The following persons between the age of 16 and the pensionable age are entitled to working ability allowance:
- Estonian citizen residing in Estonia;
- aliens residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit or right of residence;
- persons enjoying international protection staying in Estonia or asylum seekers staying in Estonia who have the right to take employment in Estonia under the Act on Granting International Protection to Aliens.
Residents of Estonia whose residence is in several states are entitled to working ability assessment and working ability allowance if they are residents for the purposes of the Income Tax Act or if they reside permanently in Estonia for the purposes of the Aliens Act.
Conditions for receiving the allowance
To be granted working ability allowance, a person must have their working ability assessed. If the Unemployment Insurance Fund has assessed a person of having partial or no working ability, they have the right to receive working ability allowance and are provided with health insurance.
If a person has been assessed as having partial work ability, they must meet at least one of the following conditions to receive working ability allowance, i.e. they must be:
- working;
- searching for a job, i.e. be registered as unemployed and meeting the activity requirements;
- studying – acquiring basic, secondary, vocational or higher education;
- raising at least one child under three years of age;
- caring for a family member with a severe or profound disability or a disabled person;
- receiving support for creative activity from the artistic association;
- placed in a social welfare institution to receive the 24-hour special care service without their consent;
- be in out-patient or in-patient treatment (incl. in withdrawal treatment) or affected by a substitutional sentence or corrective measure provided by law applied in respect of you;
- in compulsory military service, alternative service or reserve service.
If a person has been assessed as having no working ability, they are not required to meet the aforementioned activity requirements.
From 1 April 2026, the daily rate of the work ability allowance is EUR 22,89 of which the allowance per calendar day:
- for partial work ability is 57% of the daily rate (EUR 13,0473 per day, averaging EUR 391,42 per month);
- for no work ability is 100% of the daily rate (EUR 22,89 per day, averaging EUR 686,70 per month).
The working ability allowance is paid for the previous calendar month by the 10th day of the following calendar month by Unemployment Insurance Fund.
Applying for the allowance
You can fill in and submit an application for work ability allowance:
- at e-töötukassa;
- at the regional office of the Unemployment Insurance Fund with the help of a case manager;
- by phone, with the help of a case manager, if the applicant can be identified by phone;
- digitally signed, via e-mail at [email protected];
- on paper, signed and submitted to the nearest Unemployment Insurance Fund’s office or sent by post to the address Eesti Töötukassa, Lasnamäe 2, 11412 Tallinn.
Read more about the working ability allowance from the website of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
If you have any questions, call the information line of the Unemployment Insurance Fund at 777 3000 (when calling from abroad, dial +372 777 3000) or write an e-mail to [email protected].
Forms
Related articles
- Assessment of work ability
- Social benefits for disabled persons
- Social services
- Rehabilitation service