Unemployment benefits for self-employed persons
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When can self-employed persons get unemployment benefits from Kela?
- Register as a jobseeker with TE Services.
If your self-employment has ended, register as an unemployed jobseeker with TE Services (tyomarkkinatori.fi) immediately. - Unemployment benefit from an unemployment fund or Kela?
If you are a member of an unemployment fund, apply to your fund (tyj.fi) for earnings-related unemployment allowance. If you are not a member of an unemployment fund, apply to Kela for unemployment benefit. - What unemployment benefits are available from Kela?
The unemployment benefits paid by Kela are the basic unemployment allowance and the labour market subsidy.
If you meet the work requirement for self-employed persons, Kela can pay you basic unemployment allowance. If you do not meet the work requirement for self-employed persons, Kela can pay you labour market subsidy. - Keep your registration as a jobseeker valid
Complete an unemployment status report in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) every 4 weeks. Your unemployment benefit is paid on the basis of your report. Read the instructions.
If you start self-employment while unemployed
If you are unemployed and start self-employment, Kela can continue to pay you unemployment benefit for 4 months. The unemployment benefit will be adjusted to take into account the income you receive from self-employment over the same period.
After 4 months, TE Services will check whether your self-employment activity is full-time or part-time.
If TE Services consider you self-employed on a full-time basis, you cannot receive unemployment benefit at the same time.
If TE Services consider you self-employed on a part-time basis, you can receive adjusted unemployment benefit at the same time.
If necessary, we will contact you to ask for information about the incomes and expenses of your business. After that, Kela will use taxation data to adjust your income with the benefit.