As an informal carer for a loved one

Apply for informal care support:

1. Fill in the application for informal care support. Attach a medical certificate of your loved one's state of health to the application for informal care support. If necessary, the wellbeing services county will also request a medical certificate on the state of health of the informal carer. Check with the social welfare office to see if you need any other attachments. Send documents to the social welfare office of your loved one's municipality of residence.
2. An employee of the wellbeing services county will make a home visit to discuss what kind of care and services your loved one needs. During the visit, they will also make sure that the conditions at home are suitable for informal care (a health and social care assessment is carried out). 
3. You will be sent a written decision on the matter, which can be appealed afterwards. 
4. After a positive decision is made, a care and client plan and an informal care agreement are drawn up. 

The stages may vary by wellbeing services county.

If you are not granted informal care support, a care and client plan can be drawn up for your loved one if they are found to need care and different services.  

At least the following need be included in the in the informal care agreement: 

• amount and method of payment of the care compensation
• entitlement to days off
• arranging leave
• duration of a fixed-term agreement
• payment of the care compensation if the care is interrupted 

The wellbeing services county must take care of your loved one during your holidays. If a substitute carer is responsible for the care during leave, their information is recorded in the agreement.

The informal care agreement is usually valid for the same period as the informal care decision you have received. For a specific reason, the agreement may be concluded for a fixed term. If necessary, the agreement may be revised.

Once the care and client plan has been drawn up, you will receive the services you need from your municipality as agreed. If necessary, check with your own employee if there are problems with the availability of services. 

You can also later assess whether the services are sufficient in the current situation. The care and client plan is reviewed annually ans you will be contacted by your own employee. During the review, the situation of the informal carer and the loved one is assessed and it is decided whether the services offered should be changed. You can always contact your own employee yourself if the situation changes or you wish to discuss matters that concern you.

Kela grants benefits for e.g.:

• livelihood
• persons with a disability
• housing 
• rehabilitation 
• sickness 
• pensioners 
• students 
• unemployed persons.

Read more about the benefits granted by Kela.Opens in a new window.

Benefits granted by Kela: 

• Disability allowance for persons under 16 years may be granted to a disabled or sick child who requires regular care, attention and rehabilitation. The need for care and attention must be higher than normal and last for at least 6 months.  
• Disability allowance for children aged 16 or over when the child reaches the age of 16. 
• Partial care allowance if the guardian does not work more than 30 hours a week due to the child's care. Partial care allowance is paid for children in the first and second grade. If the child is covered by extended compulsory education, care allowance is also paid for the period of pre-school and third grade.

Kela may also pay special care allowance to the guardian to compensate for the loss of earnings,  

• if the guardian of a sick or disabled child under 16 years is unable to work due to having to participate in the child’s care or rehabilitation.  
• if they participate in the child's rehabilitation in a hospital, outpatient clinic, rehabilitation or an adaptation training course.

The substitute carer should note that

• the substitute carer is not in an employment relationship with the wellbeing services county that has concluded the agreement. 
• the care compensation paid to the substitute carer and the reimbursement of costs are not tied to the fees received by the informal carer or the realisation of the informal carer's leave. These are agreed separately in the commission agreement with the substitute carer.
• the substitute carer's compensation is often calculated as an additional income, so if the substitute carer receives subsidies from Kela, it is worth examining whether the compensation affects the payment of the subsidies. For example, when calculating the pensioner's housing allowance, the substitute carer's compensation is considered additional income. 
• acting as a substitute informal carer must be reported to the TE Office, which determines the right to unemployment benefit.
• the substitute carer has the same accident insurance cover as the informal carer.

If you do not live with the loved one you care for, you may incur deductible travel expenses from visiting them and taking care of their matters.

If you live with your loved one and receive care compensation from the wellbeing services county, you can deduct €470 per year as a workspace deduction on the basis of informal care work. If you do not live in the same apartment as your loved one but your work tasks include paperwork related to informal care, you can also apply for a workspace deduction.

In certain situations, you can also deduct costs incurred from the care of your loved one. Such costs may include e.g. a place of treatment built at home for a dialysis patient, things breaking due to a lively special-needs child, or wear on the floor from wheelchair use. 

You may be entitled to a deduction for reduced capacity to pay taxes if e.g. your medical expenses or the total costs caused by your disability are high. The deduction is granted on a discretionary basis on the basis of illness, unemployment or maintenance liability.  

You may receive a tax credit for domestic help if you have not received informal care support or a social welfare and health care service voucher issued by the wellbeing services county for the same work performance. This kind of a work performance can be e.g. a cleaning service that you buy for the home. 

Read more about tax deductions for informal care: 

• Tax deductions for informal care costs (in Finnish)Opens in a new window.
• Tax credit for domestic help consisting of regular household and care work (in Finnish)Opens in a new window.