Working at retirement age 

Continued employment after the earliest retirement age 

Working can be motivating even if you are reaching retirement age. The older you are when you end your career, the higher your pension will be. However, you must sign a new employment contract even if you continue with the same work. 

Work arrangements made at the workplace, vocational rehabilitation, or partial disability pension can all help you to continue working if, for example, you have an illness or a life situation that reduces your ability to work. Even if you are unable to continue your current work, you may still have plenty of work ability left for some other tasks or to continue working on a part-time basis.

Part-time pension and partial early old-age pension

Part-time pensions were abolished at the beginning of 2017 with the introduction of the pension reform. The pension reform did not affect part-time pensions that have already begun – if you are in this category, you will continue to receive your part-time pension as normal until you retire. The reform replaced the part-time pension with a partial early old-age pension.

Becoming unemployed towards the end of one’s career

If you become unemployed at the end of your career, you may be entitled to unemployment security. Register as an unemployed job seeker through the E-services at Job Market Finland no later than on your first day of unemployment.

Retirement at the end of your career

When you are about to retire, you should use the pension calculator to check how much pension you will receive. Once you have made your decision to retire, terminate your employment and fill in the pension application form. It is a good idea to apply for your pension approximately two months before retirement.

Old-age pension

You can apply for an old-age pension once you reach the minimum retirement age for your age group. With the same application, you can apply for a pension from both Kela and an employee pension institution.

Years-of-service pension

If your ability to work has deteriorated permanently and you were born in 1955 or later, you can apply for a years-of-service pension. This is a new alternative introduced by the pension reform for those who have had a long career of heavy work.

Disability pension

You may receive a disability pension (sickness pension) if you are not yet at the age of retirement and your ability to work has been reduced for at least one year, for example due to illness or disability. 

Pension from abroad

If you live in Finland and apply for a pension from an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you must notify Kela, your employee pension institution, or the Finnish Centre for Pensions that you are also applying for a pension from abroad. You will need a separate application form for other countries with which Finland has a bilateral social security agreement. The Finnish Centre for Pensions will submit your application to the relevant organisations overseas.

You must yourself find out about your pension entitlements in countries with which Finland has not made such an agreement.

Work during retirement

Even if you are already retired, you can return to work if you wish. While receiving an old-age pension, meaning a pension received because of reaching a certain age, you can work without facing any income limits. However, it is a requirement that your pre-retirement employment relationship has been terminated. You can also work while on a part-time pension and disability pension. There are certain restrictions that apply in these cases, however, including income limits. When on a disability pension, you can try returning to work by pausing your pension based on certain conditions.

When on a pension you get to decide, according to your life situation, whether you want to work or to participate in voluntary activities.

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While an illness or disability may reduce your working ability and functional capacity, this does not necessarily mean that you are completely unable to work. Your opportunities for working and finding a suitable job are improved by 

• a correctly chosen and proportioned job,
• tailored work tasks and environment,
• adequate skills and training, and
• support for employment provided by employment services.

A service specialist at your regional employment service office will help you when you need information about your opportunities for finding work and keeping your job despite a disability or illness. Contact the employment official when considering the answers to the following questions:

• What kind of work or education would suit me?
• Can I continue in my job or should I consider changing careers?
• Who should I contact when I need rehabilitation?

Employment and staying in working life can be supported in various ways

All public employment services take special needs for service caused by a disability or illness into consideration. You will not be left alone.

You can discuss matters related to your employment with a professional such as a job coach. The municipal social services can also be included in this discussion.

If your job search has continued for half a year or more, and you have not yet found a job, training, or employment promotion service suitable for you, the employment official will arrange job search discussions with you.

You may also need other support and rehabilitation alternatives to get into working life or stay at work.

Working conditions can be arranged to correspond to your working ability

Employers have an obligation and often also the desire to make reasonable modifications in the work and working conditions if it will eliminate an impediment to work caused by an injury or illness.

Working as a recipient of a pension or support related to partial working ability

If you wish, you can work and earn a salary at the same time as you receive a pension or support related to partial working ability. In this situation, you need to figure out the earning limits. Earning limits define the amount of salary you can earn without the salary affecting the amount of your pension or allowance. If you want to try returning to work that will exceed your earnings limit, you have the option to put your pension on hold. Leaving the pension on hold means that the payment of the disability pension or partial disability pension is suspended for the duration of your employment relationship.

Organisations to support work ability

Various organisations offer a wide range of support for employment and the ability to work. The experience and knowledge of these actors complement public sector employment services.

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