The starting pension is
EUR 388.92 per month
Spouse’s pension
On this page
The purpose of the spouse’s pension (leskeneläke) is to provide financial support following the death of a partner. It is a survivor’s pension that is paid by Kela and the authorised pension providers. You can get a spouse’s pension from Kela and an authorised pension provider at the same time.
Spouse’s pension from Kela
The spouse's pension from Kela has two components:
- a starting pension (also known as initial pension)
- a possible continuing pension consisting of a basic amount and an additional amount.
Kela can pay a starting pension from the beginning of the month following the death of your partner. It can be paid for up to 6 months. If you receive a national pension, your starting pension will only consist of the amount that exceeds the national pension.
Payment of the starting pension will end as soon as you reach the age of 65. It will also end if you remarry before turning 50.
After the starting pension, you may be able to get a continuing pension. It consists of a basic amount and possibly also an additional amount.
Payment of the continuing pension ends when you turn 65.
It will also end if you remarry before turning 50.
If you remarry before you are 50 and have by that time received a spouse's pension for at least a year, Kela will provide you a lump-sum payment, which can be equal to up to three years’ payments of the continuing pension.
Can you get a spouse’s pension?
You can get a spouse’s pension from Kela if you and your late partner were married, in a registered partnership or cohabiting and you meet the requirements for receiving a spouse’s pension.
Whether you have a right to a spouse’s pension depends on
- how long your marriage or cohabitation lasted
- whether you have children
- when you were born.
Kela pays spouse's pension only to surviving partners under the age of 65.
Read more about survivors’ pensions available from other sources
Spouse’s pension is affected by the type of relationship you had and whether you had children together
You can get a spouse’s pension if you were married to your spouse or registered your partnership with your partner before they turned 65.
You can get a surviving spouse’s starting pension and continuing pension.
Basic or additional amount of the continuing pension?
You are entitled to the basic amount of the continuing pension. The basic amount is paid until the youngest child that you have with your spouse/partner reaches the age of 18, or until you reach the age of 65.
You are also entitled to the basic amount of the continuing pension, if your child with your spouse/partner has reached the age of 18, but you have a child (either yours or your spouse’s/partner’s) under the age of 18 living with you. An additional requirement is that your child or your spouse’s/partner’s child was living in the same household with you and your spouse/partner when your spouse/partner died. The basic amount is paid until the child turns 18 or moves out of your home at an age younger than 18.
If your income is small, you can get an additional amount to the continuing pension.
You can be paid an additional amount until you reach the age of 65, even if your child is over 18.
How long is the spouse’s pension paid?
- If you were born before 1975:
- You can get spouse’s pension up to age 65.
- If you were born in 1975 or later:
- You can get spouse’s pension for 10 years or at least until any child living with you turns 18.
- You will, however, no longer be eligible for spouse’s pension after you have reached the age of 65.
You have a right to spouse’s pension only if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You were at least 50 years old when your spouse/partner died.
- You were under 50 years of age, and your spouse/partner was under 65 when you were married or entered into a registered partnership.
- Your marriage or registered partnership lasted at least 5 years.
You have a right to spouse’s starting pension and possibly to continuing pension.
Basic or additional amount of the continuing pension?
If your income is small, you can get an additional amount to the continuing pension.
If the above requirements are met and you have a child (either your own or your spouse’s/partner’s) under the age of 18 living with you, you can also get the basic amount of the continuing pension. An additional requirement is that your child or your spouse’s/partner’s child was living in the same household with you and your spouse/partner when your spouse/partner died. The basic amount is paid until the child turns 18 or moves out of your home at an age younger than 18.
How long is the spouse’s pension paid?
- If you were born before 1975:
- You can get spouse’s pension up to age 65.
- If you were born in 1975 or later:
- You can get spouse’s pension for 10 years or at least until any child living with you turns 18.
- You will, however, no longer be eligible for spouse’s pension after you have reached the age of 65.
You have a right to spouse’s pension if you cohabited with your partner and you meet all of the following requirements:
- You started cohabiting before your partner reached the age of 65.
- You had cohabited for a consecutive period of at least 5 years at the time when your partner died.
- You have a child under the age of 18 with your partner and the child has lived in the same household with you and your partner.
You are entitled to surviving spouse’s starting pension and continuing pension.
If you yourself were married to another person at the time of your partner’s death, or if your partner was married to another person at the time of his or her death, then you are not entitled to surviving spouse’s pension.
Basic or additional amount of the continuing pension?
You are entitled to the basic amount of the continuing pension. If your income is small, you can also get an additional amount to your continuing pension. It is not possible to get only the additional amount.
How long is the spouse’s pension paid?
The spouse’s pension is payable until the youngest child that you have with your deceased partner turns 18. You can be paid spouse’s pension up to age 65.
Effect of other pensions on the spouse’s pension
You cannot get a spouse’s continuing pension from Kela if you receive one of the following pensions:
- disability pension (national pension)
- early old-age pension (national pension)
- a comparable pension from abroad.
However, you can get a spouse’s starting pension at the same time as the above pensions. If you receive a national pension, Kela will pay you a starting pension consisting of the amount by which the starting pension exceeds the national pension.
International situations
You can get spouse’s pension from Kela if you used to live abroad but now live permanently in Finland.
You can get spouse’s pension from Kela if you used to live abroad but now live permanently in Finland.
However, you must meet all the following criteria:
- Your late spouse/partner had lived in Finland for at least 3 years after turning 16.
- If your spouse/partner lived in Finland for at least a year, any insurance period accumulated in other EU or EEA countries, in Switzerland or in Great Britain can be taken into account.
- Your late spouse/partner was living in Finland at the time of his or her death.
- You yourself have lived in Finland for at least 3 years after turning 16.
- If you have lived in Finland for at least a year, any insurance period accumulated in other EU or EEA countries, in Switzerland or in Great Britain can be taken into account.
- You are living in Finland or you have moved back to Finland within one year of the death of your spouse/partner.
If Kela pays you a spouse’s pension and you move abroad, the continued payment of the pension depends on where you move and how long you will stay. Read more about the payment of pensions to recipients outside Finland.
You can also get spouse’s pension from Kela if you are already living in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. File your application for spouse’s pension with the pension provider in your country of residence. The pension provider will send your application to both Kela and the deceased person’s authorised pension provider in Finland. For further instructions on the application process, contact the pension provider in your country of residence.
You can also get a pension from abroad on the basis of an international agreement. Read more about applying for a pension from abroad.
If you or your spouse/partner have lived abroad, you should check with Kela’s Centre for International Affairs for details on how foreign residence affects your spouse's pension.
How much is the spouse’s pension?
Starting pension
Kela pays spouse’s starting pension for 6 months after the death of your spouse/partner or until you reach the age of 65. However, if you were cohabiting with your partner, you will no longer be eligible for starting pension once any child that you have with your partner has reached the age of 18.
Your income and assets do not affect the amount of the spouse’s starting pension.
If you receive a national pension or a comparable pension from abroad which is smaller than the starting pension, only the amount exceeding the national pension or a comparable pension from abroad is paid.
If your spouse/partner had lived or worked abroad, the starting pension may be smaller than the amount shown above.
Continuing pension
The continuing pension consists of a basic amount and an additional amount. If your spouse/partner had lived or worked abroad, the continuing pension may be smaller than the amount shown below.
The basic amount of the continuing pension
You qualify for the basic amount only if you have a dependent child who is under 18 years old. The child must be yours or your spouse's/partner’s.
Your income and assets do not affect the basic amount of the continuing pension.
Additional amount of the continuing pension
For remarried or cohabiting spouses, the additional amount can be up to EUR 547.05 per month.
The additional amount is affected by almost all of your income, including wages and salaries, pensions paid by an authorised pension provider, benefits paid by Kela, and rental and dividend income.
The higher your income is, the lower is the additional amount payable. However, your property and assets do not affect the additional amount.
Additional amount of the continuing pension and the effect of gross income (EUR per month)
Living alone:
- Full additional amount: 632.26 EUR per month
- Income limit to qualify for a full additional amount: 66.54 EUR per month
- Income limit at which the additional amount is not awarded if you have a child under 18: 1,331.05 EUR per month
- Income limit at which the additional amount is not awarded if you do not have a child under 18: 1,315.05 EUR per month
Living with another person (marriage, registered partnership or cohabitation):
- Full additional amount: 547.05 EUR per month
- Income limit to qualify for a full additional amount: 66.54 EUR per month
- Income limit at which the additional amount is not awarded if you have a child under 18: 1,160.63 EUR per month
- Income limit at which the additional amount is not awarded if you do not have a child under 18: 1,144.63 EUR per month
The additional amount of the continuing pension is affected by almost all of your income, including wages and salaries, pensions paid by an authorised pension provider, benefits paid by Kela, and rental and dividend income. Any income you receive from abroad will usually also reduce the additional amount of the continuing pension.
However, only 60% of your earned income and any comparable income is taken into account.
Earned income includes wages and salaries. Income that is considered comparable to earned income include general social security benefit, sickness allowance, daily allowances for parents and the care allowance component of child home care allowance.
For farmers and self-employed persons, the income confirmed under the Self-Employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL) or the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) is counted as earned income.
You can earn up to EUR 66.29 per month (gross, i.e. before taxes) to qualify for a full additional amount.
If you have housing debt, the interest you pay on it is deducted from your income.
Your property and assets do not affect the additional amount.
Maija’s husband, Teppo, died in January 2026. Maija and Teppo have a daughter, Anne, aged under 18. Maija works part-time and has a salary of EUR 1,000 per month. Maija begins to receive a surviving spouse’s pension of EUR 1,200 per month on the basis of Teppo’s earnings-related pension.
After Teppo’s death, Kela pays Maija a starting pension of EUR 388.92 per month for 6 months. In total, Maija receives EUR 1,588.92 per month in surviving spouse’s pension from Kela and from the authorised pension provider
After receiving the starting pension for 6 months, Maija will get the basic amount of the continuing pension from Kela. The basic amount is EUR 121.82 per month and it is paid out because Maija has a dependent child who is under 18 years old. Maija is not granted an additional amount to the continuing pension because her income exceeds the maximum income limit. Kela has thus calculated Maija’s income as consisting of the surviving spouse’s pension paid by the earnings-related pension provider (EUR 1,200 per month) and 60 per cent of her earned income (EUR 600 per month).
When Anne turns 18, Kela will stop paying the surviving spouse’s pension.
You must pay tax on the spouse's pension.
Payment of the spouse's pension
Kela pays the spouse’s pension into your bank account once a month. The payment date is determined by your last initial:
- A–K: 4th of the month
- L–R: 14th of the month
- S–Ö: 24th of the month
If banks are closed on the scheduled payment date, the pension is paid on the nearest preceding banking day. Kela notifies the Incomes Register of the amount of pension paid to you within five days of the date of payment.
How to apply for spouse’s pension
Apply for spouse's pension from both Kela and the earnings-related pension scheme on the same application form for Spouse’s pension ETK/KELA 7004e (PDF).
- If you or your spouse have lived or worked abroad, also fill in Appendix U - Residence and employment abroad ETK/KELA 7110e (PDF).
- If your income is low you can apply for the additional amount of the continuing pension on the application form for the Additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension EV 277e (PDF). The additional amount cannot be granted until the payment of the starting pension has ended. The starting pension can be paid for up to 6 months. Do not apply for the additional amount until towards the end of the payment period for the starting pension.
To make sure that the form functions properly, you need to use the latest version of Adobe Reader. It is available as a free download on the Adobe website (get.adobe.com).
- Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
- Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
- After you have filled in the form, save it in PDF format. You do not have to sign the form.
- Send your application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) under Tee hakemus tai ilmoita muutoksista (Submit an application or report changes).
- Send supporting documents in OmaKela by selecting Lähetä liite (Send a supporting document). Take photographs of the documents you are sending if they are not in a digital format.
Apply for spouse's pension
Submit your application and supporting documents online.
Go to OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application. You will also see how much you will get and when it will be paid. If supporting documents are missing from your application, you will get a reminder about that in OmaKela.
In OmaKela, you can also give consent for Kela to send you messages. This will help make your application process and other contacts with Kela quicker.
If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Fill in the form and print it out. Remember to sign the form. Send the form together with any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
You can also apply for a spouse’s pension from your spouse's authorised pension provider. Go to the e-service of the pension provider (elakepalvelut.fi).
- You will need your online banking codes to sign in.
- In the pension provider’s e-service, you can the same time also apply for a spouse’s pension from Kela.
If you have children, be sure to check if your child has a right to orphan’s pension. If your child is under 17, you can also apply for a single-parent supplement to the child benefit.
Things to remember when you claim spouse’s pension
Apply for a spouse’s pension starting from the beginning of the month following your spouse’s/partner's death. The spouse’s pension is available retrospectively for a maximum of 6 months from the application date.
You can also apply for spouse's pension on behalf of a child or another adult in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). Log in to OmaKela using your online banking credentials or mobile ID. Select Asioi toisen henkilön puolesta (Act on behalf of another person). In OmaKela, you can check when the other person's benefit will be paid and how much they will get. You can also send messages and supporting documents on their behalf.
Acting on behalf of another adult always requires authorisation. You do not usually need separate authorisation to act on behalf of a child, as Kela gets the information it needs directly from the Finnish Population Information System.
If your spouse or partner once worked, studied or lived abroad, it will take longer to process your pension application. Kela must verify all the periods in which your spouse or partner lived, studied or worked in another country.
If there is a long wait to receive a pension decision from another EU or EEA country or from Switzerland or Great Britain, you can get a temporary decision on a Kela pension.
Report changes that affect the spouse's pension
Remember to report to Kela any changes that affect your pension. The survivors' pension is affected by, for instance, income, family circumstances and changes in marital status.
Tell Kela:
- if you begin to receive another pension, compensation or survivors' pension from Finland or from abroad or if the amount of these changes
- if your income changes
- if there is a change in your family circumstances
- if you move abroad or stay abroad for more than 3 months.
Report the changes in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish). You can also contact Kela by phone or fill in and mail the form EV 277e (PDF) and its supporting documents to Kela. Kela mailing address is Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
When you report the changes, the benefit is paid at the correct rate and you also do not lose any benefit due to you. Read more about reporting changes.
If you do not report changes, you may be paid benefits you are not entitled to. In that case the benefit will be recovered from you later. Read more about the recovery of overpayments.
Other help available from Kela
Do you need assistance with your housing costs?
Housing allowance can compensate for a reduced income and help with your housing costs.
Do you have children?
If you have children, be sure to check if your child has a right to orphan’s pension.
How are Kela benefits affected by a death in the family?
The death of a child, a spouse or a partner can affect the benefits you get from Kela. We are sincerely sorry for your lost.
Are you short of money?
If you are short of money, social assistance can help you get through the worst.
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