Child support, maintenance allowance to drop from January

The amounts of child support and child maintenance allowance will decrease on 1 January 2026, said the national social insurance institution-Kela in a press release on Thursday.

The decision was made in response to a change in the cost-of-living index.

Following an index change, both will decrease by about 0.21% at the beginning of 2026.

The full child maintenance allowance will be EUR 197.71 per month per child. In 2025, the full amount is EUR 198.13 per month, so the monthly allowance will decrease by EUR 0.42.

The index adjustments are applied automatically to child maintenance allowance payments.

The change in the cost-of-living index will also lead to a decrease in the amount of child support.

Persons liable for maintenance will pay about 0.21% less in child support than they have in 2025.

If Kela pays child maintenance allowance because the person liable for maintenance has neglected to pay the confirmed child support, the person liable for maintenance can check the new amount of child support in the OmaKela e-service at the latest at the beginning of January 2026.

If the child maintenance allowance paid by Kela is based on child support confirmed abroad, the recipient of the child maintenance allowance must themselves inform Kela of any changes in the amount of child support.

The income limits to qualify for an exemption on payment of child support debt will be adjusted as well.

Persons liable for maintenance of a child will qualify for the exemption if their monthly income does not exceed EUR 1,336.00.

The income limit goes up by EUR 334.01 per month for each additional child under the age of 18.

However, the income limit is not increased for children who have been granted child maintenance allowance.