
Age limits for additional days will change
There will be some changes to the right to additional days (Government Proposal HE 83/2019). The changes will fit unemployment security and pension cover better together. If passed, the amendment will enter into force on 1 January 2020.
When you are approaching the retirement age, we can pay you earnings-related daily allowance without the maximum period preventing it until you retire on pension. The right to the additional days depends e.g. on your year of birth and your age at the end of the maximum payment period. At present the right to additional days is determined as follows:
- You were born in 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 or 1954 and have turned 59 before the end of the maximum period
- You were born in 1955 or 1956 and have turned 60 before the end of the maximum period
- You were born in 1957 or later and have turned 61 before the end of the maximum period
The amendment follows the passing of time, and hence the mention on those born in 1950–1954 will be left out, and the next age category will be added to the section. In the future, the right to additional days will be determined as follows:
- You were born in 1955 or 1956 and have turned 60 before the end of the maximum period
- You were born in 1957–1960 and have turned 61 before the end of the maximum period
- You were born in 1961 or later and have turned 62 before the end of the maximum period
Upper age limit for unemployment benefit will rise
In conjunction with the amendment on additional days, the upper age limit for the payment of earnings-related daily allowance will be amended in such a way that earnings-related daily allowance will be paid to job-seekers born in 1965 or later up to the end of the calendar month in which he/she reaches the lowest age for old-age pension referred to in the Employees Pensions Act.
The amendment of the Unemployment Security Act follows the raising of the lowest age for old-age pension. The purpose is to prevent a situation in which the right to receive daily allowance ends before the right to receive old-age pension begins.
The amendment presents a minor challenge to the advisory services, as in the future the upper age limit will depend on the person’s year of birth and the pensions act. So it can no longer be derived directly from the Unemployment Security Act.