Processing times statistics

The table shows which day’s applications we are processing at any given time. The “Today processing” column shows the type of application we are processing and the “Arrived” column shows the date on which the oldest application in the batch was filed. The “Queue time” column shows the number of calendar days since we received the application. Today’s date is not taken into account.

The statistics give you an idea of how long it typically takes us to process applications at the moment. The situation can change unexpectedly, however. The coronavirus outbreak is causing sudden spikes in the number of applications, which can quickly put us behind schedule.

First applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. We will contact you if we need any additional information.

If you submit a follow-up application due to still being unemployed or laid off and your circumstances have not changed since your previous application, your application can be paid out automatically and you should see the money in your account within two banking days of the date on which we received your application.

If we have not yet had time to process your previous application, we cannot automate the processing of your follow-up application. However, all this means is that once we get around to your previous application, we will also process your new follow-up application at the same time.

If you are declaring days of work or other changes in your follow-up application, we will need to process it manually. We will contact you if we need any additional information.

The table above shows the length of the queue in calendar days. The processing time is the number of days since we received the applications that we are processing today, excluding today’s date. On 8 October, for example, we were processing first applications received on 29 September, and the counter showed the processing time as 9 days.

The processing time shown in our statistics is not the same as the time that you spend waiting for your daily allowance after submitting your application. The statistical processing time does not take into account the time it takes for your application to reach us, the time it takes the bank to process the payment or any weekends in between.

The statistics show where we are at the moment, but the situation can change quickly. We can, for example, be suddenly inundated by a large number of applications arriving at the same time, and it will consequently take us longer to process that day’s batch. In other words, the processing time counter can show a higher figure in days even though the number of applications in the queue is decreasing. The statistical processing time shown on our website is primarily designed to give you an idea about the time it takes us to process a large batch of applications, and you should rely on it to work out how long it takes us to process your application specifically.

We may, for example, have started processing your application but then had to put it on hold. This can happen, for instance, if we need to ask you for more information or if we are missing a statement from your local TE Office.

Please also note that processing times are different for different types of applications. First applications typically take the longest to process because there is more manual work involved. Follow-up applications, on the other hand, are paid out automatically if there are no changes, and can therefore be turned around in a day. If you are declaring days of work or other changes in your follow-up application, certain manual steps have to be performed and this can take a few days.

Our goal is to respond within two business days. This may vary. Often we manage to answer earlier, but backlog is possible, as well, at which time it takes a little longer to respond. Many people might apply for daily allowance at the turn of the month, which often also means that we receive more messages. The busiest time of year is January–February, when unemployment is typically at its highest, the tax year changes and we are sending membership fee invoices. We will announce extended response times in the OmaYTK service.

In the chart, you can see the respond time in calendar days. In practice, however, we mainly only reply on weekdays, so we do not reply to message sent on Friday in two days, but only after the weekend.