Pensioners face long queue in Kela´s housing benefit handling

The national social insurance institution-Kela is currently taking longer than usual time to process applications related to the housing allowance for pensioners, said Kela in a press release on Monday.

Longer wait times are partly caused by an exceptionally large number of applications Kela recently receiving for the periodic review of the housing allowance for pensioners.

The processing of applications is currently backlogged, so customers may have to wait longer than usual for a decision, said Kela.

The authority asked pensioners to apply for a periodic review when two years have passed from the date on which the customer was granted the housing allowance, or it was last reviewed.

Housing allowance payments, however, will continue as usual during the processing of applications.

Customers who have applied for a review of their housing allowance for pensioners do not need to worry even if they have to wait longer for a decision. Customers who submitted their application on time will be paid their housing allowance as usual.

“Kela will continue to pay the housing allowance for pensioners until the customer’s application has been processed and a new decision has been issued as long as the customer submitted their application for a periodic review on time,” said Esa Rahja, Head of the Centre for Pensions of Kela.

Kela’s customer service is currently receiving a large volume of enquiries about customers’ applications.

The customer service specialists do not, however, have access to information on how long it will take to review an individual customer’s application or when they can expect a decision.