Recovery procedure
If we have paid you an allowance that you were not entitled to or if we have paid you too much, we will need to recover the unduly paid amounts. We may need to recover payments if, for example,
- the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or a pension provider grants you a pension or another benefit retroactively,
- the TE Office issues a retroactive statement according to which you were not in fact eligible for the benefits paid by your unemployment fund,
- we learn new information that affects your eligibility for benefits. Examples include us finding out that you have been working or receiving a wage or compensation, that you have been studying or running a business, or that you receive other social benefits, or
- we have made a mistake with your application.
Please fill in your application carefully to avoid us having to recover payments. Also remember to let your unemployment fund know as soon as possible about any changes in your circumstances that could affect your eligibility for benefits or the amount of your allowance.
You may be penalised if you fail to report changes in your circumstances or if you provide false information. You can read more about the penalties under Transparency.
Under the Unemployment Allowances Act, unduly paid benefits must be recovered regardless of the reason. This means that excess amounts paid due to a mistake made by government authorities or your unemployment fund also need to be recovered.
If we notice that you have been paid too much, we will send you a consultation letter. You can tell us your side of the story in your response.
You will receive a written recovery decision by post. If you disagree with the decision, you can challenge it with the Social Security Appeal Board. Instructions for filing complaints will be enclosed with the decision.
Recovery of retroactive benefits from the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or a pension provider
If the need to recover payments arises as a result of the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or a pension provider granting you a pension or another benefit retroactively, the excess amount of benefits that you have been paid will need to be recovered. In such circumstances, we can recover the amount by which we have overpaid you directly from the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or your pension provider.
Remember to tell the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or your pension provider well in advance that you also receive benefits from your unemployment fund. You must also let your unemployment fund know as soon as possible if you apply for benefits from elsewhere. If you have not told us about having applied for other benefits and it turns out that we cannot recover the amount by which we have overpaid you from the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or your pension provider, we will have to recover the overpayment from you.
It is also possible that the amount that we receive from the Social Insurance Institution (SII) or your pension provider does not cover the whole of the overpayment. In such cases we will need to recover the remaining portion of the unduly paid benefits from you. We will not, however, pursue recovery if the benefit that you have been granted retroactively is a cash rehabilitation benefit, a disability pension or a partial disability pension.