Your disability pension or cash rehabilitation benefit (fixed-term disability pension) usually begins when your right to the sickness allowance ends. When you have received a sickness allowance for 150 days, Kela will notify you either of your rehabilitation opportunities or encourage you to claim a disability pension. You should submit your pension claim at this point to make sure that it can be processed before your right to a sickness allowance comes to an end.
The vocational rehabilitation benefit is always the first alternative before a disability pension. In connection with processing your claim for a disability pension, your pension provider will also assess whether you meet the criteria for rehabilitation within the earnings-related pension system. If you do, you will get a preliminary decision of your right to rehabilitation without having to apply for it separately.
As a rule, you get a preliminary decision on the partial disability pension
If your work ability has been reduced but you are able to work partially, you can claim a partial disability pension or a partial cash rehabilitation benefit (temporary disability pension). You can hand in your claim without previous sick leave, that is, while you are still working full time.
Once you have received a favourable preliminary decision, you have nine months to decide whether you want to retire on a partial disability pension. If you decide to retire, you must agree with your employer about working part-time. If you are self-employed, you must cut down on your self-employment.
Your earnings must be reduced by at least 40 per cent from your previous regular average earnings. Your individual earnings limit is listed on your preliminary decision.
You do not have to work while drawing a partial disability pension, that is, you can receive the pension even if you stop working altogether.
Claim your disability pension online or by filling out a paper form
Claim a disability pension from the earnings-related and the national pension schemes on the same form. Fill out the online claim form. Get started by clicking the button “Log in” You will be forwarded to your own pension provider’s application service.
Log in to the pension application service
If your own pension provider does not offer an online application service, you can fill out a paper from or print out a form (7002e) that you have filled out online.
Disability pension claim form in Forms
Attach medical statement B, detailing your health, to your claim for a disability pension. To apply for a continuation to your rehabilitation allowance, you only need to submit medical statement B to the earnings-related pension provider that pays out the allowance.
The disability pension can be granted retroactively for a maximum of six months.
From a disability pension to an old-age pension
If you are on a disability pension, your disability pension will be automatically converted to an old-age pension of the same amount
- when you reach the retirement age of your age group if your disability began after 2016,
- at age 63 if your disability began between 2006 and 2016,
- at age 65 if your disability began before 2006.
Your partial disability pension is also converted into an old-age pension when you reach your retirement age, but at the same time its amount doubles, that is, becomes a full disability pension.
If you have worked while drawing a disability pension in 2005 or later, you have earned new pension funds for that work. You have to claim that pension separately as an old-age pension.
If you have worked while drawing a disability pension or a years-of-service pension in 2005 or later, you must claim the pension you have earned for that work separately. If you have stopped working, you can submit your claim when your disability pension turns into an old-age pension. If you continue working, you can claim that pension once you stop working.