The sickness allowance is paid as compensation for loss of income due to incapacity for work lasting less than a full year.

You need a medical certificate to qualify for sickness allowance. Sickness allowance is usually available for up to 60 working days if based on a medical certificate A. Following the 60 days, payment can continue only if the recipient can present a medical certificate B or other statement about the incapacity for work. Recipients may be asked to provide further documentation even before the 60-day period is over.

Sickness allowance is available after completing a specified waiting period. The waiting period usually consists of the first day of illness and the following nine working days.

Sickness allowance is payable for a maximum of 300 working days (about a year). It can be paid until the end of the month preceding the month in which you would reach the 300-day limit. Generally, all days during the past two years on which you were entitled to sickness allowance from Kela count towards the total time for which you can receive sickness allowance. Included are also days in which you are unfit for work but for which you have not been paid sickness allowance for example because of low annual income.

Up-to-date information about allowance benefits is available on Kela’s website through the following links:

• Sickness allowance
• Partial sickness allowance

You can apply for the allowance via Kela’s online service (eServices) or by mailing your application to the fund. Applications filed and messages sent via Kela’s online service are automatically forwarded to Enerkemi.

Kela’s calculators for sickness allowance benefits

• Sickness allowance amount
• Sickness allowance period