The decision on social assistance and how the benefit is paid
As soon as we have processed your application, you will receive a decision. The decision will be sent to your home address, and you can also read it in OmaKela. OmaKela is available in Finnish and Swedish. If you only want to receive the decision in OmaKela, you can opt out of paper mail.
The decision on social assistance includes information on the amount of the benefit, the criteria for granting it, and the payment date. You will receive a decision even if you have not been granted social assistance.
Kela has the right to disclose general information concerning social assistance that is required for statistical purposes to the National Institute for Health and Welfare.
Payment
Social assistance is usually paid into your account on the first business day of the month. We can also grant social assistance as a voucher.
We pay out social assistance on the first business day of the month. If you are granted social assistance but it is too late to pay it to you on the regular payment date, we will make the payment immediately after issuing the decision on social assistance. This means that the money will be in your bank account within two business days after the decision has been made.
We usually pay social assistance into your account or into the account of a person you have authorised. We can use some of your social assistance to pay your rent directly to your landlord if you request that we do so or if the rent has not been paid. If you want, we can also pay your electricity bills and home insurance payments on your behalf. Read more about sending bills to Kela.
If a court of law or guardianship authority has appointed a legal representative or trustee to look after your finances, we will pay your social assistance to your legal representative or trustee.
We can grant social assistance in the form of vouchers that you can use to pay for certain goods or services. Vouchers are not available for all kinds of expenses. They are available for things such as a rental security deposit or eyeglasses. We will send the voucher to you by post. The voucher includes information on the things you can buy with it.
When you are granted social assistance, you also get a pharmacy voucher. You can use this voucher to buy any prescription medicines you need. We send your voucher for medicines to the pharmacies in electronic form. Read more about vouchers that you can buy medicines with.
Social assistance is usually paid as a single instalment,
but it can be divided into two or four equal instalments, if you wish. The payment dates are the 1st, 9th, 16th and 23rd of the month. The first instalment is always paid on the first business day of the month. The other payment dates are brought forward if they coincide with a weekend or a holiday.
Payment in instalments must be agreed on in advance for at least one month at a time. The smallest sum that can be divided into instalments is 80 euros. You can ask for payment in instalments in one of the following ways:
- by sending a message in OmaKela
- by visiting a Kela customer service point
- by calling our customer service number 020 634 2550.
Recovery of social assistance
Social assistance can be recovered from the recipient either in part or in full, but only in certain circumstances.
Social assistance can be recovered from you either in part or in full if
- you have income or assets or are entitled to another benefit, but these are not available to you when the social assistance is granted
- Such assets include, for example, a share in an estate, or any real estate or shares in a housing corporation that you own but do not live in.
- you are liable for maintenance of someone who receives social assistance and you have deliberately neglected your maintenance obligation
- Persons liable for maintenance include the parents of children under 18 years of age, married spouses and persons in a registered partnership.
- you have deliberately acted in a way that prevents you from supporting yourself financially
- For example, you have taken unpaid leave from work.
- you have deliberately provided false information or neglected your obligation to provide information. For example, you have failed to provide information to Kela.
- We will recover the part of social assistance that has been granted based on incorrect information.
- you have taken part in a strike and that has caused you to need social assistance.
Kela must apply to the administrative court in your region for permission to recover social assistance. Before applying to the court for permission to recover social assistance from you, we will give you an opportunity to be heard in the matter.
If the administrative court grants Kela permission for recovery of your social assistance, we will contact you again.
If needed, social assistance can be granted to you as an advance against a benefit that you are expected to get. That means that the amount of social assistance will be offset against, that is to say deducted from, the other benefit you have been granted for the same period.
This kind of deduction can be made in the following situations, for example:
You have applied for another benefit but you have not yet inkomstreceived a decision on your application.
According to our information, you may be entitled to a benefit that you have not yet applied for.
The benefit or income you are expected to get can be one of the following, for example:
- an unemployment benefit
- general housing allowance
- a pension
- child support
- a grant
- any other income or compensation, paid continuously or in a single instalment.
Social assistance can also be offset against a benefit paid to you from abroad.
Example
Riitta applies for social assistance. At Kela, we notice that she is entitled to general housing allowance. Riitta decides to apply for housing allowance.
Riitta’s application for social assistance is processed at Kela. She is granted social assistance for one month. However, the decision states that the social assistance will be deducted from her housing allowance, if she is later granted housing allowance for the same period.
Does your decision contain an error?
If you think the social assistance decision you have received is incorrect, contact us and tell us what the error is. We can correct decisions if they contain obvious errors or if they are based on insufficient information. An example of an error is if a bill or other expense has not been taken into account in the decision.
- In OmaKela, go to Viestit (messages) and select Toimeentulotuki (social assistance) as Viestin aihe (the subject of your message).
- Explain in your message in what way you think the decision is wrong.
You can also report the error by phone (tel. 020 634 2550) or by visiting one of Kela’s service points.
We will usually process your request for correction within seven working days (Monday to Friday) of receiving it and all the necessary supporting documents.
We can correct the error and resolve the matter with a new decision. If you ask for a correction and there is no error in the decision, we will reject your request. You will receive a separate decision about this. With the decision notice, you will also receive instructions on how to appeal. Read more about making a rectification request if you are not satisfied with the decision on social assistance.