The amount of the partial care allowance is
EUR 108.15 per month
Partial care allowance
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You can get partial care allowance if you work 30 hours a week or less while caring for your child. Partial care allowance is paid to parents of children who are in the first or second year of school.
Can I get partial care allowance?
You can get partial care allowance if
- you are the child’s parent or other guardian
- you are employed in the private or public sector or are self-employed and insured under the self-employed persons’ (YEL) or farmers’ (MYEL) pension scheme
- you work 30 hours per week or less while taking care of your child
- your child is in the 1st or 2nd year of school.
All the hours you work as an employee or self-employed person count as your working hours.
Partial care allowance can also be claimed by a non-custodial parent who looks after their child.
Partial child care leave is granted by the employer. You must therefore enter into an agreement on this with your employer before you can take the leave. You must notify your employer at least 2 months before you plan to take the leave.
You can get partial care allowance for only one child at a time. This also applies to parents of multiple-birth families. However, the parents can apply for partial care allowance for two children as long as they apply for two different children.
You can get partial care allowance for a child at the same time as the child's other parent, if you look after the child at different times. Parents can look after their child on separate days, or one parent can look after the child in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Partial care allowance can be paid at the same time as for example a private day care allowance paid for other children in the family.
You cannot get partial care allowance in the following situations:
- You receive pregnancy, parental or paternity allowance for the same period of time.
- You receive child home care allowance and care for your child yourself.
- You receive flexible care allowance. However, the other parent can receive flexible care allowance for another child.
- You fall ill and are on sick leave for at least 4 weeks. The entitlement to partial care allowance ends if you become unfit for work.
- You receive partial sickness allowance.
- You have registered as an unemployed jobseeker.
- You are on job alternation leave.
How much partial care allowance can I get?
You must pay tax on the partial care allowance.
For what time can I get partial care allowance?
Care allowance can be paid starting from 1 August in the year when the child starts school. You can receive partial care allowance until the child's second year of school ends (31 July). If the child is enrolled in extended compulsory education, the entitlement to care allowance begins already in preschool and ends when the child finishes the third year of primary education.
Partial care allowance is not paid for a shorter period than one month. The allowance period does not have to start from the beginning of the month.
How to apply for partial care allowance
Use the OmaKela e-service to apply for partial care allowance.
If the child's other parent also applies for partial care allowance, the parents must file separate applications.Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. From the application you can check which documents you should enclose with the application.
Visit the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefits will be paid. You can also see possible reminders concerning, for instance, any documents that may be missing from your application. The decision will be mailed to your home address if you have not given up paper mail.
If you cannot use the OmaKela e-service to file the application, complete and print out the claim for partial care allowance WH 9e (pdf). Send the claim and any supporting documents by mail. The address is Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Remember the following when applying for partial care allowance
You can apply for partial care allowance as soon as you have an agreement with your employer about taking a partial care leave. Partial care allowance is available retroactively for six months from the date of the application.
You must provide with your application a certificate from your employer showing your weekly hours of work, the reason for the shorter hours and the employer's contact details. You can use the OmaKela e-service to send the certificate.
If you use a paper application form, your employer can provide the necessary information on the last page of the form.
Your employer can also send the certificate to Kela via the e-service for employers.
When is partial care allowance paid?
If you receive a decision on your application after the 10th day of the month, the allowance will not be paid until the last banking day of the following month. The decision shows the first payment date of the allowance.
Report changes in your circumstances that are relevant to the partial care allowance
Remember to report all changes in your circumstances in regard to the partial care allowance to Kela so that the benefit can be paid correctly. Report the changes in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) or by calling Kela.
Tell Kela if
- your working hours change
- your contract of employment ends
- your insurance under the YEL or MYEL Act ends
- you move abroad
- you move to another municipality.
What else is going on in your life?
Does your child need more care than usual?
The child can be awarded disability allowance, if the child needs regular treatment and rehabilitation due to illness or disability.
Does your child have a severe illness or disability, because of which you cannot work?
If you have to stay off work due to the child’s severe illness or disability, you can apply for special care allowance to compensate for the loss of earnings.
Do you need help with your housing costs?
Housing allowance can compensate for reduced incomes and help with the housing costs. Read about the types of costs for which you can get housing allowance.
When money is tight
You can apply for social assistance if your income, assets and benefits are not enough to cover your necessary living expenses, such as food and housing.