Pension gaps in Finland 2026: which periods don’t accrue pension?
Earnings-related pension accrues not only from work but also from many unpaid periods — but not all. Earnings-related unemployment allowance, parental allowance, sickness and rehabilitation allowance, home care of a child under 3 and degree-oriented study accrue pension.
By contrast, Kela basic security — yleistuki (formerly the basic unemployment allowance and labour-market subsidy) — non-degree study and work outside the EU remain pension gaps that do not accrue earnings-related pension. Below is which periods accrue and which do not.
- 1.5%
- accrual from accruing periods
- €896.42
- VEKL basis / month
- 5 yr
- study accrual cap
- 0%
- yleistuki accrues
Which periods accrue pension?
From all accruing periods, pension accrues at 1.5% a year. From earnings-related benefits the accrual is a share of the benefit’s earnings basis: parental allowance 121%, earnings-related unemployment 75% and sickness and rehabilitation allowance 65%. Home care of a child under 3 and degree-oriented study accrue from a fixed, state-funded basis (VEKL), which is €896.42/month in 2026 — study for at most five years.
| Period | Accrues pension? |
|---|---|
| Earnings-related unemployment allowance | Yes (75% of the basis) |
| Parental allowance | Yes (121%) |
| Sickness and rehabilitation allowance | Yes (65%) |
| Home care of a child under 3 | Yes (VEKL €896.42/mo) |
| Degree-oriented study | Yes (VEKL, max 5 yr) |
| Yleistuki (Kela basic security) | No |
| Non-degree study | No |
| Work outside the EU | No |
Which are left as pension gaps?
Pension gaps are Kela basic security — yleistuki (formerly the basic unemployment allowance and labour-market subsidy) — non-degree study, work outside the EU/EEA and social-security-agreement countries, and breaks with no benefit. The key difference is that only earnings-related unemployment accrues pension — Kela basic security does not.
Can a gap be repaired?
Lost accrual cannot be bought back afterwards, but the impact of a gap can be reduced by working longer (including the deferral increase of 0.4%/month) or by saving for retirement yourself. A single gap does not ruin the pension, but long periods show.
Calculators for this topic
FAQ
Does unemployment accrue pension?
Only partly. Earnings-related unemployment allowance accrues pension (75% of the basis), but Kela basic security — yleistuki — does not accrue earnings-related pension at all.
Does study accrue pension?
Degree-oriented study accrues pension from the fixed VEKL basis (€896.42/month in 2026), for at most five years. Non-degree study does not accrue pension.
Does caring for a child accrue pension?
Yes. Parental allowance accrues from the earnings basis (121%) and home care of a child under 3 from the fixed VEKL basis (€896.42/month in 2026).
Which periods leave a gap?
Kela basic security (yleistuki), non-degree study, work outside the EU and breaks with no benefit. These accrue no earnings-related pension.
Can I repair a pension gap?
Lost accrual cannot be bought back, but the impact can be reduced by working longer or by saving for retirement yourself.