€578.43

living alone / month

€665.19

single parent / month

50%

largest reduction of the basic amount

€0

earned-income disregard

The formula: expenses minus income

Kela works out the benefit as a subtraction. On the expense side sit the basic amount and accepted housing costs; on the income side all available net income and most benefits. The difference is paid as social assistance. If income exceeds expenses, nothing is paid.

The basic amount covers food, clothes, small health costs, a phone, hobbies and other everyday spending. There is no need to account for it and no receipts are asked for. Housing costs work differently: they are counted at their real level, but only up to what Kela considers reasonable in your municipality. An expensive flat will not have its whole rent covered.

Basic amounts from 1 March 2026

Children’s basic amounts are counted in age order starting from the oldest, and the birth-order position lowers the sum down to the third child. In a family of three, the third and every further child gets the same lowest amount. A family with a 12-year-old and a 7-year-old receives 417.63 + 347.06 euros for the children — the older counts as first and the younger as second, even though they fall into different age brackets.

Four worked examples

The examples assume the whole rent is accepted. In practice this is where estimate and decision part company most often: Kela compares the rent with a reasonable local level, and anything above it is yours to cover. If you are considering a move, check the limit first — moving into an expensive flat while on assistance almost always means paying part of the rent yourself.

What changed in February 2026

New grounds for reducing the basic amount took effect on 1 February 2026. A reduction only ever touches an adult’s own basic amount, never the children’s share.

• ·A 50% reduction if you do not register within a month as a jobseeker looking for full-time work.
• ·A 50% reduction if you do not apply within a month for primary benefits such as unemployment security or housing allowance.
• ·A 20% reduction if you lose unemployment benefit through your own conduct, and 40% if it happens again.
• ·Rent is paid directly to the landlord if you have received a rental deposit from Kela.
• ·Assistance can be granted for a longer period at a time than before, not just one or two months.

What changed in March 2026

Adults’ basic amounts were cut on 1 March 2026: by 3% for those living alone, which is 17.90 euros a month, and by 2% for other adults. Children’s amounts were not cut. At the same time the 150-euro earned-income disregard disappeared. Wages now reduce the benefit in full — informal carer fees are the exception until the end of 2027.

In practice this means a small gig no longer increases what a social assistance recipient has in hand. That is a direct change from the earlier rules, and worth knowing before taking work on the assumption that part of the pay stays with you.

What the calculator does not tell you

Basic social assistance is discretionary, and Kela assesses each case individually. The calculator gives an indicative estimate, but it does not know the local limits on reasonable housing costs, does not account for assets, and cannot model Kela’s individual discretion. Nor does it cover supplementary or preventive social assistance, which are applied for from your own wellbeing services county for things like dental care, glasses or moving costs.

Social assistance is tax-free and is not declared on a tax return. The application is made in OmaKela and a decision usually arrives within a few working days, faster in an urgent case. The attachments normally needed are a tenancy agreement, bank statements and proof of income.