Self-employed persons who have become unemployed due to the coronavirus epidemic can apply for benefits until 30 June 2021

Press release 17.3.2021, Kela

Kela can pay labour market subsidy to self-employed persons until 30 June 2021 if the business has been hard hit by the coronavirus epidemic. Self-employed persons who apply for benefits must make sure that they are registered as jobseekers with the TE Services.

Self-employed persons remain eligible for labour market subsidy payments from Kela if they are no longer active in their business on a full-time basis or if their income has decreased due to the coronavirus epidemic. The eligibility is not conditional on a specific form of incorporation and does not require the termination of all self-employment activity. These criteria will be effective until 30 June 2021.

If the need for benefits continues, the registration as jobseeker must be valid

Self-employed persons who have not yet resumed their self-employment activity due to the coronavirus epidemic and still apply for labour market subsidy must make sure that they are registered as jobseekers with the TE Services. When necessary, the TE Services will issue a new labour policy statement to Kela on the self-employed person’s right to labour market subsidy. In the statement, Kela is informed about whether the criteria for payment of the labour market subsidy are met also henceforth.

Kela will contact the self-employed person if needed and request an estimate of the income from self-employment for the period that the statement concerns. If unemployment continues, the self-employed person must regularly file an unemployment status report via Kela’s e-service.

New applicants must first register with the TE Services

Self-employed persons who have not previously applied for the temporary labour market subsidy for self-employed persons but wish to do so now must register as unemployed jobseekers with the TE Services. After that the self-employed person can complete an application for unemployment benefit in Kela’s e-service.

This temporary change in legislation has been approved by Parliament and is awaiting confirmation by the President.