Information package: Rehabilitation allowance for young persons
The following is a brief overview of the current level and trends in the number of recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons, analysed by sex, region and diagnostic category. It also looks at the take-up of other benefits and services among recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons. The text concludes with an overview of legislative amendments and research relevant to the allowance.
The purpose of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons is to ensure that young persons can start and finish vocational rehabilitation, to improve their chances of finding employment and to provide economic security.
From the beginning of 2025 onwards, the allowance can be granted to young persons between 18 and 19 years of age (for those born in 2008 or earlier, the age limit is 16 years) whose ability to work and study, earn a living or choose a career has worsened because of illness, injury or impairment, and who need particular support to benefit from vocational rehabilitation. A personal study and rehabilitation plan is also a requirement.
Having increased consistently for many years, the number of recipients of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons declined in 2004
In 2024, a little less than 15,000 young persons received rehabilitation allowance for young persons.
The number of recipients saw a significant increase in recent years from a little under 5,000 in 2010 to almost 8,000 in 2015 and further to a little less than 14,000 in 2023 and nearly 16,000 in 2023. In 2024, however, the number of recipients decreased.
The changes made in 2014 to the legislation governing vocational rehabilitation were the main factor behind the previous increase. They removed the requirement of impending disability from the qualifying criteria for the rehabilitation allowance,
and made vocational rehabilitation and the allowance more widely available. In determining eligibility for the allowance, it has since 2014 been possible to consider also whether a customer’s ability to study has deteriorated and to look at their overall circumstances, including their physical, mental and social functioning.
Until 2019, there were more men than women among the recipients. Since 2020, women have been in the majority. In 2024, rehabilitation allowance for young persons was paid to 8,000 women and a little less than 7,000 men.
Regional differences in the take-up of rehabilitation allowance for young persons
In 2024, rehabilitation allowance for young persons was received by
- 4.6% of the population aged 16–19
- 1% of the population aged 20–24
Insofar as the population aged 16–19 is concerned, the highest percentages of recipients in 2024 were seen in North Savo (8.4%) and North Karelia (8.0%). Among the regions in mainland Finland, the lowest percentages were recorded in Uusimaa (2.7%) and Ostrobothnia (2.8%).
In the 20–24 age group, the highest percentages were seen in North Savo (2.0%) and South Savo (1.9%), and the lowest in Uusimaa (0.6%) and South Karelia (0.6%).
Mental health and behavioural disorders are the most common medical reasons for receiving rehabilitation allowance for young persons
The most common medical reasons for receiving rehabilitation allowance for young persons are
- mental health and behavioural disorders
- neurological illnesses
- congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities.
As of the end of 2024, 92% of the recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons had a diagnosis of a mental health or behavioural disorder. The most common diagnoses were
- hyperactivity disorders (ADHD)
- depression
- pervasive developmental disorders
- anxiety disorders
- intellectual disability
- developmental disorders of scholastic skills
Other common illnesses and impairments behind recipiency of rehabilitation allowance for young persons included
- CP syndrome
- epilepsy
- illnesses of eye and ear
- congenital malformations involving several organ systems
- Down’s syndrome
- certain conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system that emerge in childhood or adolescence, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
Changes in the number of recipients of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons and their qualifying diagnoses following a legislative amendment enacted in 2014
Over a period of ten years, there has been a significant increase in disorders of psychological development, behavioural and affective disorders typically appearing in childhood or adolescence, mood affective disorders, and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders as the medical reasons for receiving rehabilitation allowance for young persons. Compared to previous years, intellectual disability is today a less common reason for receiving rehabilitation allowance for young persons.
This is partly due to a legislative amendment carried out in 2014 that added the deterioration of learning ability and a person’s overall circumstances as grounds for awarding the allowance. On the other hand, the amendment both increased the number of recipients and enabled young persons with issues such a learning disability to qualify for the allowance.
Recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons and other benefits available from Kela
Recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons are also often paid other social security benefits. This is also common among recipients of other benefits; many people receive more than one social security benefit at the same time. For detailed figures on the rehabilitation allowance for young persons, see the tables in this section.
In 2024, psychoactive medicines were purchased by 47% of all recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons, while 29% purchased ADHD medications and 27% had the right to a special rate of reimbursement for at least one prescription medicine.
General housing allowance was paid to 31% of the recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons. Altogether 19% received basic social assistance, while 7% were paid a Kela unemployment benefit and 29% received disability benefits.
Of all recipients, 19% were reimbursed for the costs of private medical care and 15% for travel costs.
Among recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons, 14% received other vocational rehabilitation services, while 13% received intensive medical rehabilitation, 9% rehabilitative psychotherapy and 6% rehabilitation services provided on a discretionary basis.
Altogether 10% received financial aid for students, while 6% were paid sickness allowance.
Some of the recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons were also paid another rehabilitation allowance or received other benefits from Kela. More detailed recipient figures are found in the table.
| Benefit | Persons in the target group who received this benefit | % of the target group |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation allowance for young persons | 14,900 | 100.00 |
| Psychoactive medicines | 6,977 | 46.83 |
| General housing allowance (paid to the recipient or their partner) | 4,606 | 30.91 |
| Disability benefits | 4,374 | 29.36 |
| Medicines for ADHD | 4,253 | 28.54 |
| Currently entitled to a special rate of reimbursement for at least one prescription medicine | 3,999 | 26.84 |
| Doctors’ fees | 2,839 | 19.05 |
| Basic social assistance | 2,819 | 18.92 |
| Travel costs | 2,304 | 15.46 |
| Vocational rehabilitation | 2,134 | 14.32 |
| Intensive medical rehabilitation | 1,969 | 13.21 |
| Student financial aid | 1,475 | 9.90 |
| Rehabilitative psychotherapy | 1,356 | 9.10 |
| Unemployment benefits paid by Kela | 1,075 | 7.21 |
| Labour market subsidy | 1,040 | 6.98 |
| Any sickness allowance benefit | 945 | 6.34 |
| Sickness allowance | 944 | 6.34 |
| Rehabilitation services provided on a discretionary basis | 903 | 6.06 |
| Rehabilitation allowance under the Act on Kela Rehabilitation | 554 | 3.72 |
| Kela disability pension | 334 | 2.24 |
| Dental care | 304 | 2.04 |
| Examination and treatment | 189 | 1.27 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, Vocational rehabilitation for young persons (Section 7 a) | 74 | 0.50 |
| Child benefit | 72 | 0.48 |
| Conscript’s allowance | 68 | 0.46 |
| Basic unemployment allowance | 36 | 0.24 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, No information on legal basis of eligibility | 32 | 0.21 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, Health Care Act | 2 | 0.01 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, Health Care Act (rehabilitation for substance abuse) | 2 | 0.01 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, Child Welfare Act | 1 | 0.01 |
| Rehabilitation allowance, Social Welfare Act (rehabilitation for substance abuse) | 1 | 0.01 |
| Diagnostic category | Persons entitled to a special rate of reimbursement at any time during the year | % |
|---|---|---|
| F00-F99 Mental and behavioural disorders | 2,426 | 16.28 |
| G00-G99 Diseases of the nervous system | 512 | 3.44 |
| E00-E90 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases | 496 | 3.33 |
| J00-J99 Diseases of the respiratory system | 471 | 3.16 |
| M00-M99 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue | 161 | 1.08 |
| K00-K93 Diseases of the digestive system | 121 | 0.81 |
| I00-I99 Diseases of the circulatory system | 93 | 0.62 |
| L00-L99 Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue | 88 | 0.59 |
| C00-D48 Neoplasms | 36 | 0.24 |
| Q00-Q99 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities | 25 | 0.17 |
| H00-H59 Diseases of the eye and adnexa | 20 | 0.13 |
| N00-N99 Diseases of the genitourinary system | 18 | 0.12 |
| D50-D89 Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D46 Myelodysplastic syndromes 1 person) | 16 | 0.11 |
| Z00-ZZB Factors influencing health status and contact with health services | 16 | 0.11 |
| S00-T98 Injury, poisoning and certain consequences of external causes (T86 - Complications of transplanted organs and tissue 12 persons) | 12 | 0.08 |
| R00-R99 Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified | 10 | 0.07 |
| P00-P96 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period | 4 | 0.03 |
The 20 most common medicines/medicinal products for which recipients of rehabilitation allowance for young persons were entitled to a special rate of reimbursment in 2024 are shown in the table below.
| Number of reimbursement entitlement | Medicine/medicinal product | Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| 331 | Atomoxetine, dexamphetamine, guanfacine and lisdexamfetamine | F90 |
| 203 | Chronic asthma and similar chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases | J45 |
| 111 | Epilepsy and comparable convulsive disorders | G40 |
| 103 | Diabetes, insulin-treated | E10 |
| 215 | Diabetes, non-insulin-treated | E10 |
| 182 | Brivaracetam, eslicarbazepine, gabapentin, lacosamide, levetiracetam, perampanel, pregabalin, tiagabine and zonisamide | G40 |
| 112 | Severe psychotic and other severe mental disorders | F29 |
| 183 | Lamotrigine and topiramate | G40 |
| 202 | Disseminated connective tissue diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and comparable conditions | M08 |
| 281 | Abatacept, adalimumab, etanercept, golimumab, guselkumab, ixekizumab, infliximab, risankizumab, sarilumab, secukinumab, certolizumab pegol and tocilizumab (inflammatory rheumatic diseases) | M08 |
| 313 | Abatacept, adalimumab, bimekizumab, etanercept, golimumab, guselkumab, ixekizumab, infliximab, risankizumab, sarilumab, secukinumab, certolizumab pegol, tocilizumab and ustekinumab | M08 |
| 186 | Growth hormone | E23 |
| 112 | Severe psychotic and other severe mental disorders | F32 |
| 101 | Anterior pituitary hypofunction | E23 |
| 208 | Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease | K51 |
| 317 | Topical pimecrolimus and tacrolimus | L20 |
| 104 | Hypothyroidism | E03 |
| 112 | Severe psychotic and other severe mental disorders | F31 |
| 215 | Diabetes, non-insulin-treated | E11 |
| 3007 | Atogepant, eptinezumab, erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab and rimegepant (prophylactic treatment of migraine) | G43 |
Purpose and target group of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons
The purpose of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons is to ensure that the vocational rehabilitation process is launched and carried through, to improve the customers’ employability and to provide economic security.
Rehabilitation allowance has been available to young persons since 1999 as a means of ensuring access to vocational rehabilitation. Since 2005, the rehabilitation allowance for young persons has been governed by the Act on Rehabilitation Benefits and Rehabilitation Allowance Benefits Granted by Kela (referred to below as the Kela Rehabilitation Act).
The minimum goal of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons is to allow them, with the help of vocational rehabilitation, to supplement the disability pension they may receive with additional income for their livelihood. The goal regarding additional income is less ambitious than under vocational rehabilitation, and the rehabilitation is not evaluated in the same way in terms of how appropriate it is for the client.
If the potential for vocational rehabilitation is difficult to estimate for example due to the nature of the illness, Kela will usually grant a rehabilitation allowance for young persons rather than a disability pension. The planned rehabilitation must have a realistic goal of helping the client make a transition to the working world.
Rehabilitation allowance for young persons is available to persons
- who are 18 or 19 years of age (for those born in 2008 or earlier, the minimum age limit is 16)
- whose capacity for work or study, or ability to choose an occupation or line of work, has decreased because of an illness or impairment
- who need particular support in order to undergo vocational rehabilitation and
- who have had a personal study and rehabilitation plan (KHOPS) drawn up in their wellbeing services county, aimed at sustaining the vocational rehabilitation process and promoting employment.
However, payment can continue past age 20 until the recipient has completed the degree or qualifications specified in their study and rehabilitation plan. The minimum amount of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons in 2025 is EUR 31.99 per working day (EUR 799.75 per month). The allowance is subject to tax.
Changes in legislation affecting the rehabilitation allowance for young persons
- Act on Rehabilitation Allowances (611/1991, repealed): On 1 August 1999, rehabilitation allowance for young persons became payable to 16- and 17-year-olds as a way to prevent their retirement on a disability pension
- Amendment effective 1 April 2002: The age limit was raised to 20 years.
- Kela Rehabilitation Act (566/2005)
- Amendment effective 1 January 2014: changes in the vocational rehabilitation laws impacted the rehabilitation allowance for young persons, removing impending unemployment and introducing deterioration of ability to study and evaluation of the client's overall circumstances as award criteria; the concept of ‘person with functional impairment’ was removed from the Kela Rehabilitation Act
- Amendment effective 1 October 2015 passed into law the requirement that ‘significant deterioration of ability to work and study’ must be evaluated in the manner defined in section 6 of the Kela Rehabilitation Act (having previously only been outlined in government proposal HE 3/2005 vp)
- Amendment effective 1 January 2017: In addition to determining eligibility for rehabilitation allowance for young persons, Kela must check whether a client is entitled to education and training as a vocational rehabilitation measure. The minimum amount of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons and the rehabilitation allowance for vocational rehabilitation clients was raised to equal the guarantee pension
- Amendment effective 1 January 2024: the minimum rates of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons and the allowance paid during vocational rehabilitation were reduced to align with the minimum rate of other rehabilitation allowances (and of the sickness allowance).
- Amendment effective 1 January 2025: the age limit for rehabilitation allowance was raised to 18 years (for those born in 2008 or before, the age limit is 16 years). The rehabilitation allowance for young persons is only available before and between rehabilitation periods if it is necessary to secure the client’s financial situation or the progress of the rehabilitation. Personal income also affects the amount of the rehabilitation allowance for young persons. If a young person has earnings from paid employment or self-employment exceeding EUR 800 per month, the excess is deducted from the rehabilitation allowance.
