Sweden to discontinue payments of the guarantee pension to beneficiaries outside Sweden at the turn of the year

Sweden has decided to discontinue payments of the guarantee pension (garantipension) to beneficiaries in Finland who were born in 1938 or later. The effective date for the discontinuation is 1 January 2023. The Swedish Pensions Agency will send out decisions to affected beneficiaries in mid-December. This change may impact the benefits that certain current garantipension recipients may get from Kela.

Sweden has decided to discontinue payments of the guarantee pension to some foreign recipients with effect from 1 January 2023. The decision concerns those born in 1938 and later who receive a Swedish guarantee pension or survivor's pension (garantipension till omställningspension).

Persons born in 1937 or earlier will continue to get a guarantee pension also after the turn of the year. The decision to discontinue payments of the guarantee pension also does not apply to the guarantee pension paid on top of a spouse’s pension (garantipension till änkepension). They will continue to be paid normally.

Occupational pensions paid by the Swedish Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) or Swedish occupational pension providers will not be affected. Occupational pensions, whether paid by the Swedish Pensions Agency (inkomstpension, premiepension, inkomstpensionstillägg, tilläggspension) or by occupational pension providers, will continue to be paid to recipients outside Sweden.

In mid-December, the Swedish Pensions Agency will send out decisions to current recipients of a guarantee pension informing them that their pension will be discontinued.

Check your eligibility for other Kela benefits

Persons who were born in 1938 or later and who receive a guarantee pension from Sweden as well as a guarantee pension or additional front-veteran’s supplement from Kela must have their Kela benefits reviewed if the Swedish guarantee pension counts as income for the Kela benefits.

Housing allowance for pensioners can be reviewed if the discontinuation of the Swedish guarantee pension, either by itself or in combination with other changes, will result in a considerable change in annual income. ‘Considerable change’ means a decrease in income of at least 509 euros per year (as of 2023).

Customers may become entitled to a Kela guarantee pension when their Swedish guarantee pension is discontinued. In order to get a guarantee pension from Kela, they must be living in Finland and their total pension income must remain below a specific limit (914.95 euros per month as of 2023). A guarantee pension is not available if the customer’s total pension income exceeds this limit.

Customers wishing to apply for Kela benefits or to have their benefit reviewed can submit an application online using the OmaKela e-service (www.kela.fi/omakela or www.fpa.fi/mittfpa, Finnish/Swedish only). To access the service, they will need their online bank access codes, a mobile ID or an electronic ID card. Applications can also be made verbally by calling Kela, or they can submitted by post on a paper application form. Applications must be accompanied by details of any foreign pensions the applicant may receive in 2023.

Customers who currently receive a care allowance for pensioners as well as a pension other than the soon to be discontinued Swedish guarantee pension will continue to receive their care allowance. If the Swedish guarantee pension is their only pension and they will not be awarded any other pension starting 1 January 2023, the care allowance will be discontinued. In that case, they may be entitled to disability allowance for persons aged 16 years or over. Applications for disability allowance can be submitted electronically in OmaKela, by posting a paper application form to Kela, or by calling Kela’s customer service. A medical statement C or other medical documentation containing an up-to-date description of the applicant’s functional status must accompany the application.

Persons born in 1937 or before who receive a guarantee pension from Sweden will continue to receive their pension, and do not have to take any action.

Phone numbers

• Pensions 020 634 2650 (when calling from abroad, +358 20 634 2650), 9–16 Monday to Friday
• International situations 020 634 0200 (when calling from abroad, +358 20 634 0200), 10‒15 Monday to Friday
• Care allowance for pensioners/Disability allowance for persons aged 16 years or over 020 634 2650 (when calling from abroad, +358 20 634 2650), 9-16 Monday to Friday

Application forms

• Application for review – National pension/Guarantee pension/Additional front veterans’ supplement, in Finnish (E 285)
• Application Housing allowance for pensioners (AE 1e)
• Application Guarantee pension (GE 1e)
• Application Care allowance for pensioners/Disability allowance for persons aged 16 years or over (EV 256e)

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