General social security benefit to bring changes to unemployment benefits starting in May
News
Topics
- Income security
- Law change
- Unemployment
The general social security benefit to bring changes to unemployment benefits starting in May will replace unemployment-based labor market support and the basic daily allowance on May 1, 2026. The general social security benefit is paid if an unemployed job seeker is not eligible for earnings-related daily allowance or if their period of entitlement to earnings-related daily allowance has ended. With the introduction of general social security benefit, the current unemployment security system will become more clearly two-tiered.
Currently, labor market support is available if you become unemployed but have not met the working condition or if you have exhausted the maximum payment period for unemployment benefits. Basic unemployment benefits are available if you have met the working condition but do not meet the unemployment fund membership requirement. The replacement general benefit combines labor market support and the basic unemployment benefit.
The general social security benefit will be the same amount as the current basic unemployment benefit and labor market support. In 2026, the basic unemployment benefit and labor market support will be approximately 800 euros per month.
General social security benefit is means-tested, unlike earnings-related unemployment benefits
The biggest change compared to the current basic unemployment benefit is that general social security benefit is means-tested, whereas earnings-related unemployment benefits are not. Means-testing means that the applicant’s income affects the amount of general social security benefit. Income taken into account in the means test includes income other than wages, such as dividend or rental income, fees for informal care and family care, and partial early old-age pension.
If you receive wage income, the general social security benefit is adjusted to match your earned income, just as with earnings-related unemployment allowance.
General social security benefit differs from earnings-related daily allowance particularly in that, when transitioning from general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance, a waiting period is applied in the same way as when unemployment begins. The waiting period for general social security benefit will therefore no longer count toward the earnings-related allowance. Furthermore, days for which general social security benefit was paid are not included in the maximum duration of the earnings-related daily allowance; instead, the maximum duration of the earnings-related daily allowance starts from the beginning when switching from general social security benefit.
During the transition period, the waiting period could, according to the proposal, be taken into account in the payment of earnings-related unemployment benefits under certain conditions. If the waiting period was set before May 1, 2026, it will be taken into account when paying earnings-related unemployment benefits. If the waiting period is still ongoing when switching to earnings-related unemployment benefits on April 30, 2026, it will be taken into account in the waiting period for earnings-related unemployment benefits. If basic unemployment benefits have been paid before May 1, 2026, the days for which basic unemployment benefits were paid will be deducted from the maximum payment period for earnings-related unemployment benefits.
It pays to be a fund member
Although income security has been tightened in recent years, the earnings-related daily allowance is still significantly higher than the basic daily allowance for most people and is therefore a worthwhile option. In the future, this difference will become even more pronounced, as there is no means-testing in earnings-related unemployment benefits, nor are there any plans to introduce it.
Read more about general social security benefit on Kela’s website
Questions and answers about general social security benefit
General Support will replace Kela’s unemployment benefits in May 2026