The TNO social partners and the board of the TNO Pension Fund aim to have a balanced pension scheme: for now and in the future. The financing of your pension will change when you move to the new scheme. Going forward, this could be detrimental to the future pension accrual of some members. The TNO social partners (Board of Directors, TNO and the TNO works council) have therefore agreed on compensation for this.

Who is the compensation for?
The compensation is for future accrued pension and is intended for employees and members who are unfit for work and who are aged between 35 and 67 at the time of the switch (1 July 2026). The amount of compensation will not be finalised until we switch to the new pension scheme. Employees who left employment or retired before 1 July 2026 will not be entitled to this compensation. After all, they will no longer be accruing a pension with our fund. Employees entering service on 1 July 2026 are also not entitled to compensation. This is the commencement date for the new pension system.

The compensation an employee (or a member who is disabled) receives depends on the following factors:

• age;
• pensionable earnings as of 30 June 2026, i.e. pensionable salary minus the portion on which no pension is accrued (old-age pension deductible in 2026: €18,722);
• percentage of working time;
• the total assets of the career average pension scheme;
• the number of members eligible for compensation.

Why is compensation necessary?
Under the current pension scheme, you as an employee and your employer affiliated with our pension fund pay a flat-rate premium for your pension accrual. Under this system, everyone accrues pension in the same way, namely as a fixed percentage of pensionable salary. This percentage does not depend on your age. The same pension for an older worker requires more contributions than for a younger one. This is because there is less time for the pension scheme to invest the deposits and earn returns. This way of building and financing pensions is called the ‘average pension contribution system’.

No more average pension contribution system under the new scheme
That system will no longer apply in the new pension scheme. The premium for your pension will go directly into the capital for your pension under the new system. When you retire, the pension fund converts the capital for your pension into a monthly pension. The level of this pension is not set in advance. The new way of accruing pension capital is advantageous for young people: they have more time to see a return on their deposits. The longer the period during which investments can be made, the greater the chance of a higher pension. This is because, on average, there are more good than bad investment years.

For older people, the new way of accruing pension works differently. If you are older, you have less time to have your deposit invested and this reduces the chances of accruing a higher pension. This may make the new scheme less favourable for older workers.

What we have agreed
For this reason, the social partners have agreed to increase where possible the capital for the pension of those who might be adversely affected by the switch. This includes employees and disabled members who are aged between 35 and 67 at the time of the switch (1 July 2026). These workers will be compensated if this is possible. This will supplement the members’ capital for their pensions.

The TNO social partners (the TNO works council and BoD-TNO) agreed to reserve 1.5% of the total available pension fund assets (excluding the assets of the TOP and Extra Pension defined contribution schemes) to compensate for no longer using the average pension contribution system. This is laid down in the transition plan.

Note the following if you leave employment before the switch
If you leave employment before the switch to the new pension scheme on 1 July 2026, you will not be compensated. If you intend to work less (temporarily or otherwise), this may also affect the level of compensation. This also applies if you decide to retire before or after the switch or you decide to retire early. Read more about the compensation scheme (frequently asked questions) on our website

When will we know if and how much compensation you will get
Before the switch: First calculation
You will receive the first calculation of your pension under the new pension scheme no later than one month (in the period from 15 May – 1 June) before the date of transferring to the new system. This will be an estimate. The first calculation is based on our financial situation and your record with us as of 1 October 2025. If you qualify for compensation on this basis, then it will be stated in the first calculation. You cannot derive any rights from this. Our financial situation as of 1 July 2026 will ultimately determine whether you get compensation and, if so, how much.

After the switch: Second calculation
You will get another, second, calculation by 31 December 2026 at the latest. After the switch, we will know for certain who will get compensation, and how much it will be. If you qualify for compensation, it will be stated in the second calculation.

The country-wide problem with abolishing the average pension contribution system is that workers paid too much for their pensions when they were young, whereas now that they are older they no longer have the benefit of lower contributions relative to the pension to be accrued. However, this was virtually not the case at TNO and the other affiliated employers. This is because they had a non-contributory base: employees only paid premium on the part of the salary above €28,572. As a result, for employees on low wages, the employee contribution was lower while the employer contribution was actually higher. Since young people have lower salaries on average, they also contributed less to their pensions.

More information on this topic is also available in the frequently asked questions. If your question is not listed, please send it to: vragen@pftno.nl.