Amount and payment of infectious disease allowance

The infectious disease allowance is a full compensation for the loss of income incurred. It is granted for as long as the decision issued by the doctor in charge of infectious disease control is valid.

Wage or salary earners

If you are a wage-earner, the allowance is determined on the basis of the wage or salary that you would have received if you had not been ordered to stay away from work. The wage or salary does not include for instance tax-exempt per diems allowances and kilometre allowances.

Also required is information from your employer showing the loss of income you will incur. If the exact amount is not known, an estimate is sufficient. The employer can report the information either via the e-service for employers or on the Y 17 form.

Self-employed persons

If you are a self-employed person, the allowance is determined on the basis of the annual earnings under the Self-Employed Persons’ (YEL) or Farmers’ (MYEL) Pensions Acts at the beginning of the absence. The authorised pension providers inform Kela directly of the annual earnings.

Payment

The infectious disease allowance is paid by payment period retrospectively. The first payment period covers 6 working days and the following payment periods 25 working days. The last payment of infectious disease allowance is paid when the entitlement to the benefit ends.

Visit Kela's e-service OmaKela to check the next payment date for the infectious disease allowance. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.

The infectious disease allowance is paid to the employer insofar as the employer has paid a wage or salary for the time of absence from work.

The infectious disease allowance is taxed in the same way as the regular sickness allowance.

Waiting period

There is no waiting period that must be completed before qualifying for the infectious disease allowance.