What should I do if my disability pension application is denied?
If we did not grant you the pension you applied for, you will always receive from us a decision stating the grounds for that decision. You can appeal the pension decision you received within 30 days. Instead of earnings-related pension cover, you may be eligible for other forms of support provided by, for example, Kela, the TE Office and insurance companies.
Returning to your job
If your employment contract is still in force, first discuss with your employer what options you have for returning to work. You can also discuss your situation with your occupational health care physician or your treating physician. You, your physician and your employer together can look into how your work could be arranged. It is also worth considering whether your workplace could offer you other work that suits your state of health.
If you have been self-employed and you continue your self-employment, think about how you could adapt your work to make it easier for you.
If your employment has ended or if you have ended your self-employment, you should register as a jobseeker with the TE Office. If the TE Office cannot find for you a job to suit your qualification or work ability, you can apply to your unemployment fund or Kela for an unemployment allowance. The unemployment fund will pay you an earnings-related unemployment allowance and Kela will pay you a basic allowance or labour market subsidy.
If your employer cannot offer you a job to suit your state of health, you may be eligible for unemployment allowance even while your employment contract is in force. Request a certificate stating this from your employer and give it to the TE Office.
Vocational rehabilitation
You may have received a preliminary vocational rehabilitation decision with your pension decision. The objective of vocational rehabilitation is to help you remain in working life, i.e. return to employment or self-employment. Vocational rehabilitation can be, for example, a work trial, job coaching or retraining for a new profession. We assess individually what form of vocational rehabilitation would be the most appropriate option in your case.
If you are not eligible for Ilmarinen’s vocational rehabilitation, you can apply for vocational rehabilitation provided by Kela. The vocational rehabilitation services provided by Kela include, among other things, vocational rehabilitation assessments, vocational rehabilitation courses, rehabilitation aimed at supporting the integration into work, work trials, job coaching, training and business subsidy. You can also apply to Kela for assistive devices to support your work or studies.
If you need rehabilitation due to an occupational injury, occupational illness or traffic accident, rehabilitation will be compensated for by the accident or motor liability insurance company. Vocational rehabilitation under the Occupational Accidents, Injuries and Diseases Act and the Motor Liability Insurance Act takes precedence over the vocational rehabilitation provided by Ilmarinen. Rehabilitation under the Occupational Accidents, Injuries and Diseases Act and the Motor Liability Insurance Act includes, for example, medical and vocational rehabilitation, assistive devices and home modifications for the severely injured.
Medical rehabilitation
You may also need medical rehabilitation to retain your ability to work. To obtain medical rehabilitation, contact, for example, your occupational health care service, your public health care centre, a central hospital’s rehabilitation research unit or Kela’s local branch. Ilmarinen does not provide or pay for medical rehabilitation.
Social assistance
If you have no other source of income, apply for social assistance. Apply to Kela for it and to your home municipality for complementary social assistance.
Filing an appeal
If you are dissatisfied with a decision you have received, you can appeal it within 30 days of having received it. Read more about filing an appeal.
Read more about filing an appeal >
Where to turn to for support in different life situations
- I wish to adapt my work to my state of health: the workplace’s occupational health care
- I wish to find work that suits my state of health: the TE Office’s employment and competence development services and supported employment services
- How I will get by when I’m unemployed: unemployment funds, Kela
- I’m interested in studying – social benefits for students: Kela, TE Offices, unemployment funds, Employment Fund
- I’m interested in medical rehabilitation or assistive devices and I wish to seek examination: Kela, occupational health care, public health care centre, central hospitals’ outpatient rehabilitation services or other public health care providers
- I’m interested in mental health rehabilitation: Kela’s rehabilitation and adaptation training courses and rehabilitation psychotherapy and other services, occupational health care or public health care
- I suffered an occupational injury, I contracted an occupational disease or I was in a traffic accident – vocational rehabilitation: accident or motor liability insurance company