Home and Family Families with Children: Benefits and Housing Allowances

Home and Family Families with children: Benefits and housing allowances

In Easy English Contents

Home and Family 1 Support for families with children 2 Who can get support given to families with children? 2 Before the child is born 3 After the child is born 4 Support for adoptive parents 6 Kela Card 6 Child benefit 6 Child care support 7 When a child gets ill 9 Maintenance allowance 9 Application and payment 10 Housing support 11 Who can get a general housing allowance? 11 How much general housing allowance can you get? 12 Calculating your housing benefit 14 Application and payment 15 Kela is at your service 16 Report all changes 16 Appealing (protesting) a Kela decision 16 Contact information 17 Home and Family

This brochure tells you This brochure tells you what financial benefits Kela gives the main points about Kela’s support to families with children and for families with children for housing. and for housing in 2013. Benefits for families with children Not all the small details belong to all such families. about support are here.

The housing benefit is affected by More information about services the amount of income and property you have. Only those who have Other benefits connected with home small incomes get it. and family are, for example: • compensation connected with Kela grants assistance only on the getting ill basis of applications, so all benefits • student support must be applied for from Kela. • benefits received by those doing You can apply for benefits their military service via the Internet or • unemployment benefits. by filling in application forms. These are presented in their own www.kela.fi/asiointi brochures.

The criteria for Kela support You can get information have been set in law. about important services When Kela decides about granting for families with children – such as some type of support, daycare, school and rental housing the life situation of each applicant – from the municipal government is handled individually. office in your own locality, or from its website. The life situation and need for support of the applicant can be You can get information about very different from person to person. public health care services For this reason, the amount from child health clinics and of support can also be different. health centres.

1 Support for families with children

Kela supports the everyday life Who can get support given to of families with children families with children? in many ways, starting from expecting a baby. You can get support from Kela With the help of Kela, given to families with children parents can be with their children when you belong to the Finnish social during the important first months. security system and Later, Kela supports the care live in Finland permanent. of the child and costs caused by having a child. Others also who work in Finland can sometimes get assistance. Kela’s benefits to families with If you have lived in another country children are or are moving to another country, • maternity allowance check your social security status • parental daily allowances from Kela. • child benefit • child care support Moving to or away from Finland • assistance for ill and disabled can affect the benefits paid by Kela. children • maintenance allowance. Before the child is born Parental daily allowances cover these kinds of support: Pregnancy certificate • maternity allowance When you think • special maternity allowance you may be pregnant, • paternity allowance contact your locality’s • parental allowance. maternity clinic. Maternity clinic services are free – they don’t cost anything.

Special maternity allowance

Maternity allowance Parental allowance Paternity allowance 30 weekdays before Pregnancy confirmed50 weekdays before Calculated time / birth 1 month 2 months 3 months 4 months 5 months calculated time of birthcalculated time of birth

2 You can get good advice Maternity allowance from the child health clinic Mothers normally go on for your pregnancy period and birth. maternity leave 30 days before the calculated time of birth. Along with this, the health of the In this case, mothers receive mother and fetus are monitored. a maternity allowance. You must have a medical examination It is paid for a total of 105 weekdays once before the fourth month – about 4 months. of pregnancy has ended. Apply for a maternity allowance no You get a pregnancy certificate later than 2 months before the birth. from a doctor or child health clinic. You need it when you apply for If required, a mother can already go a maternity grant and on maternity leave 50–31 days before maternity allowance from Kela. the calculated time of birth. In this case, mothers receive a Maternity grant maternity allowance earlier. When a pregnancy has lasted for 5 months, you have the right Remember to inform your employer to a maternity grant. about your maternity leave no later A maternity grant is, as you prefer, than 2 months before it starts. a maternity package or a tax-free sum of money totalling 140 euros. The maternity package contains Special maternity allowance baby clothes as well as care products If you come in contact in your work and materials. with radiation, chemical agents or infectious disease, you can stay away from work as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed. You get a special maternity allowance during this time.

paternity allowance Parental allowance Extension for twins

4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months 10 months 11 months 12 months 15 months

3 After the child is born If you haven’t had any of this leave yet, you can have all 54 weekdays free. After a child is born, the mother and father are normally You can have paternity leave only at home with the child for some time. before the child is two years old. Kela pays a parental daily allowance during this period, which safeguards Apply for paternity allowance no later the family’s income. than 2 months from the date the child is 2 years old. Maternity allowance After the child is born, the mother’s maternity leave Inform your employer about your continues for about 3 months. paternity leave no later than A maternity allowance is paid 2 months before your leave starts. to mothers during this time. If your leave is at maximum Paternity leave and paternity 12 weekdays, tell your employer allowance no later than one month before. A father can have at maximum 54 free days – in other words, about This 9-week paternity leave is a new 9 weeks. Of this time, you can spend thing, and it only concerns families. 1–18 weekdays or 3 weeks at home The new paternity leave is for families with the mother during the same where the maternity allowance or period. parental benefit started after 1 January 2013. You can have the rest of the leave after the maternity allowance or If the maternity allowance or parental benefit has ended. If you parental benefit started in 2012, have already had 18 weekdays free, paternity leave is given in accordance you can still have 36 weekdays free. with the old law.

During the paternity leave period, More information: you get a paternity allowance from telephone 020 692 226 Kela. You get this money if you live Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-6 p.m. with the child’s mother.

You can have this period all at one time or have it in parts.

4 Parental allowance parental allowance are given Either the mother or father can take the collective name parental leave. The mother or father parental daily allowance. can also have this free time in turns. Parental leave lasts 158 weekdays – They are calculated the same way. about half a year. The amount of daily allowance is normally specified according Kela pays parental allowance to the applicant’s working income. for the parental leave to the parent Daily allowance is always smaller who is at home caring for the child. than one’s salary – normally about 70% of one’s income. When the parental allowance ends, Daily allowance is paid on the basis the child is about 9 months old. If the of weekdays, which also includes family has twins, Kela pays 60 more Saturday. weekdays of parental allowance. If you get a salary The requirement for parental during your parental leave, allowance is the mother’s medical Kela pays the daily allowance examination within 5–12 weeks to your employer. of the birth. Daily allowance is also affected by whether or not you have studied Apply for parental allowance one or been ill or without a job. month before you start the leave. The smallest daily allowance is The mother and father can also about 600 euros per month. work part-time and look after A student, for example, the child for half a day in turns. gets this lowest amount.

For this period, Kela pays Parental daily allowance is partial parental allowance taxable income. to both parents. Tax is withheld in keeping with your tax deduction card. How much parental daily allowance Pension and annual holiday adds up can be received? for the worker when on maternity, Maternity allowance, paternity or parental leave. special maternity allowance, paternity allowance and

5 Support for adoptive parents Kela Card

Kela supports the parents When the child is born in Finland, of an adopted child the same way information about this goes directly as with biological parents. from the hospital to the population register and from there to Kela. Adoptive parents cannot get The child gets a personal identity maternity allowance, but they get code and, after getting his/her name, a longer parental allowance period. a Kela Card (a health insurance card). Parental allowance is paid The card is mailed home. from the day that you receive the adoptive child for your care.

The father of an adoptive child can have paternity leave on the same terms as other fathers.

If you adopt a child from another country, you can apply for assistance from Kela to help cover the costs caused by the adoption. Child benefit

Kela pays child benefit for each child till the end of the month when the child is 17 years old.

Child benefit is paid as follows (on 1 March 2013): • For the first child 104.19 euros / month • For the second child 115.13 euros / month • For the third child 146.91 euros / month • For the fourth child 168.27 euros / month • For the fifth and each of the next children 189.63 euros / month.

6 A single parent gets an increase which is 48.55 euros per child per month. Inform your employer of your child-care leave no later Child benefit is tax-free income. than 2 months before it starts. Child benefit is normally paid to the mother or father or other guardian. Home care assistance You can apply for a child benefit If a father or mother takes care at the same time you apply for of a child under 3 years old at home, a maternity allowance. the parent can apply for home care assistance. The caregiver can also be someone else, such as grandparents or Child care support a private daycare service producer. Home care assistance When parental leave has ended, the cannot be received if the child is parents decide about child care. in municipal (local) daycare. You can • look after the child at home and Home care support includes get home care assistance a care allowance and • arrange private daycare for the possible care supplement. child and get home care assistance Care allowance is (in 2013): or private child care assistance • for one child under 3 years old • place the child in municipal 336.67 euros / month (local) daycare. In this case, you • for other brothers or sisters do not receive child care assistance under 3 years old, from Kela. each 100.79 euros / month • for brothers or sisters that are Child-care leave over 3 years old but not yet school After the parental allowance period, age 64.77 euros / month. a father or mother can stay at home to look after the child during unpaid Only one child gets a care child-care leave until the child is supplement, and it is at maximum 3 years old. 180.17 euros / month. The amount of the care supplement During the child-care leave, depends on income. Kela pays home care assistance.

7 Home care assistance is Partial care allowance taxable income. Child-care leave can also be partial. In this case, your working time Your home municipality (locality) is shorter and you get less salary. may pay a municipal supplement to your home care assistance. The mother and father can both be Ask for more information from the on partial child-care leave, but at social welfare office. different times. For example, the father can be at work on different Private care assistance days than the mother. Private care assistance can be applied for if there is a child You can be on partial child-care leave in the family who is under school age only if you have had the same and looked after by a caregiver or employer for at least 6 months during other daycare service producer the last year. paid by the family. Kela pays partial care allowance for a Private care assistance cannot be child who is under 3 years old as well received if the child is in municipal as at school and in the 1st and 2nd (local) daycare. classes.

This support includes To get it requires that you work a care allowance of 171.40 euros / a maximum of 30 hours / week month per child (in 2013). because of child care. Along with this, you can get a care supplement of 144.14 euros / Work time can be, for example, 6 month at maximum per child. hours a day or 4 days a week. Partial The amount of the care supplement care allowance is 96.41 euros / month. depends on income. Care allowance is paid for only one Kela always pays this assistance child at a time and is taxable income. to the caregiver or to another daycare service producer you are paying. Private care assistance is taxable income.

8 When a child gets ill Maintenance allowance

If your child gets ill, you can take If the parents separate, the children him/her to the municipal (local) often stay with one of the parents health centre or to a private doctor. and the other one pays alimony – Kela compensates part of the fees maintenance assistance from the one and treatments that parent to the other. a private doctor prescribes. Along with this, you can get If alimony cannot be arranged or compensation for medicines. it ends up small, you can apply for Kela does not compensate a maintenance allowance from Kela. for health centre treatments. You can get a maintenance allowance if Temporary care leave if a child • the parent obligated to pay under the age of 10 gets ill alimony has not paid it When a child who is • alimony is smaller than the under 10 years old suddenly gets ill, maintenance allowance you can stay away from work • a child is adopted by only one on a temporary care leave parent to look after him/her. • the paternity of a child born This can last a maximum outside the marriage has not been of 4 days of care. confirmed. The employer does not need to pay any salary during temporary Maintenance allowance is child-care leave. 151.85 euros / month per child (in 2013). Caring for a child who is seriously ill and/or disabled Maintenance allowance is tax-free. Kela also offers support for the care of a child who is seriously ill and/or Information for the parent who disabled. must pay alimony Support modes are If Kela pays a maintenance allowance, • special care allowance for a parent it collects alimony that is still unpaid who looks after a child under 16 by the parent who must pay alimony. years of age This is called alimony debt. If you • disability allowance for a child cannot pay your alimony debt to Kela under 16 years of age because of your financial situation, • Kela’s medical rehabilitation. you can apply from Kela for permission not to pay it.

9 Application and payment Payment of allowances When Kela has handled your You can apply for all of Kela’s benefits application, you get the decision for families with children about the allowance in Kela’s offices application forms. sent to your home. The amount of the allowance and You can also print the forms which the criteria for it you can get from Kela online at are entered in the decision.

www.kela.fi You also get a decision when it is negative. Deliver the filled-in application forms to Kela. Kela pays maternity, paternity • Check the application dates. and parental allowances • Check from the application form to the bank account of the mother what attachments you need or father. to send with the application. The payment comes to the account later, For more information, normally every four weeks. telephone 020 692 226. Child benefit normally comes to the bank account of the mother, You can also go to Kela’s father or other guardian offices to get more on the 26th day of each month. information. If the banks are closed on that day or the payment date is after a holiday, the child benefit payment already comes to the account earlier.

10 Housing support

Kela’s types of housing support are A general housing allowance can be • general housing allowance received for a rented residence or an • student aid housing supplement owned flat/house. for students • Rented residence: You can get a • conscript’s allowance military housing allowance for rent service-based housing allowance as well as water and heating costs for those doing their military if they are paid separately. service • House: Property maintenance • pensioner’s housing allowance. costs as well as part of the interest paid on housing loans are taken Only the general housing allowance into account as housing costs. is presented in this brochure. • Owned residence: Housing costs include assessment (housing Who can get a general housing maintenance payments), allowance? separately paid water and heating payments and part of the interest Kela pays a general housing allowance on housing loans. for costs caused by housing. You can get a general housing Maintenance costs allowance if your income is small and you live in Finland permanent. Maintenance costs are the payments Support can be paid to one person for heating, water and other or to a household. maintenance if they are paid separately.

Heating charges are added to housing Household costs at about 1.30–1.60 euros per A ‘household’ means square metre, depending on the the people living permanent heating system. in the same residence. Normally a household is made up Water payments are approved at of a married or unmarried couple about 27.20 euros per person or a family. maximum. One person can also be If you’ve got a housing loan, a household. housing costs are approved to 55% – in other words, over half the interest paid in a year on loans.

11 How much general housing If two people live in the same allowance can you get? residence, the housing allowance is calculated according to 57 square Housing allowance can be at most metres, even if the residence is larger. 80% – 4/5 of your housing costs. You always pay at least 20% of your Place, age and heating of residences housing expenses – 1/5 yourself. The municipalities (localities) are distributed into 4 municipal groups A housing allowance does not pay in keeping with the costs to live there. for all housing expenses, however – only moderate housing costs The first municipal group specified in accordance with the law. includes Helsinki. The government specifies the Living there is most expensive, maximum amount of housing so a bigger housing allowance is expenses each year by which the received there. housing allowance is calculated. The next municipal group is made up of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. Maximum amounts are affected by The third municipal group includes • size of the residence the big cities and municipalities • total number of persons (localities) close to Helsinki. living in the residence All other municipalities make up the • location of residence fourth municipal group. • age of residence • heating system of the residence. Housing allowance for a residence in a new building is bigger than More information from Kela’s for a residence in an old building.

offices. In a building with central heating, the housing allowance is bigger Size of the residence than in a building where there is The maximum size of the residence some other kind of heating system. is specified as follows: Number of persons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Number of Maximum housing costs square metres 37 57 77 90 105 115 125 135 Housing allowance is calculated in keeping with the government’s If you live alone, the housing approved maximum housing costs. allowance is calculated at maximum They are calculated in accordance according to 37 square metres, with size, age and location. even if you live in a larger residence.

12 For example, the approved housing The size of basic deductible is affected costs in Helsinki go from about 10.78 by the entire household’s euros to 15.35 euros per square metre. total number of people • gross income* per month • property. Example: Matti lives in a new rental flat *Gross income means before in Helsinki. taxes have been taken away. The surface area of his flat is 20 square metres. Income limits He pays 400 euros / month for rent. Every year, the government confirms The maximum housing costs the income limits under which there approved are 15.35 euros per is no basic deductible. square metre – in other words, Income limits are from 700 euros to 307 euros / month. 1,795 euros, depending on the size The housing allowance is of the household (in 2013). calculated in accordance with If income is smaller these maximum costs, than the income limits, not the real rent (400 euros). there is no basic deductible at all. The government also confirms the income limits on getting a housing allowance. Basic deductible If the household’s income is bigger Before the final amount than the income limits, no housing of housing allowance is clear, allowance can be granted at all. basic deductible is taken away Income limits are from 1,555 euros from the housing costs. to 5,350 euros, depending on the size Its size depends on the household of the household (in 2013). income and property. The bigger the income is, If income is inside the income limits, the larger the deductible. a certain percent of basic deductible If income is very small, is taken away from housing costs, there is no basic deductible at all. depending on income.

The property belonging to you and your household also affects the amount of the housing allowance

13 if the property goes over a certain limit. Example: A home in your own use Jaakko lives alone in Turku is not counted as property. in a new flat. Its surface area is 37 m2 and the rent with water payments Check the income limits is 515 euros / month. of the housing allowance and Jaakko’s gross (before tax) the property limits income is 698 euros / month. on Kela’s website: www.kela.fi Calculation: • Maximum housing costs according to Kela’s charts are 37 m2 x 10.78 euros / m2 = Calculating your housing benefit 427.35 euros. • Because of the smallness of The housing allowance income, there is no basic is calculated as follows: deductible. First the basic deductible • The housing allowance is 80% is taken away from housing costs. of housing costs The housing allowance is 427.35 x 0.80 = 341.88 euros / 80% of the leftover sum. month. • For housing, Jaakko pays 515–341.88 = 173.12 euros / Try Kela’s calculator month himself. There is a calculator on Kela’s website with which you can calculate whether or not you can (The calculation is based on the situation in 2013.) get a housing allowance. The calculator also calculates the amount of the allowance.

www.kela.fi/laskurit

(The calculators are in Finnish and Swedish only.)

14 Application and payment Payment of housing benefits When Kela has handled www.kela.fi/lomakkeet your application, you get the decision about the allowance sent to your home. You can also get The amount of the allowance and the

application forms criteria for it are entered in from Kela’s offices. the decision.

• Deliver the filled-in application You also get a decision when it is forms to Kela. negative. • Check the application dates and income limits. Kela pays the general housing • Check from the application form allowance to your bank account what documents you need to send on the first banking day with it. of the month. The housing allowance can also be Ask for more information sent to your landlord/landlady,

from one of Kela’s offices. for example, if this is agreed.

Kela checks housing allowances every year. • Deliver the application forms to Kela’s office. Your housing allowance may also be • Check the application dates and checked earlier than this income limits. if your life situation has changed – • Check the application for the extra for example, if your income gets documents you should send along bigger or smaller. with it.

Ask for more information: Kela’s service number is 020 692 221 Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m. or at Kela’s office.

15 Kela is at your service On the Internet Reserve a time

You can get information about Kela’s You can reserve a time at Kela’s office benefits at Kela’s website: or by telephone. Reserve a time if the www.kela.fi. subject is complicated. You can calculate the amounts of benefits with an online calculator Reserve a time at: (in Finnish and Swedish only). www.kela.fi/ajanvaraus or telephone Kela’s service number. www.kela.fi/asiointi Interpreting At Kela’s online Customer Service, you can: If you need interpreting help, contact • apply for Kela benefits Kela. • get information about the handling of your application Report all changes • send attachments • report changes If you receive a Kela benefit, • stop getting support. do remember to inform us quickly if there are changes in your situation. By phone These can be, for example, changes in your housing or Support for families with family situation or your income. children 020 692 226 Housing support Kela may take benefits back 020 692 221 If Kela pays too much in benefits because of incorrect information, it Kela’s offices must take the money back from you.

Kela’s offices are at your Appealing (protesting) a Kela service in all matters decision connected with Kela benefits. You can complain about Contact information for Kela’s offices Kela’s decisions about housing is at: www.kela.fi/yhteystiedot and family benefits to the Social Security Appeal Board. Send your complaint to Kela.

16 There are instructions on how to Kela – The Social Insurance appeal in the attachment you get from Institution of Finland Kela with your decision Nordenskiöldinkatu 12 00250 Helsinki P.O. Box 450, 00101 Helsinki Kela’s employees must keep Telephone exchange 020 634 11 all personal matters secret. Fax 020 634 5058 They are not allowed to speak of matters regarding their clients Appealing a decision to outside persons. Social Security Appeal Board Siltasaarenkatu 12 A P.O. Box 330, 00531 Helsinki Telephone exchange 0295 163 800 www.somla.fi

Kela’s services on the Internet

You can handle matters more and more often on the Internet at a time that best suits you. You can find Kela’s online services at www.kela.fi.

Kela’s online services • Calculators you can use to calculate the total amount of benefits. • Application forms for benefits which you can fill in and print. • A question form you can use to ask about Kela benefits or matters connected with Kela.

At Kela’s Customer Service (www.kela.fi/asiointi), you can • fill in application forms and reports • send attachements • check your benefit information, such as whether or not your application has been handled and when the benefit will be paid • read letters and decisions Kela has sent to you • change your bank account information.

You login to Customer Service with your online banking ID.

Service in Finnish and Swedish. PunaMusta Oy 2013

17 Kela’s brochures in Easy English

Brochures printed and online: www.kela.fi/muutkielet suomeksi | på svenska | Davvisámegiella | eesti keel | Русский

Home and Family Benefits and housing allowances for families with children

Health and Rehabilitation Compensation for illness and daily allowances, rehabilitation and disability benefits

Studying Financial support for students and allowances for military conscripts

Unemployment Financial support for the unemployed

Pensions and retirement Pension security, housing allowance and care allowance

Moving to or away from Finland How to get into the Finnish social security system and what happens when you move from Finland to another country