Does your child’s chronic illness cause challenges in your daily lives?

If your child has a chronic illness or a disability, such as a severe allergy, a heart condition or behavioural issues, your child may have the right to disability allowance. However, securing a diagnosis is only the first step.

Five facts about the disability allowance available for persons under the age of 16

1. You cannot get disability allowance based on a diagnosis alone. In order for your ill or disabled child to qualify for disability allowance, caring for them must put more strain on you and be more demanding than caring for a child of the same age who does not have a disability or illness. Your child must also require this kind of care for a period of at least 6 months.
2. The right to disability allowance is always assessed on a case-by-case basis. This means that you should describe your daily life in your application in as much detail and as accurately as possible. The most important thing is to describe how your daily life with your child is harder than it would be with a child with no illness or disability:

   • What kind of additional help or supervision does your child need compared to other children of the same age when doing things like eating, putting clothes on, moving around or playing with other children?
   • Does your child undergo rehabilitation regularly? What kind of help does your child get when doing rehabilitation exercises at home? How often is this help given?
   • What kind of special arrangements or support measures are in place to assist your child at home, school or daycare? For example, does your child have a personal assistant?
3. Disability allowance for persons under 16 years of age is usually granted for a fixed period of time. While many illnesses and disabilities can last a lifetime, your child is still growing and developing. As your child develops, the amount and level of care they need and the strain this puts on you may change as well. These factors are used to determine whether your child has the right to disability allowance. Depending on the situation, your child’s need for support may increase or decrease as they grow older, develop and undergo treatment and rehabilitation.
4. You must always enclose up-to-date medical information with your application. This can be a medical statement or, for example, a copy of your child’s medical record if it contains the information needed to process your application. You can get it from your healthcare provider. In addition to providing a medical statement, you should describe your family’s circumstances in your own words in your application. Kela uses this information to determine if your child has the right to disability allowance and at what rate the allowance should be paid.
5. Disability allowance for persons under 16 years of age is a monetary benefit that can be used in any way that benefits the child. Your family’s income and assets do not affect your child’s right to disability allowance. The disability allowance is exempt from tax.

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• Book a phone appointment if you need help with filling out the application or if you have many questions to ask.
• Applications for disability allowance can be submitted on the child’s behalf by either guardian. How to apply for disability allowance for persons under 16 years of age.