Kela (Finnish institution)


Kela, abbr. from Kansaneläkelaitos, Folkpensionsanstalten, The Social Insurance Institution, is a Finnish government agency in charge of settling benefits under national social security programs. Kela was founded in 1937 to handle retirement pay. In the 1980s and 1990s, its role was expanded to handle other fields like child benefits, unemployment benefits, sickness benefits, health insurance and student financial aid.
Kela is funded from compulsory payments to some of the administered schemes and by taxation. Coverage under the schemes is given to all permanent residents of Finland. Kansaneläkelaitos/Folkpensionsanstalten literally means "People's Pension Institute", reflecting its original function as the national provider of retirement benefits.

History

Kela was founded in 1937 during the first SDP-Agrarian coalition under Aimo Kaarlo Cajander as a part of the uniting the nation's people policy since Finland's population had been very divided after the Finnish Civil War of 1918.

Directors general

In OfficeDirector General
2017–Elli Aaltonen
2010–2016Liisa Hyssälä
2000–2010Jorma Huuhtanen
1993–2000Pekka Tuomisto
1971–1993Jaakko Pajula
1954–1971V. J. Sukselainen
1946–1954Eino E. Louhio
1944–1945Väinö Arola
1937–1944Eero Rydman

Incidents

In May 2008, a Kela e-service apparently disclosed confidential medical insurance information to the wrong client, and subsequently Kela took that service offline.