Working during retirement

You can work while you are retired. However, when you are on disability or occupational pension, you must take into account your personal income limit. For work while retired, you will accrue pension at the annual rate of 1.5 per cent until your maximum pensionable age. If you work while retired, be sure to apply for the pension accrued from work by filling in an old-age pension application.

Working in connection with different types of pension

Working while drawing old-age pension

You can work while on an old-age pension.
No income limits.
Pension accrues through working. To have this pension paid to you, fill in the old-age pension application.
Read more about working while on an old-age pension.

Working while drawing partial old-age pension

You can work on a partial old-age pension.
No income limits.
Pension accrues through working and is granted to you when you apply for an old-age pension.
Read more about working while on a partial old-age pension.

Working while drawing disability pension

It is possible to work on disability pension to a limited extent.
The disability pension has an income limit that may not be exceeded. If the income limit is exceeded, the pension can be suspended.
Pension accrues through working. To have this pension paid to you, fill in a new old-age pension application once your disability pension changes into old-age pension and your employment relationship has terminated.
Read more about working while on a disability pension.

Fill in the old-age pension application to get the pension accrued during retirement paid to you

If you work while retired, you will accrue more pension at the rate of 1.5 per cent until you reach your maximum pensionable age. Check your maximum retirement age in the retirement age calculator.

Do this when you want to get the pension accrued by working during retirement paid to you:

Log in to Varma Online Service with your online banking credentials or mobile ID.
Go to the “Pension applications” page and select “Old-age pension application”.
Fill in the old-age pension application. If you indicate a new account number on your application, we will pay your entire pension to the new account. Under “Pension being applied for”, select as the pension start date the date when you want the payment of the pension accrued by working during retirement to start.

When you choose the electronic service in the application, you will receive your pension decision in Varma Online Service immediately after your pension application has been processed.

You can work while receiving old-age pension without your earnings affecting the amount of your current old-age pension. There are no income limits. You can apply for pension that has accrued while you are drawing old-age pension at the earliest at the highest retirement age. Fill in a new old-age pension application in our online service.

When you retire on old-age pension, your employment relationship must end before the start of your old-age pension. If you continue to work for the same employer immediately when your old-age pension starts, your employment terms must change. A significant change has to take place in your tasks, pay or working hours.

If you return to the former employer’s service at a later time, there is no requirement for a material change.

If you have already reached the final age for the accrual of pension, 68 or 69 years, your employment does not need to end at the start of old-age pension. Moreover, there is no requirement for a material change in this situation.

If you start an employment relationship with a new employer, enter into an employment contract with the employer. There need not be any material changes in the terms of employment compared to the employment relationship from which you retired on old-age pension. If you work as a self-employed person on pension, there is no need for a change in the terms and conditions of employment.

You can work without restrictions on a partial old-age pension

You can work while receiving partial old-age pension without your earnings affecting the amount of your current old-age pension. There is no income limit or obligation to work.

You can apply for pension that has accrued while you are drawing partial old-age pension at the earliest at the lowest retirement age. Your employment contract must end in this case. Fill in a new old-age pension application in our online service.

You can work while drawing disability pension and years-of-service pension as long as you take into account your personal income limit. The work accrues pension, which needs to be applied for with an old-age pension application. Fill in an old-age pension application in our online service when your employment relationship ends and you have reached the pensionable age.

Your income limit depends on whether you receive disability pension or partial disability pension. You can check your income limit in your pension decision and our online service.

When drawing disability pension, your earnings cannot be more than 40% of your earlier income level.
When drawing partial disability pension, your earnings cannot be more than 60% of your earlier income level.
You may, however, earn 986.30 euros per month (in 2025) without it affecting the payment of your pension. This earnings limit also always applies to Kela’s disability pension.
If you are an entrepreneur, your confirmed YEL income cannot exceed the income limit stated in the decision (the monthly income limit multiplied by twelve).
While collecting years-of-service pension, your earnings cannot exceed 986.30 euros per month (in 2025).

Monitor your income on a monthly basis and let us know in good time if you exceed the income limit. If you know your income limit will be exceeded for the next three months, contact Varma so that we can suspend your pension for this period and we can avoid having to recover the pension.

If you have any questions about suspending your pension and about income limits, please contact Varma. Log in to Varma Online Service, send a message in the Messages and documents service and select ‘Disability pension’ as the subject.

If your health improves to the extent that you could try earning above your earnings limit, you can try working and leave your pension dormant without worrying about exceeding your earnings limit (regulation in effect until 31 Dec. 2024). In this case, your pension will not be terminated, but instead it will be dormant and your pension payments will be put on hold for at least three months and at most two years.

When you stop working or reduce the amount of your work such that your earnings fall below the limit, inform Varma of the reduction in your earnings and we will resume the payment of your pension at your request. If your earnings are reduced, you can notify us thereof in a free-form message in our online service.

If your pension has been left dormant and you have not been able to work such that your earnings exceed your earnings limit for at least three months, your pension will be paid retroactively starting from the date that it was placed in dormancy. Contact Varma.
If you continue working and exceeding your earnings limit for more than two years, your pension will stop completely.

If you receive national pension or another benefit from Kela (e.g. housing allowance for pensioners), report your gainful employment to Kela. If you receive pension from abroad, contact the pension institution of the country in question.

Help with using our services

Take care of your pension matters online

In our online service, you can, for instance

update your contact details
get pension and benefits certificates
check your income limit
apply for pension or rehabilitation

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