Death of a close family member

There are two types of survivors’ pension: surviving spouse’s pension and orphan’s pension. They are paid by employment pension institutionsOpens in a new window. and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela)Opens in a new window..

You may be eligible for a surviving spouse’s pension if you and the deceased person were

• married
• living in a registered partnership or
• living in cohabitation.

The deceased person’s children who are aged under 20 may be eligible for an orphan’s pension paid by an

• employment pension institution. The pension is based on the earnings-related pension.
• The deceased person’s children who are aged under 18 may be eligible for an orphan’s pensionpaid by Kela. If the young person is studying, Kela will pay them student’s pension until they reach the age of 21.

If the deceased person had not accumulated any earnings-related pension, the survivors’ pension will only be paid by Kela.

If the deceased person had lived or worked in countries outside Finland, the family may also be eligible for a pension from these countries.