YLE.news

News from Finland in English

Kela

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2 days ago

Kela paid out €17.5bn in benefits in 2025, with payouts expected to rise further

Kela’s benefit expenditures rose by around 1.1% last year and the agency estimates that it will spend 18.1 billion euros on them this year.
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2 weeks ago

Kela chief Lasse Lehtonen returns to post after extended sick leave

A serious health condition kept the benefits agency boss on sick leave for several months.
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1 month ago

Finland plans child benefits overhaul — flat rate of €100 a month until age 18

The authors of the proposal acknowledge that the changes would have a disproportionate impact on larger families as well as on single parents.
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2 months ago

Kela offers over-65s private doc visits anywhere in Finland this summer

“Just make sure that the doctor you choose is participating in the pilot study on freedom of choice in healthcare,” the benefits agency says.
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2 months ago

STT: Ministry proposing to expand private healthcare trial for over-65s

The government is to decide how to proceed once it starts hammering out the state budget on Tuesday, according to news agency STT.
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5 months ago

Finland revamps jobless benefits amid worst unemployment rate in EU

Starting in May, a new social security benefit for jobseekers will replace the existing payments, as part of the government’s efforts to streamline Finland’s unemployment benefits system.
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7 months ago

Average student loan debt more than doubles to over €12k

Student loans typically stood at around 5,000 euros in 2010-11, according to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela.
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8 months ago

Kela: Check the income ceiling on your 2025 tax card

If the ceiling is exceeded, a person’s benefits could be subject to a higher rate of tax.
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8 months ago

Kela: Unemployment benefit expenditures grew by 5% in 2024

These figures were for last year, and Finland’s unemployment rate has continued to increase.
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8 months ago

More infants, toddlers in daycare as parents’ needs and attitudes change

Some daycare centres take care of infants as young as eight months.
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