Studying on unemployment benefits is becoming easier
News
Topics
- Income security
- Law change
- Studies
A legislative amendment that would make it easier to study while receiving unemployment benefits is currently under review. The purpose of the amendment is to clarify and increase study opportunities for the unemployed and to ease the administrative burden.
According to the government’s draft proposal, unemployed job seekers over the age of 25 would be able to study without restriction at universities and universities of applied sciences.
Job seekers would not need to report their studies to the employment authorities, and the employment authorities or KEHA Center would not need to investigate the studies in question.
Despite their studies, job seekers would still be obliged to apply for job opportunities as agreed in their employment plan and be prepared to accept full-time work. In addition, job seekers would be obliged to participate in services promoting employment if such services were offered to them.
The proposed amendment would also mean that open university studies and open university of applied sciences studies could no longer be pursued as self-directed studies supported by unemployment benefits.
The amendment would not apply to persons under the age of 25, who would continue to have the right under the current law to study at open universities without losing their unemployment benefits, whose study plan is for a maximum of three months, either continuously or in periods, and covers an average of no more than five credits per month of study.
The changes are intended to come into force as soon as possible after parliamentary consideration. The new regulations will apply to studies that begin after the law comes into force.
Read more about the draft proposal on the statement service website. The link opens in a new tab.