If you need to take care of your child or a close person who has fallen ill or had an accident, and their condition requires long-term care (for more than 30 days), you can apply for long-term care benefits. This benefit can be received for a total of up to 90 days. In this article, you will find out :
- Who is entitled to this benefit
- How to apply for it
- How to terminate it
The long-term care benefit is a payment from the health insurance system. The amount is 60% of the average daily income. You can calculate the approximate amount using the calculator provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The period for receiving the benefit is up to 90 calendar days, starting from the first day of the need for long-term care.
If the illness is of a shorter duration, you can apply for short-term care benefits. For more information, refer to the article on Childcare (Care for a close person) and Employment.
Who can apply for the care benefit?
- If you need to provide full-time care for your close relative and cannot work as a result, you can apply for long-term care benefit if: the close person has been hospitalized for at least 4 days, and it is assumed that the health condition of the person requiring care will necessitate long-term care for at least 30 days after being discharged from the hospital.
- For terminally ill patients with an incurable medical condition, the condition of previous hospitalization is not required.
- The benefit can be requested by relatives (e.g., spouse, partner, adult child, niece, daughter-in-law, or a person living with the care recipient in the household). For individuals without a direct family relationship, the law requires a common permanent residence with the person who is receiving full-time care.