Working during retirement

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.

Your income limit depends on whether you are on disability pension or partial disability pension. You can see your personal income limit in your pension decision and through our online service.

• On full disability pension or cash rehabilitation benefit, your earned income may not exceed 40% of your previous income level.
• On partial disability pension or partial cash rehabilitation benefit, your earnings may not exceed 60% of your previous income level.
• You can earn a minimum of EUR 990.90 per month (in 2026) without this affecting the payment of your pension. This income 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).
• On years-of-service pension, earned income may not exceed EUR 990.90 per month (in 2026).

Monitor your earnings on a monthly basis. If your income limit is exceeded, please notify us in good time. If you know that your earnings will be exceeded in the next three months, please contact us.

We can put your pension on hold for the duration of the excess. Putting your pension on hold means that you will not receive pension for the period when your income exceeds your income limit. This way, we can avoid recovering your pension for the period when your income exceeds your income limit.

Please contact us in case you have any questions related to putting pension on hold and other questions related to income limits. Log in to Varma Online Service, send a message in the Messages and documents service and select the topic Disability pension.

If your health improves so that you can earn income above your income limit, you can try to work and put your pension on hold without worrying about exceeding your income limit (decree valid until 31 December 2027). In this case, the pension will not be not terminated, but the payment of the pension is suspended for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 2 years.

• If you stop working or reduce your work so that your income falls below your income limit, please notify us of the decreased earnings. At your request, we will continue to pay your pension. You can inform us of the decrease in earnings in the online service by sending us a free-form message.
• If your pension has been put on hold and you are unable to work so that your income exceeds your income limit for at least three months, you will receive your pension back from the time it was put on hold. In this case, please contact us.
• If you continue to work and your income limit is exceeded for more than two years, your pension will cease completely.

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