Authority to act on behalf of another person in Kela-related matters
If you have Kela-related matters that you cannot or do not wish to manage independently, you can authorise someone do so on your behalf.
If you are
- under 15, your guardian will manage your affairs
- between 15 and 17, you can either manage your affairs independently or your guardian can do so for you
- 18 or older, you can authorise someone to manage your affairs
- 18 or older, but unable to handle your matters by yourself, the Digital and Population Data Services or a court of law can appoint a legal guardian for you.
It is possible to manage another person’s affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a customer service point. It is possible manage another person’s affairs online, but there are some limitations.
Acting on behalf of a minor
A guardian of a child under 15 can handle all of their child’s affairs, either by phone, by mail or by visiting a customer service point. If the guardian applies for benefits on behalf of their child, the application must be submitted by mail or handed in at a customer service point.
Guardians can manage some of their underage child’s affairs in the OmaKela e-service.
Children between 15 and 17 can manage their own affairs if they wish. If they have access to a strong authentication method, they can manage their own Kela-related affairs in the OmaKela e-service. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.
Acting on behalf of another adult with an authorisation
If you are 18 or older, you can authorise another person, or several persons, to manage your affairs. The person you authorise must be at least 18 years of age.
You can provide the authorisation
- in a power of attorney which the person you authorise can use to manage your affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a customer service point.
- by granting a so-called Suomi.fi mandate, which the person you authorise can use to manage your affairs in the OmaKela e-service.
Learn more about how to issue a power of attorney.
Learn more about acting on behalf of another person in the OmaKela e-service.
Continuing power of attorney
If you wish to authorise someone else for the event that you are unable to manage your own affairs, you can issue a continuing power of attorney. Learn more about this on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency website.
If the power of attorney covers financial affairs, it is accepted as a valid power of attorney by Kela when the person issuing it can no longer manage their affairs independently. In such a case, the power of attorney must first be validated by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. In order for the power of attorney to be valid at Kela, the Digital and Data Population Services Agency’s Register of Guardianship Affairs must show that the power of attorney has been validated at the Agency.
A continuing power of attorney is different from public guardianship. A guardian is appointed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or a court, while a trustee is usually a family member or someone close to the person issuing the power of attorney.
Guardian
The guardian is appointed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or the court. The guardian can be a private individual, for instance a family member or some other close relative. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency or a court can assign a public guardian to a person who is unable to manage their own affairs. Learn more about this on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency website
The guardian cannot act on behalf of the client in the OmaKela e-service. If the client has previously authorised another person to act on his or her behalf, this authorisation ends when a guardian is appointed for the client.
The guardian can use other service channels, such as telephone, visit to a customer service point or letter. Public guardians can also use services intended for partner organisations (in Finnish).
