€197.71

full allowance / month / child

€2,372.52

a year for one child

18 yr

age limit

€0

tax for the recipient

When Kela pays the allowance

The allowance secures a child’s maintenance when the child does not receive enough support from both parents. Kela pays it to the resident parent or the child’s guardian in three situations.

• ·The liable parent does not pay the confirmed child support.
• ·Child support has been confirmed below the full allowance because the liable parent cannot afford more.
• ·The child has no second parent who could be confirmed liable for support — for example when parenthood has not been established.

The allowance is paid until the child turns 18. Child support can continue after that as an education allowance, but that is a matter of agreement between the parents rather than a Kela benefit. No allowance is paid if the child lives with both parents.

The full allowance by number of children

The allowance is per child and does not taper with the number of children the way child benefit steps up. Every child brings the same sum. The amount is reviewed yearly against the cost-of-living index, and in 2026 it unusually fell: in 2025 it was 198.13 euros, so the change is 42 cents a month down, about 0.21%.

The difference payment: when support is below the full allowance

If child support has been confirmed in an agreement or a court decision at less than the full allowance because the liable parent cannot afford more, Kela pays the difference. The child therefore receives full maintenance in total: support from the parent and the remainder from Kela.

When support is higher but goes unpaid

This is the situation where many assume they lose money. If the confirmed child support is higher than the full allowance but is not paid, Kela first pays the child the full allowance and starts recovering the support from the liable parent. Once recovery produces results, Kela passes on the part above the full allowance to the recipient.

Unpaid instalments build up as child support debt, with interest for late payment added. Kela recovers the debt within the limits of the liable parent’s ability to pay, and recovery can continue for years. This kind of debt does not lapse the way ordinary consumer debt does, so ignoring it is not a working solution for the payer.

Agreement, tax and applying

Kela can only pay the allowance once there is a confirmed maintenance agreement or a court decision — or once it has been established that neither can be confirmed. A maintenance agreement is confirmed by the child welfare supervisor of your wellbeing services county, and it is worth making even when the parents agree on everything. A verbal arrangement is no help if payments later stop.

• ·The allowance is tax-free for the recipient and is not declared on a tax return.
• ·Child support is not a deductible expense for the payer — the maintenance obligation deduction is a separate and small matter.
• ·The allowance is paid on the 10th of the month; if that falls on a Saturday or a holiday, payment comes on the preceding banking day.
• ·The application is made in OmaKela, with the maintenance agreement or court decision attached.
• ·Tell Kela immediately if the liable parent starts paying or the child’s living arrangements change — otherwise overpaid allowance is recovered.

The amount of child support is not a fixed figure: it is calculated from the child’s needs and the parents’ ability to pay, following Ministry of Justice guidance. It too is index-linked and reviewed yearly. The allowance is therefore a minimum safety net rather than a yardstick for what child support ought to be — for a well-paid liable parent, support is often clearly above 197.71 euros.