General social security benefit

Last updated 28.04.2026

The general social security benefit is the unemployment subsidy paid by Kela. You can apply for it if you are not a member of an unemployment fund or if you do not meet the conditions for earnings-related security.

As of 1.5.2026, the general social security benefit has replaced the labour market subsidy and basic daily allowance previously paid by Kela.

General social security benefit terms

You can get general social security benefit if you are unemployed and

• You are between 18 and 24 years old
• You live permanently in Finland
• You have registered as a job seeker for the employment services of your municipality of residence at Job Market
• You are not entitled to earnings-related daily allowance or you have already received earnings-related daily allowance for the maximum period from an unemployment fund

You can receive general social security benefit for as long as your unemployment continues, as its duration is not limited.

Transition from general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance

Waiting period for general social security benefit

market subsidy or basic daily allowance on 30.4.2026, and for the general social security benefit starting immediately on 1.5.2026. You are eligible for labor market subsidy or basic daily allowance if you are receiving these benefits or if you are not receiving them for the following reasons:

• uncompensated suspension period (karenssi)

• workday in a reduced workweek

• exceeding the working time limit

• a restriction on the amount of the adjusted benefit

If there is an interruption in benefit payments for a reason other than those mentioned above, Kela will set a waiting period for general social security benefit.

If you have received general social security benefit and are switching to earnings-related daily allowance, a waiting period will be set for the earnings-related daily allowance.

Transition from general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance

If you have been receiving general social security benefit and are transitioning to earnings-related daily allowance, an waiting period will be applied to your earnings-related daily allowance.

From basic daily allowance to general social security benefit without a break

There is an exception to the waiting period, which applies only if you have transitioned from basic daily allowance to general social security benefit without a break. If your entitlement to basic daily allowance began before 1.5.2026, and you have transitioned to general social security benefit without interruption, no new waiting period will be imposed for earnings-related daily allowance if a waiting period has already been set for the basic daily allowance.

If a waiting period has been set for your basic daily allowance and it is still ongoing as of 30.4.2026, the time already counted toward that waiting period can be credited toward the waiting period for the earnings-related daily allowance.  The waiting period for the basic daily allowance can therefore be taken into account in these situations, even if you were receiving general social security benefit when you transferred to the unemployment fund as a recipient of the earnings-related daily allowance.

Basic unemployment benefit days paid to you before 1.5.2026, will be counted toward the maximum duration of earnings-related daily allowance if you were a recipient of basic daily allowance and your entitlement to earnings-related daily allowance begins on or after 1.5.2026.

Taking the waiting period and the days paid into account as described above requires that you have transitioned from basic daily allowance to general social security benefit without a break.

There is a gap in the transition from basic daily allowance to general social security benefit

If you have transitioned from basic daily allowance to general social security benefit and there has been a gap in between, a waiting period will be applied to the general social security benefit. If you subsequently switch from general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance, the waiting period for general social security benefit or the days for which general social security benefit was paid will not be taken into account in the earnings-related daily allowance. Nor will any previously set waiting period for basic daily allowance or basic daily allowances paid be taken into account.

Transition from labour market support to general social security benefit

If you transition from labor market support to general social security benefit, the waiting period for general social security benefit or the days for which general social security benefit was paid will not be taken into account when calculating your earnings-related daily allowance.

Examples

An ongoing waiting period 

If the waiting period for the basic daily allowance is still ongoing on 30.4.2026, it may be taken into account when determining the waiting period for the earnings-related daily allowance.

Example 1:  Partially completed waiting period 

The waiting period for your basic daily allowance begins on 27.4.2026. Four days will have passed by 1.5.2026.

The accumulation of the waiting period continues during the transition to general social security benefit, during which 3 waiting days will accrue between 1.-5.5.2026. General social security benefit will be paid starting 6.5.2026.

If you switch to the unemployment fund later, these 4 days accumulated during the basic allowance period can be counted toward the waiting period for the earnings-related daily allowance, since the waiting period was accumulated before 1.5.2026.

However, the waiting period must be fully completed within eight consecutive calendar weeks.

Basic daily allowance days paid before 1.5.2026, are taken into account in the maximum duration of the earnings-related daily allowance.

Example 2: From general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance, no gap in the transition

You have received basic daily allowance for 100 days prior to 1.5.2026. You are eligible for general support for 100 days between 1.5.–22.9.2026, at which point your eligibility requirements for membership in the fund will be met.

Only the 100 days paid as basic daily allowance before 1.5.2026, are counted toward the maximum period for earnings-related daily allowance (400 days).

The 100 days paid as general social security benefit are not counted toward the maximum duration of earnings-related unemployment benefits.

The waiting period accumulated during the basic daily allowance period may be counted toward the waiting period for the earnings-related daily allowance, since the waiting period was accumulated before 1.5.2026.

Example 3: From general social security benefit to earnings-related daily allowance  

You join the fund on 1.1.2026. Your employment ends and your working condition is met on 23.12.2026, but your fund membership requirements are not met until 31.12.2026.

You apply for general social security benefit for the period 24.–31.12.2026, which includes a 7-day waiting period before payment. Six days of the waiting period fall within the period December 24.–31.12.2026

You are entitled to earnings-related daily allowance starting 1.1.2027, but the full waiting period for the earnings-related daily allowance will be applied before payment, because the waiting periods for general social security benefit and earnings-related daily allowance cannot be combined.

In such a situation, more than 7 waiting days may accumulate within a short period of time.