Before any daily allowance can be paid, a qualifying period needs to be set. The qualifying period is seven unemployment days or an equivalent time period, and it must be fulfilled within eight consecutive calendar weeks. The TE Office must likewise have you registered as a jobseeker during the qualifying period.
A maximum of five days per week can be included in a qualifying period, with such days excluded that would not entitle you to daily allowance in any case. No earnings-related allowance is paid for the qualifying period.
Setting the qualifying period is tied to fulfilling the employment condition
Legislation concerning the employment condition changes on September 2, 2024. The employment condition is extended from 26 calendar weeks (approx. 6 months) to 12 calendar months.
Every time the 12-month employment condition is fulfilled, a new seven-day qualifying period is set. At the same time, the maximum period for earnings-related allowance is reset and the daily allowance is recalculated.
Example:
You have previously received daily allowance, having been paid earnings-related allowance for 50 days. You have been employed in the meantime and will apply for daily allowance again after employment. At this point, the fund checks if you have fulfilled the 12-month employment condition again.
If your employment condition is not fulfilled again, no qualifying period is set, the daily allowance is not recalculated and the maximum period does not reset. The maximum period begins to accrue from day 51.
But, if the 12-month employment condition is fulfilled again, the qualifying period shall be set and the maximum period resets, i.e. its accrual starts from zero. Also, daily allowance is recalculated.
The fulfilment of the employment condition is individual, i.e. different applicants fulfil the employment condition at different times.
