If your spouse dies, you are entitled to a spouse's pension. Children under 18 can also be paid a pension.

When can I claim a family pension?

The spouse and any of the family's children under the age of 18 have the right to a family pension (perhe-eläke), a spouse’s pension (leskeneläke) and orphan's pensions (lapseneläke) following the death of a guardian. The pensions guarantee the family's income, and are paid from both the national pensions and earnings-related pensions system.

The Pensions Act guarantees that the family are paid a pension to help their income following the death of a guardian. The amount of the pensions paid to spouses and children is usually equal to the pension of the deceased. If the deceased guardian was not yet retired, the amount is equal to what the deceased's disability pension would have been. The spouse's own income affects the amount of the pension, if they do not have any children under the age of 18.

The national pension system's common family pension guarantees the spouse and the children a minimum income. The national pension system's spouses' pension can be paid to spouses under the age of 65. A starting pension and surviving spouse's continuing pension can be paid as spouse's pension. A spouse's starting pension is paid at a standard rate and it is paid for a period of six months following the death of the deceased. After the starting pension, it is possible that a surviving spouse's continuing pension will be paid, this is formed of a basic amount and an income-based supplement. Almost all income will affect the amount of the basic amount supplement. Orphan’s pension can be paid to children under 18 years of age. Orphan’s pension can be paid up to the age of 21 if the beneficiary is in full-time education.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The earnings-related pension system will provide a spouse's pension if the person to whom you are married dies, the marriage took place before the deceased turned 65, and you have or had a child together. If you did not have a child together, it is a requirement that you were at least 50 years of age at the time of your spouse's death or had been receiving disability pension for at least three years. The marriage must also have taken place before the surviving spouse reached the age of 50 and before the deceased reached the age of 65, the marriage must have lasted at least five years.

Children under the age of 18 are entitled to an orphan's pension.

The national pensions system will provide a Spouse’s pension which can be paid to spouses under the age of 65 if the spouse and the deceased have a child together and marriage between the spouse and the deceased took place before the deceased turned 65. If the couple did not have any children together:

• the spouse must have turned 50 before the deceased's death;
• the marriage must have taken place before the spouse turned 50 and before the deceased turned 65, and
• the marriage must have lasted at least five years.

As of 1 January 2022, the national pension system will also provide a pension for cohabiting partners under the age of 65 if the partners have a minor child together, have cohabited before the deceased person turned 65 and cohabited for a consecutive period of at least five years.

Orphan’s pension can be paid to children under 18 years of age. Orphan’s pension can be paid up to the age of 21 if the beneficiary is in full-time education.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

According to the earnings-related pension system, the spouse's pension will be 17-50% of the deceased's pension. The amount depends on how many children are entitled to orphan's pension.

The spouse's pension of a spouse with a sufficient income will decrease at the beginning of the seventh month, but no earlier than when the youngest child turns 18. The deduction is half of the difference between the surviving spouse’s own pension or accrued pension and the reduction's base amount, which is EUR 695.50 in 2018.

The orphan's pension will be 33-83% of the deceased's pension. The orphan's pension amount also depends on how many children are entitled to an orphan's pension.

You can find instructions about applying for family pension here.

In the national pension system the spouse is paid a starting pension at a standard rate for a period of 6 months, after which the spouse's pension is continued at a basic amount if the surviving spouse is supporting a child under the age of 18. Furthermore, spouses on low incomes can be paid an income-based basic amount supplement regardless of whether they have children. The surviving spouse's continuing pension basic amount supplement is affected by almost all of the spouse's income.

The national pensions system's always includes a basic amount, and sometimes an additional supplement, the amount of which is affected by the other children receiving the family pension.

Orphan's Pension can be claimed from the beginning of the month following the death of a parent. Applications can be backdated up to six months.

You can check family pension amounts on Kela's website.

Instructions for applying for spouse's pension can be found on Kela's website.

Instructions for applying for the orphan's pension can be found on Kela's here.

Useful forms

• Application for Survivors' Pension for a Spouse (national pension)
• Application for a Family Pension for a Spouse (earnings-based pension)

Know your rights

The Commission's publication and website: Death grants

Who should I contact?

• Contact Kela's customer services, https://www.kela.fi/web/en/customer-service
• More information about earnings-related pensions: http://www.tyoelake.fi/en