When you take care of your own children at home, you earn pension benefits for periods that you are paid daily allowances for parents or a child home care allowance.
For more information on benefits paid during family leave, for how long they are paid and how they are determined, go to Kela’s website.
The calculator calculates the amount of pension benefits you earn for periods of child care and the amount of pension benefits you would earn from work during that same period. The amounts provided by the calculator are indicative.
The calculator calculates the amount of pension you earn for family leaves based on the valid legislation in 2023. The amounts given by the calculator are indicative.
You earn pension for periods of child care based on the daily allowances for parents or child home care allowance that you receive. The daily allowances for parents include the maternity, special maternity, paternity and parental allowance (up to 1 August 2022) and the pregnancy, special pregnancy and parental allowance (as of 1 August 2022). You get the new daily allowances for parents if you are expecting a baby whose due date is 4 September 2022 or later.
The calculator calculates the pension that you accrue based on the family leave allowances that you are paid for one child (or one birth). Each parent calculates the earned pension for their own part.
The calculator calculates the pension earned for periods of parental leave if you were born between 1973 and 2005. The life expectancy used in the calculation is based on your year of birth. By limiting the calculation per age group, it has been possible to simplify the calculator.
The amount of pension you have accrued for children born earlier is listed on your pension record. As a recipient of family leave allowances, you earn pension for periods of child care if you have received earnings insured under the earnings-related pension insurance acts to an amount of at least 19,578.92 euros (in 2023 prices) before the year in which you retire.
The calculator assumes that the general earnings and price level and your own earnings level remain at the same level as they were when you used the calculator. The calculator does not take into account special situations, for example, if you work while you are on a child care leave or if your pension is based on an earnings level determined before 2020.
For more information on allowances paid during family leaves, for how long the allowances are paid and how they are determined, visit Kela’s website.
Pension for periods on daily allowances for parents
For periods on daily allowances for parents, you earn pension based on the annual earnings that your daily allowances are based on. Your annual income is calculated for the 12 calendar months before the calendar month in which your right to the daily allowances begins.
Your annual earnings include wage and salary income, salary for insurance purposes, YEL and MYEL income, certain benefits and certain benefits for loss of earnings. As a rule, Kela gets your earnings data from the Incomes Register or the insurance providers. Kela provides your earnings basis that is needed for calculating your pension. You can check your wage data from the Incomes Register.
When calculating your pension, your annual earnings are reduced by the insurance contribution deduction (10.01% in 2023). Your pensionable earnings (earnings that your pension is based on) is multiplied by 1.21. You accrue pension at an annual rate of 1.5 per cent. Your accrued pension is multiplied by the life expectancy coefficient of your age group.
Your pension is based on a monthly income of at least 815.78 euros (in 2023) if you have no previous earnings from work and you get the minimum amount of the daily allowances for parents, or if your monthly earnings that form the basis of your benefit (multiplied by 1.21) are less than 815.78 euros. The calculator does not consider situations in which you are paid a minimum daily allowance because you work or for some other reason.
Your pension accrues from an earnings basis multiplied by 1.21 also if your employer pays you a wage while you receive daily allowances for parents. You accrue pension for your wage in the regular manner while the basis of your daily allowances is multiplied by a factor of 0.21. Since wages you are paid during periods of the daily allowances for parents do not significantly affect the amount of pension you earn, the calculator does not separately consider the wage you are paid while receiving daily allowances for parents.
Pension during period of child home care allowance
Under a special act you earn a benefit for periods of taking care of your own child under the age of three. The benefit is paid out in connection with the payment of your earnings-related pension. The benefit is based on a fixed monthly amount of 815.78 euros (in 2023). You accrue the benefit at an annual rate of 1.5 per cent. The accrued pension is multiplied by the life expectancy coefficient of your age group.
If you receive a national pension, this benefit does not reduce that pension (the way earnings-related pensions do).
Pension for work
For comparison, the calculator calculates the pension you receive for periods of child care and the pension you would receive if you were working or self-employed. You accrue pension at a rate of 1.5 per cent of your annual gross earnings. Your accrued pension is multiplied by the life expectancy coefficient of your age group.
The calculator assumes that the basis for your pension from work and periods on daily allowances for parents is the same, that is, the wage you have entered into the calculator. The calculator does not take account of situations in which your wage deviates from the previous income that your daily allowances are based on or situations in which the basis of your daily allowances for parents includes also benefit income.
How does your pension grow when you are on family leave?
When you take care of your own child under the age of three, you accrue pension for the period you receive daily allowances for parents and possibly also for the period that you receive a child home care allowance.
Family leaves reformed – No changes to how pension accrues
The family leave reform entered into force on 1 August 2022. The names and duration of the allowances paid during family leaves changed. There are no changes to how pension accrues during periods of receiving daily allowances for parents or the child home care allowance.
If your child is due to be born before 4 September 2022:
- You earn pension for periods on (full or partial) daily allowances for parents (maternity, special maternity, paternity or parental allowance).
- If you stay at home to take care of your child under the age of three after your period on daily allowances for parents, you earn pension also for the period that you are on a child home care allowance.
If your child is due to be born on or after 4 September 2022:
- You earn pension for periods on (full or partial) daily allowances for parents (pregnancy, special pregnancy and parental allowance).
- If you stay at home to take care of your child under the age of three after your period on daily allowances for parents, you earn pension also for the period that you are on a child home care allowance.
When you get daily allowances for parents, you earn pension benefits based on your annual earnings which have been increased by 21 per cent. If you have no earnings, you accrue pension benefits as if you had earnings worth 815.78 euros per month (in 2023).
If you stay at home after the period of daily allowances for parents to care for your own child under the age of three, you will accrue pension funds for the child home care allowance. Your pension will be based on a fixed income of 815.78 euros per month (in 2023). You will accrue pension funds for periods of the child home care allowance until your youngest child turns three years.