Forming a stepfamily may have an impact on family benefits.

Child benefit

When you form a stepfamily, the amount of child benefit will change. You are no longer entitled to the single-parent supplement to child benefit, but the amount of child benefit may increase through the child benefit paid for the other children in the stepfamily. If, for example, the family consists of a mother with two children and a father with one child, child benefit is paid for three children, if all the child benefit amounts are paid to the same person. The amounts are shown in the table.

Child maintenance allowance and child support

Forming a stepfamily does not affect the child support or child maintenance allowance paid by Kela. The parent liable for maintenance will pay child support as agreed.

Housing allowance

If you are receiving housing allowance, cohabitation or marriage may change the amount of the allowance. You can use the housing allowance calculator (in Finnish and Swedish only) to see whether you are eligible for housing allowance and how much you may be entitled to.

Report changes in your circumstances

Notify Kela if you move in with a partner. You can do it online under 'Omat tiedot' (in Finnish) or under 'Mina uppgifter' (in Swedish). Notify any changes as soon as possible to avoid excess payment of benefits. Kela receives information about marriages directly from the local register office, so it is not necessary to notify Kela when getting married.

If you are receiving housing allowance, ask for a review of your allowance online by filling in the relevant section on form General housing allowance (AT 1e), so that Kela can adjust your allowance in accordance with the changes in your circumstances. Or you can cancel the allowance online.