Changes in Kela’s benefit payments and customer service opening hours during Easter

Because of Easter, unemployment status reports can be filed and unemployment benefits will be paid earlier than usual. Customers whose application and supporting documents arrive at Kela by 4 April 2025 at the latest will have their social assistance payment for April deposited into their bank account before Easter. On Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025, regular customer service will be available until 13.00, while service for customers in urgent need of social assistance will be available until 16.00.

Because of Easter, unemployment status reports can be filed and unemployment benefits will be paid earlier than usual. 

If the period covered by the unemployment status report ends on 15 or 16 April 2025, 

• the report can be submitted on 15 April 2025
• the customer’s unemployment benefits will be deposited into their bank account on 17 April 2025 at the earliest.

If the period covered by the unemployment status report ends on 17 April 2025,

• the report can be submitted on 16 April 2025 
• the customer’s unemployment benefits will be deposited into their bank account on 22 April 2025 at the earliest.

If the period covered by the unemployment status report ends on 18–21 April 2025,

• the report can be submitted on 17 April 2025 
• the customer’s unemployment benefits will be deposited into their bank account on 23 April 2025 at the earliest.

We recommend filing the unemployment status report in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) first thing in the morning, so that the report can be processed as soon as possible.

How Easter affects applying for social assistance

The last payment date for April’s social assistance payments before Easter is Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025. Customers who submit their application and all the required supporting documents to Kela by 4 April 2025 at the latest will have their social assistance payment deposited into their bank account by that date.

For customers in urgent need of social assistance, Kela will operate a helpline and maintain a presence at selected service points until 16.00 on Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025. Examples of urgent situations include situations where customers urgently need a voucher to buy food or medicine.

If a customer has an urgent need for social assistance outside Kela’s opening hours, the wellbeing services counties may provide preventive social assistance at their discretion. Customers whose situation becomes critical during the Easter holidays are advised to contact the emergency social services of their wellbeing services county.

Opening hours for customer service over Easter

On Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025, Kela’s phone service will be open 9.00–13.00, but the customer service number for social assistance, 020 634 2550, will take calls concerning urgent situations until 16.00. You can look up Kela’s customer service numbers online at kela.fi/call-kela.

You can confirm your identity in advance in OmaKela before you call one of our customer service numbers. If you do that, we can help you more quickly because the Kela specialist who answers your call can see your information immediately. However, you can call Kela without confirming your identity in advance. If you call us without confirming your identity in OmaKela, our specialist will verify your identity in some other way during the call.

Service points open on Thursdays will have different opening hours on Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025. The service points open on Thursdays will close at 13.00 at the latest, but some of them will provide service to customers in need of urgent social assistance until 16.00. The following service points will provide service to customers in need of urgent social assistance:

• Helsinki/Kamppi
• Hämeenlinna
• Joensuu
• Jyväskylä
• Kajaani
• Kokkola
• Kotka
• Kuopio
• Lahti
• Lappeenranta
• Oulu
• Pori
• Rovaniemi
• Seinäjoki
• Tampere
• Turku
• Vaasa

Check the service point addresses at kela.fi/visit-kela.

Kela’s service points and phone service will be closed on the following days:

• Good Friday, 18 April 2025
• Easter Saturday, 19 April 2025
• Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025
• Easter Monday, 21 April 2025.

Customers can use Kela’s online customer service, OmaKela, to apply for benefits, send supporting documents and notify Kela of changes at any time on every day of the year. In OmaKela, customers can also check the status of their application and the payment dates for their benefits. Customers log in with online banking codes, mobile ID or an electronic ID card.

Customers can also ask our chatbot for advice. The bot can be accessed through the Finnish or Swedish version of Kela’s website at all hours of the day. Our chatbot provides quick and easy access to assistance with all stages of the benefit application process in Finnish and Swedish. The chatbot also assists customers looking to apply for the daily allowances for parents or social assistance in OmaKela.

Easter opening hours for partner organisations

On Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025, Kela's services for for partner organisations will close at 13.00. However, Kela’s physician phone service will be closed on Holy Thursday. Service is available to partner organisations involved with social assistance from 9.00 to 12.00 on Holy Thursday and until 16.00 in urgent cases.

All service numbers for partner organisations will be closed on 18–21 April 2025.

Easter opening hours for employers

Kela will provide services for employers on Holy Thursday, 17 April 2025, as follows:

• Helpline for employers (Työnantajalinja): 9.00–13.00
• Questions concerning reimbursement for occupational healthcare costs: 9.00–12.00
• International situations: 10.00–13.00
• Technical support: 7.00–13.00
• All service numbers for employers will be closed on 18–21 April 2025.