Disability pension

Disability pension safeguards your livelihood in a situation in which your work ability has been reduced due to an illness, disability or injury.

Depending on your health status, we can grant disability pension for a fixed period or until further notice. If it is possible to restore your work ability through treatment and rehabilitation, the pension will be granted for a fixed period.

Different types of disability pension:

• Granted for a fixed period: Rehabilitation subsidy and partial rehabilitation subsidy 
• Granted until further notice: disability pension and partial disability pension

If your work ability has weakened by 60%, you are eligible for the full disability pension. If your work ability has weakened by 40%, you are eligible for the partial disability pension.

Read more about the amount of the disability pension.

 

The payment of disability pension generally begins once the sickness allowance, which is the primary benefit, has been paid for the maximum number of days, in other words, approximately one year from the start of your incapacity to work. The sickness allowance is applied for from Kela.

Partial disability pension can begin when your earnings have decreased to 60% of your full-time earnings and your work ability has been assessed as having decreased by 40%. The employer is not obligated to organise part-time work, but you can get the partial disability pension even if your work ends completely.
 
If you are self-employed, you must reduce your entrepreneurial activities to 60% of full-time work in order to receive partial disability pension. Any entrepreneurial activities carried out alongside partial disability pension must always be insured under YEL, if the requirements for insuring are otherwise fulfilled. 

Full disability pension continues up until the pensionable age and then converts into an equivalent amount of old-age pension. Partial disability pension also changes into old-age pension at the pensionable age, but, at that point, the amount will double to equal the amount of full disability pension.

The pensionable age for old-age pension following disability pension and partial disability pension depends on when the individual has become unable to work:

• If the incapacity to work began in or after 2017, the disability pension will change into old-age pension at the lowest pensionable age for old-age pension for the age group in question.
• If the incapacity to work began in or before 2016, the disability pension or partial disability pension will change into old-age pension at the age of 63.
• If the incapacity to work began prior to 2006, the pension will change into old-age pension at the age of 65.

Disability pension is granted in the form of a fixed-term rehabilitation subsidy if it is assessed that your work ability can be restored through treatment or rehabilitation. The rehabilitation subsidy can be granted for a new fixed period if the rehabilitation or treatment is still ongoing.

Pension can be discontinued or full pension can change into partial disability pension if your work ability is restored.

 

All disability pension decisions are based on earnings-related pension legislation. Furthermore, disability pension decisions are guided by established decision criteria based on the resolutions of appeals.

Our guide for disability pension applicants includes the most common reasons for the rejection of a disability pension application and instructions for possible further measures. Check out our guide.   

Anyone who is dissatisfied with a pension decision can submit an appeal for a change from the Pension Appeal Board and the decision of the Pension Appeal Court can be further appealed to the Insurance Court. The appeal must be received no later than thirty (30) days from the date on which the applicant received the pension decision. If the decision is mailed as a letter to the applicant, the pension decision is deemed as having been received by the applicant no later than seven days from the dispatch date. If you have chosen to be notified of the decision electronically, the decision is deemed as having been received by you on the third day from the dispatch date.

In your appeal, you must clearly state the change you are demanding and justify your demand. You can also submit additional documentation concerning your health status later on while the appeal is still being processed. We shall review all new information and notify you in writing whether or not the decision will be changed based on the new information.