Subsidies and discounts for pensioners

As a pensioner, you can receive support from Kela for different situations. As a pensioner or at the age of 65 or over, you are also entitled to pensioner discounts when you purchase certain services. 

Kela subsidies for pensioners

You can receive support from Kela, for example, if your functional capacity has deteriorated, your income is not sufficient for housing costs or essential expenses, or you take care of the child 's income. You can also receive support for private medical care and compensation for the costs of prescription medicines.

Kela pays the following subsidies to pensioners:

• Housing allowance for pensioner - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Reimbursements for medical expenses - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Reimbursements of travel costs - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Reimbursements for medicine expenses - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Care allowance for pensioners - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Social assistance - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.
• Child increase - Kela.fiOpens in a new window.

Pensioner discounts

When you have retired or are over the age of 65, you have the right to a diverse range of pensioners discounts. You can prove your entitlement to discounts with an earnings-related pension card or a national pension recipient 's card. 

• You can obtain an earnings-related pension card from your own pension provider. 
• You can obtain a national pension recipient’s card from Kela, if you are under the age of 65 and a full national pension recipient. If you cannot obtain a national pension recipient 's card, you can, on request, receive a certificate on receipt of a national pension.

The size of discounts will depend on the service provider, and there is no uniform practice for these. When purchasing travel tickets, tickets to events, municipal or city services and recreational services remember to ask whether you are eligible for a pensioner discount.