Kela WH 9e (06.26) — Application for Flexible Care Allowance and Partial Care Allowance

What is Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance?

Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, pays two allowances to parents who cut their working hours to care for a child. Flexible care allowance (joustava hoitoraha) is for a parent of a child under 3 years of age. Partial care allowance (osittainen hoitoraha) is for a parent of a child in the 1st or 2nd year of primary education, and in a few special cases around preschool and the 3rd school year. Form WH 9e is the English paper application for both, in one four-page PDF.

The first three pages are yours: who you are, your bank account, the period you apply for, who looks after the child while you work, which of the five situations describes the child, how you are employed and how many hours you work per week on average. Page 4 is the employer's statement about your total working hours, which your employer completes and signs — if they fill in that page, no separate statement is needed.

FileIt walks you through the form a section at a time and prints your answers into Kela's own PDF. It fills in your name and e-mail from your People records, checks the Finnish personal identity codes and IBAN, tells you whether your answers point to flexible or partial care allowance, and flags a start date more than six months back. The finished PDF is saved in your vault and can be sent for e-signature, for example to your employer for page 4. You deliver it to Kela yourself — FileIt never submits anything.

Who needs to fill out Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance?

• A parent who works part-time or shorter days to look after a child under 3 and wants flexible care allowance.
• A parent of a child in the 1st or 2nd year of primary education who works shorter hours to care for the child and wants partial care allowance.
• A parent whose child starts school a year later than normal and attends preschool in the first year of compulsory education.
• A parent whose child is in early compulsory education, or in the 3rd school year, with a decision on the arrangement of instruction because of disability, illness or impaired functional capacity.
• A legal guardian who is not the child's parent but cares for the child in the same way.
• Self-employed people, farmers and grant recipients insured under the YEL or MYEL Acts, as well as employees — section 6 covers all of them.
• Anyone who prefers a paper or PDF application in English to the OmaKela e-service.

When to use Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance

• When you agree shorter working hours or partial care leave with your employer so that you can look after your child.
• When your child is under 3 and you start working part-time, even for only part of the week.
• When your child starts the 1st year of school and you plan to reduce your working day while they settle in.
• Promptly after the reduced hours begin — the form says applications can be backdated by a maximum of 6 months.
• When your working hours change band (for example from up to 22.5 hours a week to more), send new information to Kela, since the declaration on the form commits you to notify any changes.

What you need before you start

• Your Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus) and your child's.
• Your bank account number as an IBAN.
• The date you want the allowance from, or the start and end of a fixed period.
• Your average total working hours per week for that period, combined across all jobs, service contracts and self-employment.
• Your working hours as a share of the full-time hours typical for your industry (up to 60%, 60–80% or more than 80%).
• Details of your employment status and pension insurance (YEL or MYEL) if you are self-employed, a farmer or a grant recipient.
• Your employer's statement about your total working hours — either page 4 of this form completed by the employer, or a separate statement.
• If the other parent is also applying for the same period, a short description of how you share the child's care.

What’s on Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance

The 2026 edition has 4 pages. FileIt asks for it in 11 parts, and it is signed by Applicant and Employer:

1. 1 ApplicantApplicant
2. 2 Bank account numberApplicant
3. 3 ApplicationApplicant
4. 4 Child care arrangementsApplicant
5. 5 ChildApplicant
6. 6 EmploymentApplicant
7. 7 Working hoursApplicant
8. 8 EnclosuresApplicant
9. 9 Additional informationApplicant
10. 10 SignatureApplicant
11. Employer's statement about total working hours (page 4)Employer

How to fill out Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance, step by step

1 1. Applicant

Tick whether you are the child's parent or another legal guardian, then give your personal identity code, family name and given name, phone number, e-mail and occupation. Kela retrieves your address from the population data system, so there is no address box; if you live temporarily somewhere else, write that address in section 9.

The form reminds you that to qualify you must take part in the care of your child, and that neither allowance can be paid for more than one child at a time.

2 2. Bank account number

The account the allowance is paid into. Write the full IBAN. FileIt checks the IBAN's check digits, so a mistyped number is caught before you print.

3 3. Application

Give either a single date from which you apply (open-ended), or a fixed period with a start and an end date — not both. The form says the allowance can be backdated by a maximum of 6 months.

Then say whether the child's other parent or guardian is applying for flexible or partial care allowance for the same period. If yes, describe the child care arrangements in section 9, for example which days each of you looks after the child.

4 4. Child care arrangements

Will you or your spouse or partner get child home care allowance during the time you apply for? If yes, say who looks after the child while you are working. Child home care allowance is applied for on a different Kela form, WH 1e.

5 5. Child

The child's name and personal identity code, and one tick describing the child: under 3 years of age (flexible care allowance), or one of four school-age situations (partial care allowance) — the 1st or 2nd year of primary education, starting school a year late and attending preschool in the first year of compulsory education, early compulsory education with a decision on the arrangement of instruction, or the 3rd school year with such a decision.

FileIt reads the child's date of birth from the identity code and warns you if a child ticked as under 3 has already turned 3 by the start date.

6 6. Employment

Tick every item that applies: employed; self-employed or a farmer insured under the YEL or MYEL Act; a grant recipient insured under the MYEL Act; or self-employed or a farmer not insured under either Act. If you are employed, the form asks for a statement from your employer about your total working hours.

Finally, say whether you will be an unemployed jobseeker during the period you apply for.

7 7. Working hours

Choose one band for your average weekly hours (up to 22.5, more than 22.5 but not over 30, more than 30) and one for the share of full-time hours typical for your industry (up to 60%, more than 60% but not over 80%, more than 80%). Count all your work together — every employment relationship, service contract and self-employment. An applicant for partial care allowance must always state the hours.

Then tick whether your hours are as shown because of child care responsibilities or some other reason. FileIt shows which allowance and which band your answers point to; Kela makes the decision.

8 8. Enclosures

Tick this box if you enclose a separate employer's statement about your total working hours. No separate statement is needed if your employer fills in the statement on page 4.

9 9. Additional information

Free space for anything else, including a temporary address and the care arrangements with the other parent. Start each note with the number of the section it refers to, as the form asks.

10 10. Signature

Write the place and date, then sign and print your name under the declaration that the information is true and accurate and that you will notify any changes. The text below the signature explains that Kela may use the information for other benefit matters where the law requires.

11 Employer's statement about total working hours (page 4)

Completed and signed by your employer. It repeats your identity code and name, gives the period and your average total weekly working hours in the same hour and percentage bands as section 7, and the reason for the shorter hours: partial care leave, part-time work, or another reason such as studies or health. The employer adds its name, address, postal code and district, the name and telephone number of the person in charge of the case, any additional information, and the place, date, signature and printed name.

In FileIt this page is an optional part: switch it on if your employer will complete it, and FileIt copies your code and name onto it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Giving both a start date and a fixed period in section 3 — use one or the other.
• Choosing a start date more than six months before the application; the form says the allowance can be backdated by at most 6 months.
• Ticking 'under 3 years of age' for a child who has already turned 3 — from then on the child is outside flexible care allowance.
• Counting only one job in section 7; the total must combine all employment, service contracts and self-employment.
• Leaving out the hours when applying for partial care allowance — the form says the hours must always be stated.
• Ticking 'employed' but sending neither page 4 nor a separate employer's statement.
• Answering 'Yes' to the other parent's application in section 3 without explaining the care arrangements in section 9.
• Applying for two children at once — each allowance is paid for one child at a time.

After you fill it out

Sign and date page 3, and have your employer complete and sign page 4 if you use it. If you enclose a separate employer's statement instead, tick it in section 8.

The form gives two ways to deliver it: send the application and any supporting documents by mail to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA, or file the application and related documentation online at www.kela.fi/english. FileIt does not send it for you. Kela also offers the OmaKela e-service for these allowances.

Your filled PDF stays in your FileIt vault next to the child's other documents. Tell Kela when your working hours, your employment or the child's situation change, as the declaration commits you to, and make a new application if you want the allowance for a later period.

Kela WH 9e - flexible / partial care allowance: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela): https://www.kela.fi/benefit-forms/WH9e.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.kela.fi/flexible-care-allowance
• Edition shown on this page: WH 9e 06.26 (checked 2026-09-26).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-26.

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