Pension security in Finland
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for developing and drafting pension legislation.
The pension system is based on a number of different acts. The pension acts can be found here:
The Finnish pension system secures a source of income
- in old age
- in case of incapacity for work and
- in case of the death of a family provider.
The benefits paid from the earnings-related and national pension schemes include the old-age pension, disability pension and survivors’ pension. The earnings-related pension also includes a partial early old-age pension and a years-of-service pension.
The old-age pension makes it possible for older people to retire from working life.
The partial early old-age pension allows you to take out part of your accrued earnings-related pension before retiring on a full old-age pension.
The years-of-service pension makes it possible to retire slightly before the actual retirement age for old-age pension. This pension can be granted to those who have had a long career working in a strenuous job and whose ability to work is reduced.
The disability pension compensates for the loss of earnings caused by long-term incapacity for work.
The survivor’s pension is paid to the surviving spouse and children.
All pensions must be applied for. Disability pensions under the national pension scheme are applied for from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), and disability pensions under the earnings-related pension scheme are applied for from the relevant earnings-related pension providers. Both pensions can be applied for at the same time using a single application form.
The application for earnings-related pension should be addressed to the pension provider where most of the person’s earnings have been insured over the past two calendar years.
Voluntary supplementary pensions
Statutory mandatory pension provision can be complemented with supplementary pension provision arranged by employers or by employees themselves.
Advice, instructions for applying and forms are available from earnings-related pension providers, Kela and the Finnish Centre for Pensions
You should primarily contact your own earnings-related pension provider in matters related to earnings-related pensions. In matters concerning national and guarantee pensions, you can contact Kela.
More information is also available in the joint online service of the earnings-related pension sector:
Appealing against a pension decision
The pension decision includes instructions for appealing. Decisions on earnings-related pensions may be appealed against to the Pension Appeal Board. Decisions on national pensions and guarantee pensions may be appealed against to the Social Security Appeal Board.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health does not process requests for review, objections or appeals.
Statistics on pension security
The websites of the Finnish Centre for Pensions and the Finnish Pension Alliance TELA contain key statistics on various aspects of pensions, such as pension recipients, pension expenditure and retirement. The Finnish Centre for Pensions produces statistics on social security that are part of the Official Statistics of Finland.
Further information
Outi Aalto, Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Insurance and Social Security / SVO, Unit for Pensions and Private Insurance / EVY Telephone:0295163198 Email Address: [email protected]
Eva Aalto, Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Insurance and Social Security / SVO, Unit for Pensions and Private Insurance / EVY Telephone:0295163125 Email Address: [email protected]