lapsilisät

Lapsilisät, or child benefits, are monthly financial allowances provided to families with dependent children in Finland. The benefit is administered by Kela, the Finnish Social Insurance Institution, and forms a core part of the country's social security system. It is intended to help cover the everyday costs of raising children and is generally available to most families with a qualifying child.

Eligibility and payment: Lapsilisät are typically paid automatically for each eligible child to the person legally responsible for the child. There is no income testing, and in most cases no separate application is required; Kela uses population and residence data to determine entitlement. If a child lives abroad or if information in Kela’s records is incomplete, an application or additional notification may be needed.

Amounts and age: The monthly amount is paid for each child and varies with the child’s age. Rates are adjusted periodically to reflect inflation and legislative changes, and higher rates often apply as children get older. The per-child payment is designed to scale with family size and the needs associated with different stages of childhood.

Duration and interaction with other benefits: Lapsilisät are designed to support families across the years a child is dependent on their guardians, with eligibility governed by national law. They are separate from other supports, such as housing benefits or education grants, and are not means-tested. Changes in family status or residency should be reported to Kela to ensure continuity of payments.