The initial deductible on reimbursements for medicine costs will be increased to EUR 70 as of 1 January 2025. In 2024 it was EUR 50. The maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs will be increased to EUR 633.17 in 2025. In 2024 it was EUR 626.94 per calendar year.

Autumn 2025 will see a trial run with so-called Kela credit (in Finnish), for the payment of annual out-of-pocket medicine costs. The trial means that credit will be extended to low-income customers who reach the annual maximum limit with a single purchase.

The calculation formula for sickness and rehabilitation allowances will change on 1 January 2025. This change will reduce the sickness and rehabilitation allowances paid to persons with an annual income of more than EUR 28,241. The changed calculation formula will also reduce the amount of partial sickness allowance.

The minimum amounts of the sickness allowance and the rehabilitation allowance will be the same in 2025 as in 2023 and 2024: EUR 31.99 per day.

The Government is proposing changes to reimbursements from Kela. These Government proposals have yet to be approved by Parliament, and the review process will continue in spring 2025.

The pensions, disability benefits and front-veterans’ supplements paid by Kela will be increased by 1.0 per cent as of the beginning of 2025. In 2025, the full amount of the guarantee pension is EUR 986.30 per month.

Many recipients of housing allowance for pensioners will see a reduction in their allowance, as income and assets now have a greater effect on the allowance. The change will reduce the allowances of more than 200,000 recipients. On average, allowances will be reduced by about EUR 15.60 per month. For about 7,600 current recipients, the allowance will be discontinued altogether.

Persons who currently receive housing allowance for pensioners will be affected by the change gradually after it enters into effect on 1 January 2025. Their allowance will be adjusted the next time it is reviewed. Kela reviews the amount of housing allowance for pensioners 2 years after it was awarded or last reviewed.

The heating, water and maintenance costs taken into account in the housing allowance for pensioners will not be increased in 2025, and neither will the maximum housing costs.

Finnish national pensions will no longer be paid to other EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom as of 1 February 2025. This change will also have an impact on which country is responsible for the costs of a person’s medical treatment and on whether they can receive care allowance for pensioners. Further, the change may affect the amount of national pension received by customers who now live in Finland but have in the past lived or worked in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.

There will be cuts to the general housing allowance. These cuts will reduce the housing allowance for some and for some the allowance will be discontinued altogether.

Assets will once again be taken into account when granting general housing allowance. This means that the assets of the household, such as deposits, real estate, forests and shares in a housing company, will affect the amount of the general housing allowance. However, assets such as a summer cottage in the household’s own use, shares in an undivided estate or deposits in an ASP (home saver's bonus) account will not be taken into account when determining the allowance.

Kajaani, Kouvola, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Pori and Vaasa will be transferred from municipal category II to municipal category III. The amount of housing allowance will be reduced for almost all recipients in these cities.

These changes will enter into force on 1 January 2025, but they will not have an impact on the amount of the general housing allowance until the next time the housing allowance is reviewed in 2025. Customers who apply for general housing allowance starting 1 January 2025 or later will be immediately affected by the changes.

General housing allowance will no longer be available for owner-occupied homes as of 1 January 2025. The change does not apply to right-of-occupancy homes or part-ownership homes. General housing allowance will continue to be available for such homes.

Students will be transferred from the general housing allowance scheme to the student housing supplement scheme on 1 August 2025. Those who live with their child or their partner’s child will not be transferred to the student housing supplement scheme, but will instead be eligible for general housing allowance as before.

In 2025, the basic unemployment allowance and the labour market subsidy will be the same as in 2023 and 2024, that is to say EUR 37.21 per day (EUR 800 per month on average).

Unemployed benefits will no longer include a supplementary amount (EUR 5.29 per day) during participation in employment-promoting services. This change enters into effect on 1 January 2025 and it applies to labour market subsidy, basic unemployment allowance, earnings-related unemployment allowance and commuting and relocation allowance. Compensation for expenses (EUR 9 per day or EUR 18 per day) will still be paid out as normal for the duration of the employment-promoting services.

Persons who live with their parents may get less in labour market subsidy. Previously, the amount of labour market subsidy could be reduced by half if the parental income exceeded a certain income limit. In 2025, the amount of labour market subsidy can be reduced to 35 per cent of the full benefit. The full amount of the labour market subsidy is granted if the parents’ income does not exceed EUR 1,781 per month in total. Any compensation for informal or family caregivers that a parent receives will no longer reduce the labour market subsidy of the unemployed person living with their parents.

The basic amount of basic social assistance will be increased by 1 per cent as of 1 January 2025.

Social assistance will be available for extra food expenses caused by coeliac disease as of 1 March 2025. An additional EUR 25 per month can be accepted under the Kela social assistance scheme as food expenses caused by coeliac disease. The amount will apply to each family member with coeliac disease who is 16 or older. It is intended for low-income individuals.

Students will be transferred from the general housing allowance scheme to the student housing supplement scheme on 1 August 2025. The housing supplement is available to students who live in rental or right-of-occupancy housing. In the future, the housing supplement will be 80 percent of the rent or the residence charge. However, the maximum rate of the housing supplement will be EUR 216, EUR 248 or EUR 296 per month, depending on the municipality in which the student lives. This change will not apply to students who live with their child or their partner’s child. They will be eligible for general housing allowance as before.

Study grant rates will not be index adjusted. Instead, the rates will stay the same as in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the study grant paid to students in higher education who live alone is EUR 279.38.

School transport subsidy will only be available to students who are entitled to free education. The change will take effect on 1 August 2025.

The minimum age for several Kela benefits for young people will be raised. The minimum age for national pension, rehabilitation allowance, sickness allowance and guarantee pension will be raised from 16 to 18 years from the beginning of 2025. Going forward, disability pension and rehabilitation subsidy will be available only to persons aged 18 and over. The change will not affect young persons who already receive these benefits. Instead, it will affect persons born in or after 2009.

Vocational rehabilitation for young persons will increasingly be targeted at young persons who are not in school or work or who are otherwise at risk of social exclusion. However, rehabilitation can continue to be granted without a formal diagnosis of illness or disability. As a rule, participation in coaching services in connection with vocational rehabilitation for young persons (Nuotti coaching) will no longer make participants eligible for rehabilitation allowance.

There will be no increases to child benefits in 2025.

The minimum rates of daily allowances for parents and the rates of child care allowances and their income limits will not be index adjusted at the beginning of 2025. Instead, the rates of these allowances will remain the same as in 2023 and 2024.

The amounts of child maintenance allowance and child support will be increased in accordance with the Cost-of-Living Index as of 1 January 2025.