When you retire, you no longer need the services of an employment fund. That is also partially visible in the rules of YTK in which the membership is limited to those aged at most 68 years. Retirement on pension starts when you apply for pension. Even if you have applied for pension, but have not yet received a decision, it is recommended that you pay the membership fee of the unemployment fund as per normal. Once you receive the official decision on starting of the pension, you can send us a notice of resignation due to retirement. That way you will ensure the earnings-related cover up to the beginning of the pension.

So when you receive a decision on the starting of pension, you should send us a notice of resignation. On our website you can fill out an electronic notice of resignation. When you state the starting date of pension and your bank account number in the notice of resignation, we will refund the share of the membership fee for the rest of the year, if you have already paid the membership fee for the whole year. Sums of under € 10 will not be refunded.

If you start work as a full-time entrepreneur, you can retain your membership in YTK for 18 months. That is because once you have worked for 18 months as a full-time entrepreneur, according to the Unemployment Security Act you will lose the condition regarding employment that you have accumulated in the fund for employees. In practice it means that after 18 months we can no longer pay you earnings-related daily allowance. So when you start work as a full-time entrepreneur, you are recommended to insure your earnings in a fund for entrepreneurs. If you only work part-time in entrepreneurial activities, you can keep your membership with us in force. Remember, however, that you can’t accumulate new condition regarding employment with us from work as an entrepreneur.

There are really no other situations that require terminating the membership. If you start studies, parental leave or military service, it is advisable to keep the membership in the employment fund in force. That way you will retain the condition regarding employment you have accumulated, and you will have a better chance to receive earnings-related daily allowance, if you become unemployed after absence from the labour market.

If your unemployment is extended and the maximum payment period of earnings-related daily allowance ends, you can apply for labour market subsidy from Kela. Also in this case it is advisable to retain your membership in the unemployment fund, if you have already accumulated new condition regarding employment to some degree. When you retain your membership, the accumulated condition regarding employment also remains, and it is easier to start receiving earnings-related daily allowance again, if the difficult employment situation continues. Instead, if you have not accumulated condition regarding employment at all, and the maximum payment period ends, the membership of the fund will be of no use, and you can interrupt it. If you decide to do that, remember to join again when you start in a new job.