Years-of-service pension enables you to retire early if your work ability is reduced and you have worked a long time doing physical or mental work that required great effort.
Even though years-of-service pension is granted on the basis of one’s health status, it does not require a loss in work ability to the same extent as for disability pension.
Who is eligible to receive years-of-service pension?
You are eligible for years-of-service pension if:
- You are 63 years of age or older
- You have a reduced work ability
- You have worked for at least 38 years in a physical or mental job that required great effort
- You are still in working life or you stopped working less than one year ago.
A tip from Veritas: If you have already exceeded the minimum retirement age for your age group, you should apply directly for old-age pension. Check your minimum retirement age and read more about old-age pension.
Years-of-service pension or disability pension?
Both years-of-service pension and disability pension are meant for people whose work ability has weakened. Are you wondering which option is right for you? The table below shows the primary differences between these forms of pension.
| YEARS-OF-SERVICE PENSION | DISABILITY PENSION | |
|---|---|---|
| When can this pension be granted? | At age 63 or over and when you’ve stopped working less than a year ago. | Prior to the minimum retirement age. |
| Requirements to receive this pension? | A minimum of 38 years in a job that requires great effort and a reduced work ability. | When work ability is weakened by an illness or injury for an uninterrupted period of at least one year. |
| Does this only follow a period of sickness allowance? | This can be granted without a prior period of sickness allowance. | The pension usually begins once the sickness allowance from Kela has ended (300 days). |
If you apply for years-of-service pension and find out that you are not eligible, we will also investigate your right to disability pension.
What qualifies as mental or physical work that requires great effort?
Work that requires great effort is determined on the basis of the content of the work. The work can be physically or mentally demanding. Whether or not your work qualifies as such is assessed individually on the basis of a Medical Statement B provided by an occupational health physician. You must be able to provide proof concerning the strain of the work for the entire duration of your career.
In order for the work to be considered such that requires great effort, it must include
- work movements which have required great muscular strength or which have put a long-term strain on your muscles
- a particularly heavy strain on your respiratory and circulatory systems
- stressing and difficult working positions
- repetitive movements which require strength or speed, or work movements in which you have to squeeze your hands, twist your body and use strength at the same time
- interactive work which is particularly demanding and requires an exceptional mental effort, or
- work that requires you to be constantly on guard or particularly watchful and which involves a high risk of accidents, or in which the threat of violence is marked.
Amount of years-of-service pension
The years-of-service pension is the pension you have already earned during your working career. For this reason, it is usually less than disability pension.
Working alongside years-of-service pension
You can work alongside years-of-service pension if your monthly earnings are less than EUR 976,59 per month (2024).
This work will accrue an additional pension that you can apply for once you reach the retirement age for old-age pension.
Preliminary decision on pension eligibility
If you wish, you can apply for a preliminary decision regarding your eligibility for years-of-service pension and make your final decision about retirement once you receive it.
The application for a preliminary decision can be submitted, at the earliest, six months before the intended date of retirement. Once you receive the preliminary decision, you will then have six months to inform whether or not you intend to retire on years-of-service pension.
In order to apply for a preliminary decision, complete the years-of-service pension application form.
Years-of-service pension will change into old-age pension
Years-of-service pension automatically changes into old-age pension when you reach the minimum retirement age. The amount of the pension will remain the same when the form of pension changes.
If, however, you have worked while receiving the years-of-service pension, you will have earned an additional pension that you must then apply for separately.
How to apply for years-of-service pension
You can apply for years-of-service pension conveniently using 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 years-of-service pension
- The earliest possible time for years-of-service pension to begin is the first day of the month that follows the month in which you turn 63.
- Submit the application for years-of-service pension approximately one month before you would like the pension payments to start.
- You can apply for a preliminary decision, at the earliest, six months before the intended date of retirement.
Send the following attachments with your application
- A Medical Statement B provided by the occupational health service and your employer’s description of your work.
- If you are an entrepreneur, you can provide the description of the content of your work.