As a rule, partial early old-age pension does not affect earnings-related daily allowance. In other words, it is not a benefit that prevents you from receiving earnings-related daily allowance, nor is it deducted from the earnings-related daily allowance paid to you. However, partial early old-age pension may affect the amount of your earnings-related daily allowance and how the allowance is paid. Before applying for the pension, you should also consider its possible effects on other benefits.
You can apply for partial early old-age pension from your own earnings-related pension provider. You can start receiving partial early old-age pension at the earliest at the age of 61 if you were born in 1963 or earlier. If you were born in 1964, you can start receiving partial early old-age pension at the age of 62.
When considering partial early old-age pension, it is important to remember that:
- taking your pension early may permanently reduce your pension, meaning that the reduction will apply for the rest of your life
- the portion of your pension that you take early is permanently reduced by 0.4% for each month that you start receiving it before your actual old-age retirement age
- you can choose to receive either 25% or 50% of the pension you have accrued
- partial early old-age pension does not require you to reduce your working hours. If you wish, you can continue working full-time while receiving the pension.
How it affects the calculation of earnings-related daily allowance
The amount of your earnings-related daily allowance is calculated based on work performed while receiving partial early old-age pension if you meet the employment condition based on this period before becoming unemployed or laid off.
If you have worked full-time while receiving the pension, receiving partial early old-age pension does not in itself reduce the salary on which your earnings-related daily allowance is based.
If you have worked part-time while receiving the pension, your earnings-related daily allowance is calculated based on your income from part-time work. In this case, the amount of your full earnings-related daily allowance is lower than an allowance calculated based on income from full-time work.
How it affects the payment of earnings-related daily allowance
If you have worked full-time while receiving partial early old-age pension and then become unemployed or are laid off, the pension does not prevent you from receiving earnings-related daily allowance. Partial early old-age pension is not deducted from your daily allowance.
If you have worked part-time while receiving partial early old-age pension and then become unemployed or are laid off, you will receive adjusted daily allowance for as long as you receive income from your part-time work. Wages from part-time work paid during the adjustment period affect the amount of your earnings-related daily allowance. Partial early old-age pension is not deducted from your daily allowance.
Example 1: Full-time work and partial early old-age pension
You have worked full-time while receiving partial early old-age pension. Your salary from full-time work has been EUR 2,500 per month, based on which your full daily allowance is EUR 70.49.
You become unemployed and, after the waiting period, you are paid the full daily allowance of EUR 70.49 per day. Partial early old-age pension is not deducted from the earnings-related daily allowance paid to you.
Example 2: Part-time work and partial early old-age pension
You have worked part-time while receiving partial early old-age pension. Your salary from part-time work has been EUR 1,875 per month, based on which your full daily allowance is EUR 57.98.
You become unemployed. During your first adjustment period, you are still paid EUR 1,875 in wages from your part-time work. After the waiting period, you are paid an adjusted daily allowance of EUR 0.58 per day.
If there is no longer a payday for your part-time work during your next application period, you will be paid the full daily allowance of EUR 57.98 per day for that period. Partial early old-age pension is not deducted from your earnings-related daily allowance.
Also consider a possible transition to Kela’s general social security benefit
Partial early old-age pension does not reduce the earnings-related daily allowance paid by A-kassa. However, the situation is different with Kela’s general social security benefit: partial early old-age pension may affect the amount of the general social security benefit.
This is particularly important to consider if you are approaching the end of the maximum payment period for your earnings-related daily allowance and may subsequently transition to Kela’s general social security benefit. If the pension decision was issued before 16 January 2026, the pension is not taken into account in the means test for the general social security benefit. If the pension decision was issued on or after 16 January 2026, the pension is taken into account in the means test. Starting to draw partial early old-age pension is therefore a decision whose effects should also be considered over the longer term.
Once payment of partial early old-age pension has started, it cannot be suspended. Before applying for the pension, you should ask your own earnings-related pension provider how the pension will affect your future old-age pension and contact Kela to find out how it may affect benefits paid by Kela.
Find out about the effects before applying for the pension
Applying for partial early old-age pension may affect your financial situation far into the future. A-kassa can advise you on how the pension affects your earnings-related daily allowance, but we cannot assess whether applying for partial early old-age pension is financially worthwhile in your individual circumstances.
Find out the amount of your pension and how taking the pension will affect it from your own earnings-related pension provider before applying for partial old-age pension.
You can also find more information about partial old-age pension in the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ Työeläke.fi service. For more information about the conditions for Kela’s general social security benefit and how partial early old-age pension affects the benefit, please contact Kela.