Long-term nursing benefit

What it means

Long-term nursing benefit is a sickness insurance benefit for someone who personally provides full-time care for a relative, such as a child, parent or spouse, over a longer period after hospital treatment or in palliative care. The point is to let the family care for the patient at home without losing all income.

Unlike ordinary nursing benefit, which is shorter and mostly covers a child’s acute illness, the long-term benefit is tied to a serious health condition confirmed by a doctor and lasts much longer. It is available to someone who is sickness-insured and meets the statutory conditions.

The Social Insurance Agency pays the benefit, and it is calculated from the daily assessment base like other sickness benefits. Several relatives may take turns providing care where the law allows, but only one of them receives the benefit at any one time.

How it works in practice

For the employer it is an obstacle to work on the employee’s side. The absence must be excused and no wages are paid for it; the benefit replaces the income. For payroll it matters that the employee brings the confirmation in time and that the period is recorded correctly in the returns.

While the long-term benefit is paid, the state pays insurance contributions for the employee, so the period counts towards their record. The employer reports it in the monthly statement as a period without income under the right code, or discrepancies arise that the Social Insurance Agency later chases.

We recommend planning for the long absence and arranging cover. An employee returning after providing care is entitled to their original job and workplace, and in some situations a protected period also shields them from dismissal.

What to watch out for

A common mistake is confusing long-term nursing benefit with unpaid leave. If an employee cares for a relative without claiming the benefit, they lose income and insurance credit. It is worth pointing out that they may be entitled to it.

Where it overlaps with other benefits, such as maternity or pregnancy benefit, rules restrict drawing them at the same time. Before applying, it is wise to check which benefit is better and whether they exclude each other.