Are you unable to work because of an illness, or has your work capacity decreased? Follow these six steps to move forward

If your work capacity decreases or you have to stop working because of a long-term illness or injury, prepare yourself ahead of time. The most important thing is to actively promote your work capacity. These six steps will help you move forward.

How to go forward with reduced work ability

1. Start using e-services
   
   Manage your affairs faster by using the e-services of Kela and authorised pension providers. Give Kela permission to send you messages and apply for Kela benefits online in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). You can check your personal pension information and fill in applications on the website of your authorised pension provider. If you do not know your authorised pension provider, find out at tyoelake.fi.
2. Find out if returning to work is possible, or look for more suitable duties together with your occupational health care provider and employer
   
   Even if your recovery is not yet complete, you should find out if returning to work or finding more suitable duties is possible. Discussions with your occupational health care provider and employer can help you find solutions.
   
   Even if you have incapacity for work, you can still check if you are entitled to part-time employment and partial sickness allowance. Do not hesitate to discuss these options with your occupational health care provider and employer.

3. Apply for vocational rehabilitation
   
   Vocational rehabilitation gives you the opportunity to return to work after your sick leave. Work try-out or job coaching can help you return to your current role at work or move to a new one. Vocational rehabilitation can also help you retrain for a new profession if your education and skills gained through work do not meet the requirements for employment. Bring up vocational rehabilitation as soon as coping with work starts to be challenging.
   
   You can apply for vocational rehabilitation from your authorised pension provider if you have earned at least 41,143.38 euros in the last 5 years and have also received earnings or taken care of your child during the 3 calendar years preceding the application.
   
   Otherwise, Kela can evaluate your eligibility for vocational rehabilitation.

4. Register as an unemployed jobseeker as soon as possible
   
   If your sickness allowance payment ends and you have no job, contact TE Services immediately and register as a jobseeker. You can receive unemployment benefits from your unemployment fund or from Kela. TE Services will help you find different support measures to help you return to work.

5. Apply for a partial rehabilitation subsidy or a partial disability pension
   
   If you cannot work full-time because of an illness, consider applying for a partial disability pension from your authorised pension provider. Temporary partial disability pension is called partial rehabilitation subsidy. In order to receive it, your work capacity must be reduced for at least a year. In connection with your application, your authorised pension provider will also investigate your possibilities for vocational rehabilitation.
   
   Please note that you can only apply for a partial rehabilitation subsidy or a partial disability pension from your authorised pension provider.

6. Apply for a rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension

   Sometimes, returning to work or becoming a jobseeker again after a sickness allowance period is not possible because of decreased work capacity or illness. In that case, you can apply for a disability pension. The disability pension is granted on a temporary basis if there are hopes for recovering the work capacity. Temporary disability pension is called rehabilitation subsidy.

   Apply for a disability pension as an earnings-related pension. If you have accrued only a small amount of earnings-related pension, apply for a pension not only as an earnings-related pension but also as a national pension. You can find the up-to-date income limit for receiving a national pension on Kela's website.

   Please note that incapacity for work is defined differently under the sickness allowance and disability pension schemes. When you apply for a sickness allowance, your work capacity is mainly evaluated in relation to your own job. However, when you apply for a disability pension, your remaining work capacity is also evaluated in relation to other suitable jobs and not only your own job. Therefore, you may not be granted a disability pension even if you have been entitled to sickness allowance on the basis of the same illness and your ability to function has not substantially changed.

   The easiest way to apply for a disability pension is to use the online service of your authorised pension provider or the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). In connection with your application, your authorised pension provider and Kela will also investigate your possibilities for vocational rehabilitation.

   If vocational rehabilitation or returning to work becomes relevant later, it will be possible even after several months or years on temporary rehabilitation subsidy.