Changes to Kela benefits in 2026

The pensions, disability allowances, social assistance and conscript’s allowance paid by Kela will be increased by 0.5% from January 2026 as an index adjustment measure. Due to the freeze in the National Pensions Index, there will be no increases to other benefits. The index freeze will continue until 2027.

Changes to social assistance: new requirements and stricter criteria as of February

An amendment to the Act on Social Assistance will enter into force on 1 February 2026, imposing stricter requirements and criteria for receiving the benefit. The reform will require customers to apply for benefits that are primary in relation to social assistance and to look for full-time work. Customers who fail to comply risk having their basic amount reduced. In connection with the reform, the earned-income deduction (also known as the exempt amount) of EUR 150 will be abolished from social assistance. The change will also have an impact on other things, for example the way social assistance is paid toward rent.

Social assistance will be raised by 0.5% in line with the National Pensions Index as of 1 January 2026. This means that the basic amount of social assistance for persons living alone will be increased by EUR 2.77 to EUR 596.32 per month. However, the basic amount for those aged 18 or over will be cut by 2–3% as a consequence of the legislative amendment that enters into force on 1 February 2026. For a person living alone, for instance, this means that the basic amount will be reduced by EUR 17.89 to EUR 578.43 per month. The cuts to the basic amount will be implemented from 1 March 2026 onward.

Read more about the changes in social assistance.

Stricter mandatory waiting periods as of 1 March 2026.

fter a new legislative amendment enters into force in March, employment services will start imposing a 7-day mandatory waiting period (karenssi) on unemployed persons for a first infraction such as not applying for work or not participating in employment services.

A second infraction will result in a 6-week obligation to work. An obligation to work means that you can get unemployment benefits only after you have fulfilled your obligation to work by either working or participating in employment-promoting services for at least 6 weeks.

The number of infractions will continue to be assessed on an annual basis, starting from the first infraction. The change in mandatory waiting periods will enter into force on 1 March 2026.

The basic unemployment allowance and the labour market subsidy will not increase in 2026. The amount of both benefits will remain the same as in 2025: EUR 37.21 per day.

New general social security benefit for unemployed persons as of 1 May 2026

A new general social security benefit will be introduced on 1 May 2026. It will replace Kela’s existing unemployment benefits, in other words labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance.

The general social security benefit is a new form of financial assistance that will be introduced to the Finnish social security system. The new benefit is intended for unemployed persons who do not qualify for earnings-related unemployment allowance or who have used up the full amount of their earnings-related unemployment allowance. You can apply for the general social security benefit from Kela.

The basic amount of the general social security benefit is EUR 37.21 per day (about EUR 800 per month) in 2026. It corresponds to the existing labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance.

If you have earned income (wages or salary), the general social security benefit will be adjusted to take your earned income into account. This is also currently the case with unemployment benefits.

The general social security benefit is a means-tested benefit. This means that if you have other income that is not wages or salary, that income can reduce the amount of benefit you can get.

In addition to capital income, other types of income that can reduce the amount you can get include

• informal care allowance
• partial early old-age pension
• compensations for family caregivers
• copyright royalties.

If you get more than EUR 311 per month in capital income or other income that is not salary or wages, half of this amount will be deducted from your general social security benefit.

If you live with your parents while Kela pays you the general social security benefit, their income can affect how much you can get similarly to how parental income currently affects labour market subsidy.

The amount you can get is not affected by your savings or assets, such as a car, house or apartment, or money in your bank account. The income of your partner or roommate also does not affect how much you can get.

If you get labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance when Kela starts paying the general social security benefit, Kela will automatically transfer you under the general social security benefit.

The Act on the General Social Security Benefit will enter into force on 1 May 2026. Kela publishes updates on the general social security benefit on its Unemployment page and provides instructions on how to apply for it in the OmaKela e-service.
Read more about the general social security benefit.

Changes to family benefits

Child benefit will remain unchanged. The minimum amounts of the pregnancy, paternity and parental allowances and the special care allowance will be the same in 2026 as in 2023–2025: EUR 31.99 per day. The rates of the child care allowance will also remain the same on account of an indexation freeze.

A change in the cost-of-living index will lead to a decrease of about 0.21% in the amounts of child maintenance allowance and child support. As of 1 January 2026, the full child maintenance allowance will be EUR 197.71 per month per child (previously EUR 198.13 per month).

The income limits to qualify for an exemption on child support debt will be adjusted. Persons liable for maintenance of a child will then qualify for the exemption if their monthly income does not exceed EUR 1,336.00. The income limit goes up by EUR 334.01 per month for each additional child under the age of 18. Previously, the amounts were EUR 1,338.86 per month and EUR 334.72 per month, respectively.

Find out more about the changes to child maintenance allowance and child support.

If child maintenance allowance has been applied for or paid for a child on the grounds that the parent liable for maintenance has a reduced ability to provide it, Kela will be obliged to notify the wellbeing services county if the liable parent’s economic situation improves and there could be grounds for reassessing their ability to provide maintenance. The assessment of the economic situation is made on the basis of income and tax data.

Kela’s obligation to notify the wellbeing services county also applies to situations where the liable parent’s economic situation has deteriorated and the parent has repeatedly been granted exemption from payment of child support debt.

Read more about Kela’s obligation to report changes

The Government proposes to increase the maternity grant from the present EUR 170 to EUR 210. The increased maternity grant will be available to customers whose estimated due date or the date when their adopted child is placed in their care is 1 April 2026 or later.

Read more about the changes to the maternity grant

The list of risk factors that are grounds for granting special pregnancy allowance will be supplemented. In addition, it becomes possible to grant partial special pregnancy allowance. The changes will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

Read more about the changes to special pregnancy allowance.

Changes to benefits for students

Study grants will not be index adjusted. This means that their rates will remain the same. There are also no changes planned in 2026 to the student housing supplement or the student loan.

An increase has been proposed to the meal subsidy for higher education students in the state budget. An increase was also proposed for the maximum prices for meals. Kela will report any changes in the prices of student meals in early 2026 at the latest.

The due dates for payment of the healthcare fee for higher education students will be 15 March and 15 November. The fee will be slightly lower in 2026, at a total of EUR 70.70, or EUR 35.35 for each term. The late fee will remain unchanged at EUR 5.00.

No changes to housing allowances

There will be no index adjustments to the criteria for determining the general housing allowance and the housing allowance for pensioners in 2026. This means that the criteria for determining these allowances will remain the same as in 2025.

The amounts of the heating, water and maintenance costs or maximum housing costs taken into account in the housing allowance for pensioners will not be changed either in 2026.

Similarly, no changes will be made to the heating and water costs or maximum housing costs taken into account in the general housing allowance.

Small increases in pensions

In 2026, the full amount of the national pension for recipients living alone will be EUR 787.07 per month (previously EUR 783.41 per month). The corresponding amount for those living with a partner will be EUR 702.69 per month (previously EUR 699.42 per month).

The full amount of the guarantee pension will be EUR 990.90 per month (previously EUR 986.30 per month).

The other pensions will also be index adjusted upwards by 0.5%. In 2026, the initial pension for surviving spouses will be EUR 388.92 per month, and the basic amount of the continuing pension EUR 121.82 per month. The basic amount of the orphans' pension will be EUR 71.56 per month. The increase available to pensioners with a dependent child under 16 years of age will be EUR 26.30 per month.

Recipients of a disability pension or a guarantee pension will be able to earn a maximum of EUR 990.90 per month in 2026 without any effect on the continued payment of their disability pension or guarantee pension.

Small increases in disability benefits

Disability allowances will be raised by 0.5% as of 1 January 2026:

Disability allowance for persons under 16 years and disability allowance for persons aged 16 years or over

• basic rate: EUR 110.49 per month (previously EUR 109.97 per month)
• middle rate: EUR 257.82 per month (previously EUR 256.62 per month)
• highest rate: EUR 499.93 per month (previously EUR 497.60 per month)

Care allowance for pensioners

• basic rate: EUR 84.56 per month (previously EUR 84.17 per month)
• middle rate: EUR 184.22 per month (previously EUR 183.36 per month)
• highest rate: EUR 389.54 per month (previously EUR 387.73 per month)
• disability supplement for war veterans: EUR 127.63 per month (previously EUR 127.04 per month)

Changes to reimbursements for medicine expenses

The initial deductible and the maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs will be increased by 0.5% in line with the National Pensions Index as of 1 January 2026. In 2026, the initial deductible on prescription medicines will be EUR 70.33, while the maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs will be EUR 636.12.

The maximum annual limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs is the annual upper limit for the medicine costs that customers pay themselves when buying reimbursable medicines. Once they reach this limit, they are entitled to additional reimbursement. After reaching the maximum limit, customers only pay a copayment of EUR 2.50 per purchase for each reimbursable product. The purpose of the additional reimbursement is to keep the medicine expenses reasonable.

Low-income customers now have a new option: credit for medicine costs from Kela. This allows customers to pay the annual maximum limit on out-of-pocket medicine costs in instalments.

Read more about credit for medicine costs.

Lower reimbursements from Kela for private healthcare appointments

 As of 1 January 2026, Kela will pay a reimbursement of EUR 8 for an appointment with a doctor in the private sector instead of the present reimbursement of EUR 30. Reimbursement for remote appointments (by video, telephone or chat) will also be EUR 8.

The reimbursements for appointments with gynaecologists and psychiatrists in the private sector will remain unchanged.

Read more about the planned changes to Kela reimbursements.

Higher prices for doctor’s appointments in the pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare for people aged 65 or over

Customers who are 65 or older can still see a private general practitioner at the price of the local user fee charged by public healthcare providers. However, the maximum amount of the client fee in public primary healthcare services will increase from EUR 28.20 to EUR 30.20 as of January 2026. The client fees are issued by Government Decree.

Each customer is entitled to three appointments a year within the pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare for persons aged 65 or over. 

Read more about the freedom of choice pilot.

New rehabilitation services

Customers can apply for rehabilitation for persons with coeliac disease from the beginning of 2026.  This form of rehabilitation is for adults who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease (either gastrointestinal or dermatitis herpetiformis) and who are finding it difficult to maintain a gluten-free diet, manage symptoms, or integrate their diet with the treatment for some other medical condition.

Read more about rehabilitation for persons with coeliac disease (in Finnish).

In spring 2026, a rehabilitation course will begin for working-age people with dementia. This rehabilitation is for people under 68 years of age who have been diagnosed with a condition such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia or frontotemporal dementia.

Read more about rehabilitation for people with dementia (in Finnish).

During 2026, a new rehabilitation course will begin for children with rare diseases and their families.

Read more about rehabilitation for children with rare diseases (in Finnish).

Specifications made to the criteria for granting special care allowance

As of 1 January 2026, the criteria for granting special care allowance will be specified so that, going forward, the most crucial criterion is the level of care instead of the place of care. Kela can pay special care allowance to parents who participate in specialist-level treatment or rehabilitation that is given to their child due to the child’s illness, medical condition or disability. Specialist-level treatment can also be provided outside hospitals or hospital outpatient clinics.

Amount of donor allowance to change

After legislative amendments enter into force, donor allowance will compensate the donor for their actual loss of income due to cell, tissue or organ donation and any necessary associated tests or examinations. At present, donor allowance is calculated on the basis of annual income in the same way as sickness allowance. The change will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

No change to earnings threshold for social security coverage for persons employed in Finland

Workers arriving in Finland from another country may be eligible for social security benefits from Kela. They are eligible if they earn at least EUR 800.02 per month. This earnings threshold is unchanged from 2023–2025. The earnings threshold corresponds to the amount of the basic unemployment allowance per month. Benefits are available for months in which the threshold is exceeded. 

 Additional information for customers

• Changes to social security benefits in 2026

• Benefit rates and income limits in 2026.
• Rates of several Kela benefits will be frozen at their 2023 level for the next few years