Partial old-age pension

Partial early old-age pension enables you to withdraw part of the earnings-related pension funds you have accrued before beginning to receive the full old-age pension.

If, for example, you are looking to reduce the amount of your work already before you retire on old-age pension, then partial old-age pension may be a suitable option for you. On the other hand, you can continue to work as usual and simply opt to receive partial old-age pension along with your other earnings.

Partial old-age pension in a nutshell

When?

The lowest age limit for partial old-age pension is:

• for those born 1963 or before: 61 years
• for those born in 1964: 62 years
• for those born in 1965 or after: 3 years before your minimum retirement age

How much?

• 25% or 50% of the earnings-related pension you have accrued.
• The pension can be postponed or brought forward depending on the starting date of retirement.

You are not eligible to receive a partial old-age pension if you are receiving other forms of earnings-related pension.

There are no working limitations linked to this pension option.

The date on which you begin to withdraw pension affects the amount of the pension

If you apply for partial old-age pension before you have reached your minimum retirement age, your accrued pension will be permanently reduced by 0.4% for each month short of your minimum retirement age.

EXAMPLE: The applicant’s minimum retirement age is 65 and they have applied for partial old-age pension to begin immediately at age 61. The applicant has accrued 1,600 euro as a monthly earnings-related pension.

The amount of the pension is also reduced by the life expectancy coefficient.

If you delay the initiation of partial pension until the minimum retirement age, we will increase your pension with the increase for late retirement. The increase for late retirement is 0.4% for every month that exceeds your minimum retirement age.

Amount of partial old-age pension

When applying for partial old-age pension, you can decide whether you want to receive 25 or 50% of your accrued earnings-related pension. The amount of the pension you receive is based on the earnings-related pension that you have accrued by the end of the year prior to the year of your retirement.

EXAMPLE: You are applying for partial old-age pension to begin on 1 June 2024

• Your payable pension benefit takes into account all earnings for which pension has been accrued until the end of 2023.

If you wish, you can complete a new application to increase your partial old-age pension from 25% to 50%, but you cannot make the change the other way around.

You cannot discontinue partial old-age pension, but if you change your mind, you can cancel the pension in writing within three months of the issued pension decision. In this case, we will invoice you for any pension instalments that have been paid.

How long can I receive partial old-age pension?

We pay partial old-age pension until the date on which you decide to retire fully on old-age pension. Old-age pension must be applied for separately and any possible employment contract you have must be terminated before you can begin to receive old-age pension.

After receiving partial old-age pension, your future old-age pension will include

• your partial old-age pension
• the remaining share of pension (75 or 50%)
• any pension accrued alongside partial old-age pension.

Partial old-age pension while working

You do not need to reduce or stop working in order to receive the partial old-age pension and it makes no difference whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur. There is also no requirement for you to work.

You do not need to discuss applying for the pension with your employer, but if, for example, you wish to reduce the amount you are working while receiving partial old-age pension, you will need to agree on this with the employer.

Partial old-age pension and other benefits

You can receive partial old-age pension normally even if you find yourself unemployed or on sick leave. The payment of the pension can, therefore, continue as usual even after you begin to receive an earnings-related allowance, basic unemployment allowance or sickness allowance.

Partial old-age pension may, however, affect the payment of a labour market subsidy. Check also how the partial old-age pension might affect other possible forms of support provided by Kela. Further information can be found from Kela’s website.

How to apply for partial old-age pension

You can apply for partial old-age pension easily through our online service. You will need to use your personal online banking codes to complete the application.

It is also still possible to complete a paper application form and send it to us by mail. Further instructions can be found in our Forms and applications page.

Things to remember when applying for partial old-age pension

• Submit the application for partial old-age pension approximately one month before you would like the pension payments to start. This is important since the pension cannot be granted retroactively.
• Attach an Appendix U form with your application if you have lived or worked abroad. You can complete an Appendix U form in our online service.

See instructions on how to submit attachments