There are a few age-related special provisions in the unemployment benefit system. These relate to the duration of earnings-related allowance, the right to additional days, and transition security for dismissed employees.

Extended maximum duration of benefits for those aged 58 and over

Earnings-related unemployment allowance is generally paid for a maximum of 300 or 400 days. However, if you are 58 years old or older, you may be entitled to receive earnings-related allowance for up to 500 days. This requires that you have worked for at least 5 years during the past 20 years.

Additional days may extend the payment of unemployment allowance beyond the maximum duration

The right to additional days — often referred to as “eläkeputki” which means rafly “the unemployment path to retirement” — is being phased out. It now only applies to people born in 1964 or earlier.

The right to additional days means that you may receive earnings-related allowance up to the age of 65 as so-called additional days, even if your 300–500-day maximum entitlement has been exhausted.

To qualify for additional days:

• you were born in 1961–1962 and turn 62 before your maximum duration ends
• you were born in 1963 and turn 63 before your maximum duration ends
• you were born in 1964 and turn 64 before your maximum duration ends.

You must also have worked for at least 5 years during the past 20 years and have become entitled to earnings-related allowance as a wage earner.

Transition security provides added protection when your career ends

If you are made redundant for production-related or financial reasons and are at least 55 years old, you may be entitled to transition security. It consists of the following elements:

• Transition security allowance: a one-time compensation equal to about one month’s salary.
• Transition security training: vocational training organized by the employment authority, valued at up to approximately two months’ salary and lasting up to six months.
• Employment leave: the right to an extended employment leave period.

To be eligible for transition security, you must also have worked for the same employer for at least 5 years before dismissal and registered as a jobseeker with the employment authority within 60 days of receiving the notice of termination.