How do I claim a survivors' pension?

There are two survivors’ pensions: the surviving spouse’s pension and the orphan’s pension. You can claim the surviving spouse’s pension using the form for the surviving spouse’s pension.

If you are claiming an orphan’s pension for a child, fill out the form for the orphan’s pension.  Fill out a separate form  for each child. If the child has turned 18, they must claim the orphan’s pension themselves. The orphan’s pension is paid up to the age of 20.

The easiest way to claim the survivors’ pension is to do it online.  Claim a survivor’s pension from both the earnings-related and the national pension scheme (Kela) using the same form. The claim is handled and the pension decision issued and the pension paid by the pension provider in which the deceased person was insured.

Log in to the pension claim service

If you are unable to claim the pension online, you can fill out a paper from or print out a form (7004e and 7005e, separate form for each child) that you have filled out online.

Survivors’ pensions claim form in Forms

You can claim the survivors’ pension retroactively for six months (excluding thee month in which you claim the pension). For valid reasons, you may claim the pension retroactively for a longer period of time.

The survivors’ pension is based on the earnings from work or granted earnings-related pension of your next-of-kin.

Survivors’ pension from abroad

You can get a survivors’ pension from abroad also if, at some point during their working life, your deceased spouse or parent worked or lived in an EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or a country with which Finland has signed a bilateral social security agreement.

Claim the survivors’ pension from these country with the same forms that you use to claim the pension from Finland. Fill out information about your deceased next-of-kin’s work and residence abroad on Appendix U (7110e) and attach it to your claim.