Termination of pension

A pension can end for a number of reasons. The payment of a pension ends if the conditions for paying it are no longer met or the pensioner dies.

When a pensioner dies

Pensioner who lives in Finland

We will receive the information about the death of a pensioner from the Population Information System within 1–2 weeks. You are not obliged to report the date of death to us. But if you want to, you can report it. You can do it in the chat in MyPension-service or by calling our customer service.

Pensioner who lives abroad

If the pensioner was living abroad when he or she died, we will not receive the information of his or her death from the authorities. Therefore the next of kin should report the death to us as soon as possible. You can report it in the chat in MyPension-service or by calling our customer service.

  1. A widow may be entitled to a survivor's pension

    If your spouse passes away, the survivors’ pension helps secure an income. You are eligible for a surviving spouse’s pension and your under 20 years of age children for an orphan’s pension.

    Read more about survivors' pension

End of pension payment

We will pay pension to the pensioner until the end of the month of his or her death.

What happens if the pension is paid after the month of death?

If he or she has received pension from us after the month of his or her death, we will ask his or her bank to return the pension paid in excess to Ilmarinen. If the bank is unable to refund the amount we have requested, we will contact the relatives separately.

Termination of different pensions

Pension can end for other reasons as well. Read more specific information on termination of different pension typer below.

The old-age pension ends when the pensioner dies. The pension is paid until the end of the month of death.

When you retire on an old-age pension or if you are granted a disability or a years-of-service pension, the payment of the partial old-age pension ends.

The partial old-age pension also ends if the pensioner dies. The pension is paid until the end of the month of death.

You can cancel your partial old-age pension within three months of the date when the decision was issued. Notify us of the cancellation via the MyPension service’s messaging feature or otherwise in writing.

A part-time pension ends when the pensioner dies. The pension is paid until the end of the month of death. If you are granted an old-age pension, the payment of your part-time pension ends. The payment of your part-time pension also ends if your earnings are not within the set limits.

The disability pension and the years-of-service pension end when the pensioner dies. The pension is paid until the end of the month of death.

The payment of a disability pension and a years-of-service pension can also end if the limit for earnings from work is exceeded.

If you receive a fixed-term disability pension from us, your pension decision states the date up until which your pension has been granted. If necessary, you can apply for an extension to your pension by submitting a new Medical Statement B to Ilmarinen.

Your disability pension and years-of-service pension will be automatically converted into an old-age pension of the same size when you reach your lower old-age pension age.

Surviving spouse’s pension

Surviving spouse’s pension is paid for ten years or until the youngest child turns 18. In surviving spouse’s pensions, the ten-year fixed term applies to surviving spouses born in 1975 or thereafter. The fixed-term period does not apply to surviving spouse’s pensions granted before 2022. Surviving spouse’s pensions granted before 2022 end when the conditions for paying the pension are no longer met or when the surviving spouse dies. The pension is paid until the end of the month of death.

Surviving spouse’s pension ends if the surviving spouse remarries before turning 50. In that case, the surviving spouse will be paid an amount equal to at most three years’ pension as a lump sum if there are no children receiving survivors’ pension. If the beneficiaries of the survivors’ pension include one or more children, the surviving spouse’s share is divided among the children.

If the deceased died before 1 July 1990, the lump sum equals two-years’ surviving spouse’s pension. If a surviving spouse remarries after having turned 50, the payment of the surviving spouse’s pension will continue. A common-law marriage does not terminate the surviving spouse’s pension.

A surviving spouse’s pension may end also if it is subject to a reduction of surviving spouse’s pension. The pension is reduced, for example, when the youngest child turns 18.

Orphan’s pension

The payment of an orphan’s pension ends at the end of the month in which the child turns 20. If the child is studying, the pension paid by Kela may continue based on the studies until he or she turns 21. The pension granted by Ilmarinen does not continue based on studies. The orphan’s pension also ends if the child dies.