance from your municipality of residence.
If both parents wish to apply for flexible care allowance, each must apply separately Under Additional information, indicate when the two of you will take time off work for child care.
Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. From the application you can check which documents you should enclose with the application.
Visit the OmaKela e-service to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefits will be paid. You can also see possible reminders concerning, for instance, any documents that may be missing from your application. The decision notice will also be sent to your home address if you have not given up paper mail.
If you cannot file the application in the OmaKela e-service, complete and print out the application form for flexible care allowance WH 9e (pdf). Send the application and any supporting documents by mail. The address is Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
You will need to include with your application a certificate from your employer showing your total weekly working hours and the employer’s contact information. You can send the certificate in the OmaKela e-service.
If you use a paper application form, your employer can provide the necessary information on the last page of the form.
Your employer can also send the certificate to Kela via the e-service for employers.
If you receive a decision on your application after the 10th day of the month, the allowance will not be paid until the last banking day of the following month. The decision shows the first payment date of the allowance.
Report changes in your circumstances that are relevant to the flexible care allowance
Remember to report all changes in your circumstances in regard to the flexible care allowance to Kela so that the benefit can be paid correctly. Report the changes in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) or by calling Kela.
You can apply for social assistance if your income, assets and benefits are not enough to cover your necessary living expenses, such as food and housing.
