Partial disability pension and partial rehabilitation allowance

You may be granted a partial disability pension if your ability to work has been diminishing for at least one year because of an illness, an injury or a disability and if you have not reached the retirement age .

A partial disability pension may be granted either for a fixed term or until further notice. If a partial disability pension is granted for a fixed term, it is referred to as partial rehabilitation allowance. Partial rehabilitation allowance is granted if it is estimated that your ability to work can be restored through treatment or rehabilitation. Partial rehabilitation allowance can also be granted in order to support your return to work after rehabilitation, for example.

Partial disability pension and partial rehabilitation allowance allows you to extend your work career despite having a diminishing capacity to work, and any work carried out while on the pension also accrues new pension. Employment is not, however, a requirement for receiving a partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance.

When drawing a partial disability pension, you can earn in accordance with the personal earnings limit stated in the partial disability/partial disability cash rehabilitation benefit payment decision. From 1 January 2024, however, you can earn at least €976.59 a month.

Amount of partial disability pension

The amount of a partial disability pension is half of the full disability pension.

Your disability pension consists of the pension you have earned before your retirement on a disability pension and a projected pension component. The projected pension component refers to the time from the start of the disability to the earliest retirement age for your birth year for the old-age pension, the occupational retirement age, which may be lower, or the compulsory retirement age. The projected pension component is added to the amount of pension accrued.

You can use the calculators in the My Pension online service to estimate how much partial disability pension you could be paid.

How to apply for a partial disability pension

You should apply for a preliminary decision on your right to a partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance three months before starting a planned part-time job.

You can apply for a partial disability pension during full-time employment, i.e. you do not need to have been on sick leave in order to be granted the pension.

Kela’s partial sickness allowance can be used to help persons who are unfit for work to remain in work and to return to full-time work, and it is payable for a maximum of 150 working days.

1. Obtain a Medical Statement B from your doctor

You should only submit your application once you have an up-to-date statement B, because your application can not be processed without the medical statement.

2. Apply for a preliminary decision on your right to a partial disability pension

The easiest way to apply for the pension is by using the disability pension application on the My Pension online service. The service will guide you step by step.

You should apply for a preliminary decision on your right to a partial disability pension at least three months before starting a planned part-time job.

Attachments required for the application:

  • Attach an up-to-date Medical Statement B to your application as your application cannot be processed without it.
  • You can also include other medical statements regarding your health in the application.
  • A statement from your employer on how you are coping with your work as well as memos from occupational health appointments, if available, should also be enclosed with the application.

You can also apply for the pension in writing; please find the necessary forms below. Post the application and the above-mentioned attachments to Keva, 00087 KEVA.

See also the general guidelines for pension applications and what you need to do after you receive your pension decision: How to apply for pension. 

3. You will first receive a preliminary decision

You will always receive a preliminary decision on the partial disability pension granted to you. It is valid for ten months. During this period, discuss your work arrangements and part-time work with your employer.

If you receive a preliminary decision on partial rehabilitation allowance, the decision will determine the time by which you should start on partial rehabilitation allowance.

 

I have received a preliminary decision on partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance, what do I do?

You will first receive a preliminary decision about any partial disability pension or partial disability allowance you have been granted. 

When you have received a preliminary decision and decided to take partial disability pension or partial disability allowance, notify Keva of your intention to take it.

If you continue in paid employment while drawing a pension

  1. Discuss with your employer whether it is possible to switch to part-time work and agree on working part-time and your monthly pay.

    Partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance can begin once your monthly pay is at most the earnings limit stated in the preliminary decision.

    It is advisable to start working part-time on the 1st day of the month. If you start working part-time on any other day than the 1st of the month, your partial disability pension will not start until the beginning of the following month.

  2.  Complete the notice that you have taken a partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance in the online My Pension service (in Finnish or in Swedish).  You can also mail the notice to Keva, 00087 KEVA.

  3. Check again to ensure that your gross part-time earnings do not exceed the earnings limit stated in the preliminary decision.

  4. Keva will send you a separate decision of the payment of partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance.
    Information about a positive pension decision will also be sent to your employer if your employment contract was valid at the start of work disability.

  5. Send a separate pension income tax card to Keva. You can order the tax card online at https://www.vero.fi/en/e-file/mytax/ or Tax Administration service number: 029 497 000.

  6. Check that your monthly earnings do not exceed the earnings limit. Holiday pay and holiday compensation earned in earlier full-time work will not affect payment of your partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance.

You are under no obligation to work if you receive a partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance.

Kela will provide you with information about how sickness allowance is determined. You can ask the Unemployment Fund about the possibility of being granted an adjusted earnings-related unemployment allowance.

If you do not continue in paid work while receiving a pension

  1. Complete the notice that you have taken a partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance in the My Pension service (in Finnish or in Swedish).  You can also mail the notice to Keva, 00087 KEVA.

  2. Keva will send you a separate decision of the payment of partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance.

  3. Send a separate pension income tax card to Keva. You can order the tax card online at https://www.vero.fi/en/e-file/mytax/ or Tax Administration service number on 029 497 000.

You can ask the Unemployment Fund about the possibility of being granted an adjusted earnings-related unemployment allowance.

Disability pension claim process at Keva

How are disabilities assessed?

Keva will assess your ability to work using a medical statement supplied by your doctor and other medical reports.

Factors taken into account in the assessment include:

  • the demands of your job duties
  • your work performance, and
  • your chances of recovering work ability through treatment and rehabilitation.

The consideration of the application for a partial disability pension also involves a determination of your potential for vocational rehabilitation, which always takes primacy over partial disability pension.

The decision on granting a partial disability pension is taken by the decision specialist together with an advisory physician. If necessary, other Keva experts, such as a rehabilitation specialist or a lawyer, will also participate in the decision-making process. Our assessment of your work ability may differ from the assessment of your doctor.

Application processing times

Average processing times 1 January to 31 December 2023 Days
The first application: full disability pension or cash rehabilitation benefit 47
The first application: partial disability pension or partial rehabilitation allowance  27
Application for extension: all  12

 

The processing times above are average times, and your application process may take longer for the following reasons:

  • If Keva applies the definition of occupational disability and the earnings in private sectors were at least €20,571.68 (at 2024 level) in the two calendar years preceding the date of the pension contingency, Keva will also request the private pension provider for an assessment of the pension applicant’s disability.
  • If Keva asks for further clarification such as medical reports or a statement from the employer for the decision-making process.

What to do if a partial disability pension is not granted

A partial disability pension cannot be granted if it is found that your work ability remains at a sufficient level.

If you are still employed, you can contact your company’s occupational health care services or ask your supervisor about possible arrangements at work.

Appeal against a pension decision

If you are not happy with a decision issued by Keva, you can lodge an appeal against it. The instructions for appeal enclosed with the decision will inform you on how to proceed.

Apply for an extension to your partial rehabilitation allowance 

The only application required to extend partial rehabilitation allowance is a Medical Statement B, which should be submitted to Keva no later than a month before the expiration of the benefit. You can submit the medical statement through the My Pension service.

You must submit the application form if you wish to apply for full cash rehabilitation benefit or a disability pension. The easiest way to apply for a pension is through the My Pension service.

You can also send the Medical Statement B or the application with attachments to: Keva, 00087 KEVA.

From partial disability pension to old-age pension 

When you become eligible for an old-age pension, your partial disability pension will automatically be converted into an old-age pension.

The pension amount is the same as full disability pension.

You do not have to stop working, however, and you can instead continue in your job.

If you have worked while drawing a partial disability pension, you have earned new pension funds for that work. You are entitled to this pension, at the earliest, when your partial disability pension becomes an old-age pension, and you must have stopped working. You must apply for this pension separately with an old-age pension application.

The easiest way to apply for the pension is by using the old-age pension application on the My Pension online service. The service will guide you step by step.

You can also submit your old-age pension application and its attachments to: 00087 KEVA. 

Working while on partial disability pension

You can work while you are on partial rehabilitation allowance or a partial disability pension as long as your earnings remain within the limits set for you. The pension decision informs you of your personal earnings threshold.

You can also work more than this, but then your pension can be left dormant. Dormancy means that payment of pension is temporarily discontinued but that you retain your right to a pension.

Pension may be left dormant for a period of not less than three months and not more than two years. The easiest way to submit a notice of dormancy is through the My Pension online service. 

Back to work through vocational rehabilitation 

Vocational rehabilitation can help you keep working despite health-related limitations. Even if your health prevents you from continuing in your current job, there may be other jobs for which your work ability is more than sufficient.

Vocational rehabilitation can help you:

  • to discover jobs that are better suited to your health, or
  • to facilitate your return to your own job after a long period of sick leave.

Learn more about vocational rehabilitation