Former member

You are no longer a member if you change your job to an employer who does not have a pension plan in The Pension Scheme for the Pharmacy Sector (POA). You may still be entitled to old-age, disability, and survivor pensions as a former member.

The Pension Scheme for the Pharmacy Sector (POA) provides pension benefits to employees at all pharmacies in Norway. Additionally, employees at some businesses closely related to the pharmacy sector have their pension scheme with us.

If you change jobs to an employer who does not have a pension plan with us, you are no longer a member. As a former member, you may be eligible for a future pension if you have been a member for a total of three years (36 months).

Retirement pension

As a previous member, you are entitled to a future retirement pension if you had been a member with us for more than three years. You do not need to apply. You will receive information from us about your pension as you approach retirement age.

Disability pension

If you have been a member for at least three years and have been granted disability benefits from the National Insurance Scheme (NAV), you may be eligible for disability pension from us. You must apply for disability pension yourself.

Dependent's pension

Your dependents may be entitled to dependent's pension if you have been a member for at least three years. Dependents do not need to apply for dependent's pension..

These rights change when you are no longer a member.

  • As a former member, you do not have the right to early contractual pension (AFP) from us. 
  • The pension is calculated differently than if you were a member at the time of retirement. This may result in a lower pension than if you were a member.
  • If you have a mortgage with us, the interest rate will be increased by two percentage points, the repayment period will be halved, and any grace period will be forfeited.

What happens to your pension accrual when you change jobs?

  • If you change jobs within the pharmacy sector, your pension accruals in POA will continue, and you remain a member.
  • If you switch to an employer who does not have a pension plan in POA, you will be deregistered, and your pension accrual with us will stop. A future pension will be calculated based on the accruals from when you were a member.
  • If you later start working for an employer with a pension plan in POA again, you will continue to build upon the pension accrual you already have.

Transfer of pension rights between different schemes

Some members of The Pension Scheme for the Pharmacy Sector (POA) are covered by the transfer agreement between public pension providers. The transfer agreement applies to you if you:

  • Became a member of POA before February 1, 2003.
  • Ended your membership in POA before February 1, 2003, but had been a member for at least six months.

If you are covered by the transfer agreement, your accrual time in POA will be counted if you change jobs and start in a position with membership in a public pension scheme (such as the State Pension Fund or KLP). The pension (old-age, disability, or survivor's pension) will be calculated based on the total accrual time in POA and other schemes covered by the agreement.

The scheme within the transfer agreement that you were most recently affiliated with will calculate and pay out the pension. If POA is the last scheme, you apply for the pension with us, and we will take care of the rest.

See which pension schemes are part of the transfer agreement (spk.no).