When you are about to retire
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People usually retire at their respective retirement age or if their work capacity is impaired. Pensions provide economic security in old age, disability and late-career unemployment.
What can a pension consist of?
The Finnish pension system consists of three parts: earnings-related pension, national pension and guarantee pension.
- The authorised pension providers pay out earnings-related pensions that are based on employment or self-employment.
- The authorised pension providers pay out earnings-related pensions in the form of, for instance, old-age pensions and disability pensions.
- You can access the services of your own pension provider here (elakepalvelut.fi). Log in to the service with your online banking credentials.
- Kela pays out national pensions. The national pension is a basic benefit paid by Kela that supplements the earnings-related pension if the earnings-related pension is small or you have not accrued any earnings-related pension.
- Kela pays national pensions in the form of old-age pensions and disability pensions
- Kela pays out guarantee pensions that secure a minimum pension for pension recipients with small incomes.
Pensions and different compensations are also available from other sources. You can for instance get compensations from industrial accident insurance or motor liability insurance.
Persons who have lost a family member can get financial assistance in the form of survivors’ pensions from Kela, the authorised pension provider or some other source. The pension can be provided as a spouse’s pension or an orphan’s pension.
If you have worked or stayed abroad, you may also have accrued pension rights from other countries. Read more about how work, studies or stays abroad may affect your pension.
The pension can thus consist of several different parts.
Where and how to apply for a pension
You can apply for a pension from Kela if the pensions and compensations you get from the authorised pension provider or from other sources are small or you do not get them at all.
You can get an old-age pension in the form of a national pension from Kela, if your earnings-related pension is small or if you do not receive any earnings-related pension and you have reached the age of 65 years. In some cases, you can take the old-age pension early. The national pension and the earnings-related pension have different age limits for when you can take an old-age pension. Information about earnings-related pensions is available from the authorised pension provider.
If your work capacity is impaired or you have received sickness allowance for a long time, you can apply for rehabilitation subsidy (time-limited disability pension) or disability pension. Read more about these in the section Illness and work capacity.
You can apply for a pension from the authorised pension provider and from Kela with the same application when you are applying for old-age pension, disability pension or survivors’ pension.
More detailed instructions for application are available on the pages for the different pension types.
Other benefits while retired
If your income is small, you may qualify for housing allowance for pensioners or general housing allowance.
If you have children aged under 16 years, you may be entitled to a child increase.
The care allowance for pensioners is intended as support for pensioners with a disability or chronic illness in their daily life, functional ability, rehabilitation and care.
Many service providers offer pensioner discounts. To get a discount, you may need a certificate to prove that you are retired. Read more about cards for pension recipients and pensioner discounts.
What else is going on in your life?
Do you have medical or medicine expenses?
You can receive reimbursement for the costs of private healthcare services and prescription medicines prescribed for an illness. Read more about what kinds of expenses can be reimbursed. Don’t forget to apply for social assistance for medicine costs, when necessary.
Do you use Kela taxis?
Kela reimburses taxi rides to persons who, due to their health or poor traffic conditions, need help with transport to and from healthcare providers. Read more about when you can use a Kela taxi.
Is someone else managing your Kela affairs?
If you have Kela-related affairs that you cannot or do not wish to manage independently, you can authorise someone to do so on your behalf. It is possible to manage another person’s affairs by phone, by mail, by visiting a customer service point, and partially online. Read more about acting on behalf of someone else.
Starting or ending a relationship
Have your benefits reviewed if you move in with your partner, get married or separate.
Are you short of money?
If your pension or other income are not enough to cover your compulsory expenses, you should find out if you are eligible for social assistance.
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