Years-of-service pension
The years-of-service pension is intended for individuals who have had a long and demanding career and whose work ability has deteriorated.
To qualify for a years-of-service pension, you must have worked for at least 38 years in an occupation that causes strain and wear. In addition, your ability to continue working must be impaired due to your health condition.
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Can I get a years-of-service pension?
You can receive a years-of-service pension if:
- you are 63 years old but below your lowest old-age retirement age,
- your work ability has been reduced due to illness, defect, or injury,
- you have worked at least 38 years in an occupation that causes strain and wear, and
- you are currently working or your employment ended less than a year ago.
The years-of-service pension can be granted for the period between age 63 and your lowest retirement age. At the lowest old-age retirement age, it automatically converts into an old-age pension.
If you have already reached your lowest old-age retirement age, you cannot receive a years-of-service pension. If you are already on a full or partial disability pension, you also cannot receive a years-of-service pension.
Applying for a years-of-service pension
The years-of-service pension can start at the earliest from the beginning of the month following your application.
If you wish, you can apply for a preliminary decision on your entitlement to a years-of-service pension and make the final decision on retirement only after receiving it. You apply for the preliminary decision by completing the years-of-service pension application.
Steps to apply for a years-of-service pension
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View an estimate of your accrued pension
- The amount of the years-of-service pension is the pension accrued up to retirement. You can check your accrued earnings-related pension in our online service on the pension record.
- Log in to the online service
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Obtain a B medical certificate
You need a B medical certificate written by a doctor as an attachment to your application. -
Submit a pension application
- You can apply for a years-of-service pension by completing and signing the years-of-service pension application. Your application must include both an occupational health statement about your health condition and a report on your work history. Entrepreneurs must provide equivalent information.
- Years-of-service pension application, PDF
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Send the application to Elo
You can send the printed and signed form to Elo by post. Use the reply mail address so that Elo pays the postage: Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company, Code 5010419, 00003 Reply Mail.
Please note the following when applying for a years-of-service pension:
- The years-of-service pension must be applied for within one year after your work causing strain and wear has ended.
- The pension decision cannot be granted retroactively but at the earliest from the beginning of the month following your application.
- A positive preliminary decision is valid for 6 months.
What is work that causes strain and wear?
The years-of-service pension is intended for people who have worked for many years in a particularly demanding job. The content of work can vary within the same job title. Therefore, a specific job title does not automatically entitle you to a years-of-service pension; when processing the application, what the applicant has actually done is examined.
When assessing whether the work causes strain and wear, it is required that your work has significantly included one or more of the following factors:
- work movements requiring great muscular strength or prolonged muscle load
- particularly heavy strain on the respiratory and circulatory system
- work postures that are strenuous and awkward
- repetitive work movements requiring strength or high speed, or movements that simultaneously involve gripping, twisting, and force
- working in interactive tasks that are particularly demanding and cause exceptional mental stress
- working in a role that requires constant alertness or special attention and involves a high risk of accidents or an evident threat of violence.
When evaluating whether the work involves strain and wear, exceptional physical factors are also considered:
- use of protective equipment that increases strain
- recurring night work or otherwise demanding shift work
- as well as repeated long work shifts.
The strain and wear of the work are assessed as a whole based on the combined effect of the above-mentioned factors.