Working while on a disability pension in Finland: Association of diagnosis and financial factors to employment

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to find out whether health and financial factors are associated with engagement in paid work during a disability pension. Methods: The data included a 10 per cent sample of Finns aged 20–62 years who were drawing earnings-related full or partial disability pension in 2012 (n = 14,418). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios for working while on a full or partial disability pension. Results: Fourteen per cent of full disability pensioners and 76 per cent of partial disability pensioners were engaged in paid work. Full disability pensioners due to mental disorders were working less often than full disability pensioners due to other diseases. Partial disability pensioners due to cardiovascular diseases were working more than partial disability pensioners due to other diseases. More recent timing of disability pension was associated with working for both partial and full disability pensioners. Working while on disability pension was more common among those with higher education. Partial disability pensioners with average pension worked more often than those with high pension. Conclusions: By knowing the factors associated with working while on a disability pension, policies could be more efficiently allocated to encourage disability pensioners to take up work. One way would be to support disability pensioners with low education to work more. Another way to increase work among disability pensioners is to support the recently retired in working longer.