Applications related to housing allowance for pensioners currently taking longer to process than usual

The processing of applications related to the housing allowance for pensioners is currently backlogged, so customers may have to wait longer than usual for a decision. Longer wait times are partly caused by Kela recently receiving more applications for the periodic review of the housing allowance for pensioners than usual. Customers must apply for a periodic review of their housing allowance for pensioners when two years have passed from the date on which the customer was granted the housing allowance or it was last reviewed.

Housing allowance payments will continue as usual during the processing of applications

Customers who have applied for a review of their housing allowance for pensioners do not need to worry even if they have to wait longer for a decision. Customers who submitted their application on time will be paid their housing allowance as usual.

“Kela will continue to pay the housing allowance for pensioners until the customer’s application has been processed and a new decision has been issued as long as the customer submitted their application for a periodic review on time,” says Esa Rahja, Head of the Centre for Pensions at Kela.

Customers can visit the OmaKela e-service to check the status of their application

Kela’s customer service is currently receiving a large volume of enquiries about customers’ applications. Our customer service specialists do not, however, have access to information on how long it will take to review an individual customer’s application or when they can expect a decision.

Customers can access the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) to check the status of their application, including the following information:

• when Kela received the application
• whether the application has already been processed
• the amount of housing allowance granted
• what the next payment date is.

Customers can use the calculator for housing allowance for pensioners (in Finnish) available on Kela’s website to see if they could be granted the housing allowance and how much they could get. Kela’s website also contains information on the average processing times for applications.

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Housing allowance for pensioners