can a PhD student get KELA unemployment benefit

newborn · Post by **newborn** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 2:48 pm

Hi

I was working full time on a project for longer time and after the project is finished my contract has ended and I have thus become unemployed. I am also a PhD student and I will be finished soon. When I registered as jobseeker T-E office asked me about my PhD course: How long will it take to get degree, how much time I spent on course and whether I am registered as student now etc.

My question is: if I am still a PhD student (will get certificates in 2 months maybe), will I get unemployment benefits from KELA or not?If not, is it because I am a PhD student and I will need to apply for KELA student benefits and they will give me student benefits?

Did anyone have such experiences?

Thanks in advance.

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Marsh04 · Post by **Marsh04** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:17 pm

As far as I know you don't get any of them. You are considered employed when you are doing PhD.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:32 pm

newborn wrote: My question is: if I am still a PhD student (will get certificates in 2 months maybe), will I get unemployment benefits from KELA or not?If not, is it because I am a PhD student and I will need to apply for KELA student benefits and they will give me student benefits?

Your PhD studies can be considered to prevent you from taking up full time employment in which case you would not be eligible for unemployment benefits. Whether this applies to you so close to graduation depends on your individual circumstances. PhD students are eligible for 9 months of student benefits if the reason for your residence permit or registration of right of residence is not studies.

If you don't have assets, apply for income support from the municipality. In the process they have an incentive to make sure you get all the other benefits because it means less income support for them to pay.

newborn · Post by **newborn** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 11:16 pm

Marsh04 wrote:As far as I know you don't get any of them. You are considered employed when you are doing PhD.

yes, it is true if someone gets paid from fund or from some scholarship etc.

However, I not getting paid anymore after I finished my thesis as I just need to write one more exam and I am done with it. Will they still consider me to be employed?

newborn · Post by **newborn** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 11:23 pm

Your PhD studies can be considered to prevent you from taking up full time employment in which case you would not be eligible for unemployment benefits. Whether this applies to you so close to graduation depends on your individual circumstances. PhD students are eligible for 9 months of student benefits if the reason for your residence permit or registration of right of residence is not studies.

I am not studying full-time and I just need to write one exam to get my certificates and I am not employed by the department anymore. Besides, I have become Finnish citizen last year.

If you don't have assets, apply for income support from the municipality. In the process they have an incentive to make sure you get all the other benefits because it means less income support for them to pay.

How can I apply to this support if I need to?

nihil0 · Post by **nihil0** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:36 am

It looks like you may be eligible for 9 months of opintotuki.

Zwagger · Post by **Zwagger** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:04 am

I think it depends on your status before now. Were you considered as a worker or a student?

If you have a student status then yes you won't get support, if not you just go to the unemployment and say you do not have work and let them know you have been working rather than studying while you rush up with your PhD.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:44 pm

newborn wrote: How can I apply to this support if I need to?

Google search words 'toimeentulotuki', 'name-of-the-city-you-live-in', 'sosiaalivirasto' (or 'sosiaalitoimisto')

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