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Amount and payment of sickness allowance

The sickness allowance is determined on the basis of an annual income. You can estimate the amount of sickness allowances by using the calculator (in Finnish).

The annual income is calculated for a reference period of 12 calendar months prior to the calendar month that precedes the start of your work disability.

There is a gap of 1 month between the reference period and the start of the allowance period, and the income during this time is not taken into account.

The following are taken into account in the annual income:

  • wages and salaries
  • salary for insurance purposes
  • income under the self-employed persons' (YEL) and farmers' (MYEL) pension insurance schemes
  • certain benefits
  • certain compensations for loss of income

The annual income can consist of one or several of the aforementioned types of income. Kela usually receives the necessary information from the national incomes register and the insurance providers, so this information need not be reported to Kela separately.

If you have no income during the reference period or the income is very small, the amount of the allowance equals at least the minimum amount.

Sickness allowance at the minimum rate

If your sickness allowance would be less than the minimum rate of €31.99, you are paid the allowance at the minimum rate.

Any other statutory social security benefits and pensions paid for the same period of time may reduce the amount of the sickness allowance. As a result, the sickness allowance may be lower than the minimum rate or may not be payable at all.

Payment

Sickness allowance is available after completing a specified waiting period. The waiting period usually consists of the first day of illness and the following nine working days.

Sickness allowance is paid on weekdays. Weekdays include days from Monday to Saturday. Public holidays are not counted as weekdays.

Payment date

The sickness allowance is paid to you in arrears once every payment period. The first instalment is paid after 6 working days and the second 25 days after that. Visit Kela’s online service to find out the next payment date of the sickness allowance.

Kela sends the data on allowances paid out to the national incomes register within five days of the date of payment.

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Last modified 12/12/2023