Unemployment fund provides more than just unemployment security
Unemployment and lay-offs may pose challenges to personal finances. Saving money is a good way to prepare for unexpected expenses. However, it is advisable to consider other means of preparation as well. — As an unemployment fund member, your unemployment benefit is tied to the income you received before you became unemployed. This makes the […]
The A-kassa membership fee is tax-deductible also in 2026
The unemployment fund membership fee is still tax-deductible. However, it is no longer automatically entered on the new tax card. According to the Finnish Tax Administration, the unemployment fund membership fee is is always tax-deductible. The Tax Administration notes that the change will also affect what appears on your tax card. The unemployment […]
Number of recipients of earnings-related allowance down from last year
In November, the number of recipients of earnings-related allowance at A-kassa was 5% higher than in October. However, the number decreased by a substantial 26% compared to November 2024. Number of earnings-related allowance recipients up slightly in November In November, 20,455 members of the Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa received earnings-related allowance, an increase of […]
Year-End Checklist 2025–2026
The turn of the year is a good time to check a few practical matters that affect the payment of earnings-related daily allowance and the availability of our customer service. We’ve compiled the most important reminders to support our members. Public holidays affect A-Kassa’s payment dates Public holidays affect the payment dates of the […]
Are you familiar with the different forms of lay-off?
There are several different forms of lay-offs, each with their specific impact on daily allowance payouts. Furthermore, the form of a lay-off has an impact on the final amount of daily allowance. Lay-off options: full-time ⇒ earnings-related allowance is paid for lay-off days shortening of weekly working hours of a full-time job by full […]
Do you know how part-time work affects your earnings-related unemployment allowance?
Types of employment have diversified in both form and content. There is an increasing number of jobs where working hours vary and which do not involve a traditional employment relationship. As new technology solutions emerge, they bring about entirely new type of work. However, many jobs still remain where work is conducted full-time and under […]
Taxation of benefits at the turn of the year – what you need to know
Tax cards are valid for one calendar year, which means they expire on 31 December. This also applies to revised tax cards issued for benefits. A revised tax card used in December is no longer valid after 1 January. At the beginning of the year, the Finnish Tax Administration automatically sends a new tax […]
Repurpose your existing competence – use your experience to your advantage
While people accumulate a wealth of expertise during their career, few take the time to really think how it could be further leveraged. Working life is in transition, duties change and entire industries undergo transformations. This is why transferring your existing competence to new circumstances is a crucial skill in working life. Here are five […]
Studying while receiving unemployment benefits
As a member of the Open Unemployment Fund, you are allowed, in certain situations, to study while receiving earnings-related allowance. You are eligible for a daily allowance if you study either part-time short-term, or for employment promotion measures. The employment official evaluates whether the studies are full-time or part-time when it is a matter of […]
Referring to an uninterrupted layoff of 200 days
An employee who has been laid off continuously and on a full-time basis for at least 200 days is entitled to terminate their employment without forfeiting their salary for the notice period. The employment ends on the date of termination. The employee is entitled to compensation from their employer in the same amount as their […]
Accrual of employment condition is based on salary paid – exact status is determined when application is processed
Fund members who have fulfilled the employment condition during their membership are entitled to earnings-related allowance. Legislation regarding when, how much and on what grounds the employment condition accrues was amended on September 2, 2024. At the same time, the employment condition period was extended from 6 to 12 employment condition months. Even before […]
What is the qualifying period and why does it reset?
Qualifying period means that no earnings-related allowance payments are made right at the onset of unemployment. In fact, the qualifying period can reset shortly after the previous qualifying period has been fulfilled. You should keep in mind that the qualifying period is not always a fixed single period. Rather, it may be set several […]
Periodisation of holiday compensation
In relation to holiday compensation, periodisation means that, when your employment ends, the fund calculates how many days’ worth of holiday compensation you have accrued and deducts the resulting number of days from your earnings-related allowance. In practice, this means periodisation postpones the start of your earnings-related allowance. If you have one month of unused […]
Open Unemployment Fund’s membership fee remains unchanged
The membership fee for the Open Unemployment Fund will remain 8 euros next year as well, meaning there will be no change in the fee. In addition to unemployment security, the membership fee also includes the fund’s job search support services. The Financial Supervisory Authority approved the proposal of the Open Unemployment Fund’s board […]
If you are applying for daily allowance, please remember to send your 2024 tax decision to the fund
If you have part-time business activities that have been ongoing for a longer period or started no later than 1 July 2024, we need a copy of your personal tax decision for 2024. The taxation will be confirmed by 31 October 2025. We need the tax decision in order to process your application for November. […]
Time Limits to Keep in Mind
There are many things to keep in mind and remember to do when applying for earnings-related allowance, restructuring protection allowance, or mobility allowance. Many of these involve a specific time limit during which the action must be taken or by which it must be completed. Some deadlines are very strict, while others are a bit […]
Suspension periods subject to change next year
The government has proposed a legislative amendment which would make suspension periods even stricter than before. The amendments concern suspension periods related to jobseeking and employment services. Amendments are not proposed to suspension periods related to improper actions in other contexts. A suspension period, or a period without allowance, refers to a time period […]
A-kassa’s popular EmploymentWebinars continue
Organised this past spring, our EmploymentWebinars were well-attended and received a ton of praise – and now we have more lined up! The webinars are open to all A-kassa members, and as they are included in member services, there are no entry fees. This autumn, we are offering three webinars focused on current topics related […]
Impact of carer status on eligibility for an earnings-related daily allowance
Carers can claim unemployment benefits if they are able to demonstrate that they are fit for work and available for work on the open market, which essentially means that you must be prepared to accept full-time employment. If you are a carer and you become unemployed or are laid off, it is important that […]
Incapacity for work and earnings-related allowance – what you need to know
As a benefit, earnings-related allowance is a typically associated with unemployment or lay-off. However, it is important to remember that in some scenarios you can also qualify for earnings-related allowance if you are incapacitated for work. First apply for sickness allowance, then for earnings-related allowance (if eligible) Whether you are employed or unemployed, Kela’s […]