Rehabilitation allowance
The purpose of the rehabilitation allowance is to provide economic security during rehabilitation.
You can qualify for a rehabilitation allowance if you are between 16 and 67 and participate in rehabilitation. After completion of a waiting period, you can receive rehabilitation allowance payments for days in which you participate in a rehabilitation measure that lasts at least four hours (including travel time) or otherwise prevents you from working and earning a living. A partial rehabilitation allowance may be available if your daily working hours have been reduced by 40% or more on account of participation in rehabilitation.
You will usually be paid either a salary or a rehabilitation allowance during participation in rehabilitation. If you are paid a salary, Kela will pay your rehabilitation allowance to your employer. If the allowance is higher than your salary, you get the difference. If you are not employed or are not paid a salary, Kela will pay the rehabilitation allowance to you.
Types of rehabilitation
You can be paid a rehabilitation allowance during participation in rehabilitation services arranged by Kela, an occupational health provider or your wellbeing county.
Persons under 20 can also be paid a rehabilitation allowance for young persons during intensified rehabilitation.
You can also get the rehabilitation allowance while you attend adaptation training, a rehabilitation course or family rehabilitation where the client is a person who is close to you.
Kela can pay you the allowance for periods in which
- you are waiting for long-term rehabilitation to begin
- your rehabilitation is interrupted for a short period of time by illness or other reason
Coordination with other benefits
Rehabilitation allowance is not available if you receive
- an old-age pension
- a full compensation for loss of income paid under a motor insurance, compulsory workers’ compensation insurance, or military accidents or injuries scheme.
Other benefits may affect the amount of the rehabilitation allowance.
Read more
- Rehabilitation allowance during participation in Kela rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation allowance during other rehabilitation
- How to apply for rehabilitation allowance
- Amount and payment of rehabilitation allowances
- Maintenance allowance
- Rehabilitation assistance
- Act on rehabilitation allowance benefits (finlex.fi, in Finnish)
- Decree on rehabilitation allowance benefits (finlex.fi, in Finnish)