Exceptions concerning the protected portion of unemployment benefit and the mobility allowance continue until the end of June

The increase in the protected portion of unemployment benefit from EUR 300 to EUR 500 per month will continue until 30 June 2021. The protected portion is the maximum sum that a jobseeker may earn without losing unemployment benefit.

Temporary relief in the mobility allowance will also continue until the end of June. A mobility allowance may be paid to a claimant eligible for unemployment benefit who accepts an offer of work at a location far from home or moves a similar distance for work. Payment of such allowances during the coronavirus epidemic required a daily commute of more than two hours for full-time work, instead of the previous three-hour minimum.

Measures facilitating the payment of unemployment benefit will also continue until the end of June 2021. The unemployment fund or Kela may pay part of the unemployment benefit in advance for up to six months before issuing a formal decision on the claim. Such advances were previously only payable for two months. Unemployment benefit must nevertheless still be claimed for each period of joblessness.

Measures facilitating the calculation of adjusted unemployment benefit will also continue until 30 June 2021. No special adjustment period or related imputed income will be applied in this adjustment.

Also these legal changes will remain in force until the end of June 2021:

• Self-employed and freelance workers may seek labour market support from Kela without having to stop trading if they are unable to work full-time, or if their livelihood is reduced due to the coronavirus epidemic.
• The adjustment will be based on the income declared by a self-employed claimant if changes in business income prevent the use of a final taxable income figure for this calculation.