How are Kela benefits affected by a birth or death in the family?
The birth of a child and the death of a parent or child can affect Kela benefits. Notify such changes to Kela and, if appropriate, submit a new application or an application for the review of your benefit.
No need to apply for a Kela card.
A Kela card will be mailed to your child automatically once he or she has been given a name and has been assigned a personal identity code. Kela gets the necessary information directly from the Population Information System, The card is ready to be mailed within five days of when the necessary details arrive at Kela.
Welcoming a new child
The birth of a child and the benefits paid after childbirth can affect whatever other benefits the parents may receive. You can use an online calculator (only in Finnish and Swedish) to estimate how much the benefits will change.
If you have a child living with you, you cannot get housing allowance for pensioners. After the child is born, you can apply for general housing allowance.
A child increase can in certain situations supplement the national pension. The child increase is paid from the beginning of the month following childbirth. Apply for a child increase on form Child inrease for pensioners EV 264e (PDF).
If you receive a study grant along with daily allowance for parents, you will get daily allowance for parents at the minimum rate. Taxable benefits, including daily allowances for parents and child care allowances, count as income when your income is checked for financial aid purposes.
If you are the guardian of a child under 18 years of age, you may receive a provider supplement to your study grant. How many children you have or whom they live with does not affect the provider supplement. It is not possible to apply for the provider supplement. Kela will grant it automatically when the information has been registered in the Population Information System.
You cannot be paid sickness allowance at the same time as daily allowances for parents.
Your conscript’s allowance must be reviewed if a child is born to you. Apply for a review on form Sotilasavustus SA 1 (PDF, in Finnish).
You cannot get unemployment benefits at the same time as pregnancy allowance, special pregnancy allowance or parental allowance.
The amount of the general housing allowance is affected by family size. If a child is born in your family, apply for a review of the general housing allowance in the OmaKela e-service or use the General housing allowance AT 1e form (PDF). Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.
The amount of social assistance is affected by family size. If you a child is born in your family, apply for a review of social assistance in the OmaKela e-service or use the Social assistance TO 1e form (PDF). Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.