How to apply for a spouse’s pension from Kela

1. Apply for spouse's pension from both Kela and the earnings-related pension scheme on the same form.
2. Fill in the form Spouse’s pension (ETK/KELA 7004e, PDF).

   • If your incomes are low, apply for an additional amount to the continuing pension on form Leskeneläkkeen täydennysmäärän hakemus (EV 277, PDF, in Finnish). 
   • If you or your spouse/partner have lived or worked abroad, you should also complete appendix U Residence and employment abroad (ETK/KELA 7110e, PDF).  You may also be entitled to a survivors’ pension from abroad.
3. Send your application online:

   • Save the completed claim form on your device. Note that the claim must be in PDF format.
   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus. It is only available in Finnish and Swedish.
   • Select Eläkkeet and then Perhe-eläke – tee hakemus.
   • Select the claim on your device and press Lähetä.
   • When you send your claim online you don’t need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, sent them via OmaKela after you have submitted your claim. If they are paper documents, you can photograph or scan them.
     
     Another option is to send the application by mail:
      
   • Sign the application and send it with the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
4. A written decision on your application will be sent to you by post. You can also view the decision on our e-service.

5. You can apply for a spouse’s pension provided by an authorised pension provider also from your authorised pension provider. Go to the e-service of the pension provider here (elakepalvelut.fi). Use your online banking user ID and password to log into the service. In the pension provider’s e-service, you can at the same time also apply for a spouse’s pension from Kela.

If you have children, be sure to also check if your child is entitled to an orphan's pension.
If you child is aged under 17 years, you should apply for a single-parent supplement to the child benefit. You will be granted the supplement if you have not started a new relationship after the death of your former spouse/partner.

If you are low income you can also estimate your entitlement to housing allowance with the help of a calculator (in Finnish).

When to apply

Apply for a spouse’s pension starting from the beginning of the month following your spouse’s/partner’s death. Kela grants the benefit for a maximum of six months retrospectively.

When you want to see if your application has been decided, visit Kela's e-service.

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