Economic subjects | Social insurance » General Information about Social Insurance

Source: http://www.doksinet Social Insurance General Information about Social Insurance Source: http://www.doksinet About Social Insurance Social insurance is an integral part of the Swedish social security system. The Swedish social insurance covers everyone that lives or works in Sweden. It provides financial protection for families and children, for persons with a disability and in connection with work injury, illness and old age. Through the Swedish membership in the European Union, you may also be eligible for social insurance benefits in other EU member states. Source: http://www.doksinet Welcome to Försäkringskassan This brochure gives a brief introduction to social insurance in Sweden. Social insurance is founded on the idea of people helping each other through a kind of social safety net, which is in place from birth to retirement. Försäkringskassan’s (The Swedish Social Insurance Agency) role is to administer social insurance and to ensure that you get the

benefits and allowances to which you are entitled. To be covered by or to be eligible for a social insurance benefit, you must, as a rule, either be resident in Sweden or be working here. Examples of residence-based benefits are child allowance and housing allowance. If you work in Sweden, you are insured for employmentbased benefits, which include sickness benefit and rehabilitation allowance If you plan to move abroad, the brochure “Bo eller arbeta utomlands” (Living and working abroad) is of relevance As you can see, social insurance is a source of security for most people. At present you may perhaps be unaware of when or how you come into contact with it. However, it may be useful to know that it exists, at whatever stage of your life you are. Do you wish to know more? More detailed information on specific benefits for reading and printing off as an information sheet can be found at www.forsakringskassanse See reference at the very back of the brochure If you do not have

Internet access, you can always contact Försäkringskassan. The following always applies In order to receive benefit from Försäkringskassan, you must always satisfy certain requirements. When you apply for benefit, you must therefore provide Försäkringskassan with certain details. Försäkringskassan will in turn assess this information and decide whether or not you get benefit.  Source: http://www.doksinet Contents Security for everyone 6 Why do we have a social insurance system? 6 How did social insurance come about? 6 The development of social insurance 7 If you fall ill 8 How health insurance works 8 Disease carriers 11 Care of relatives 11 Activity compensation 11 Sickness compensation

12 Dormant sickness and activity compensation 12 Rehabilitation 12 Dental care 13  If you fall ill abroad 14 If you are pregnant 14 Adoption allowance 14 Pregnancy rights 16 Pregnancy benefit 16 For families with children 16 Parental benefit 16 Temporary parental benefit 17 Paternity leave 18 Child allowance and large family supplement 18 Childcare allowance 18 Maintenance support 18 If you are disabled 20 Disability allowance 20 Assistance

allowance 20 Source: http://www.doksinet Car allowance 20 About pensions 21 Old age pension 23 Born between 1938 – 1953 23 Born 1937 or earlier 23 Survivor’s pension 24 Child pension and survivor’s support for children 25 Pension supplement 26 If you are injured at work 27 Occupational injury insurance 27 Annuity 27 If you are taking part in a labour market programme 28 Activity support 28 Help with the cost of housing 28 Housing allowance 28 If you are an employer

29 Insurance against sick pay costs 29 General rules 30 Dissatisfied with the decision? 30 Taxation and income tax return 30 Price base amount 30 Social insurance in practice 30 From proposal to a new law or amendment to a law 30 Who manages social insurance? 31 More detailed information 31 Information sheet 31  Source: http://www.doksinet Security for everyone Why do we have a social insurance system? Social insurance aims to provide financial security at every stage of life. It therefore mainly gives support to those who are ill, disabled, parents and pensioners. How did social insurance come about?  In earlier periods of social policy, it was known as poor relief and was mainly intended to counteract mass death

and poverty. In the middle of the 19th century Sweden started to become industrialised. Apace with the growth of industry, people left the old artisan and peasant society for employment in factories. Housing conditions were very poor, the work was heavy and dirty, and labour protection was non-existent. As people became more dependent on income in the form of money and not of goods, financial vulnerability increased in connection with ill health, accidents at work and old age. Demands for social reforms grew, and against the background of a situation where ordinary people were more vulnerable in society than before, social security as we know it today began to develop. This took time, however – more than a hundred years. At the end of the 19th century, people started to come together and established what were known as sick benefit societies to support each other in an emergency. Source: http://www.doksinet The development of social insurance It was not until 1931 that these

societies were approved by the state and given the name health insurance funds, receiving state funding for their operations. In 1955 today’s first social insurance office came into being. No voluntary membership existed, as in the case of the old health insurance fund. Since then much has happened in the area and now everyone who lives or works in Sweden is covered by social insurance – insurance characterised by the notion that the obligation to pay contributions and taxes brings entitlement to a share in social welfare when we are in need of it. The main aim is to guarantee the population a certain level of security in their lives. Throughout the 20th century reforms were gradually introduced and many improvements were made. On the next page you can see some of the most important changes. Milestones in the 20th century 1901 Act on Compensation in the event of an Accident at Work 1914 National Old Age Pension Act 1948 Child allowance 1955 National health insurance with

income-related sickness benefit and subsidised healthcare 1955 Occupational injury insurance 1960 ATP, national supplementary pension 1974 Parental insurance 1977 New occupational injury insurance scheme 1992 Rehabilitation allowance 1999 The new pension system 2001 Regulation of social insurance to cover all now living or working in Sweden  Source: http://www.doksinet If you fall ill How health insurance works Sick pay If you are employed and fall ill, you must report sick to your employer. If you are employed for at least a month or have worked for fourteen days without a break, you are entitled to sick pay from your employer for the first 14 days of your illness. No payment is made for the first day (the “waiting period”). If you are still ill after 14 days, your employer will notify Försäkringskassan of your illness. When you are well again, you must provide your employer with written assurance stating that you have been ill and specifying the extent of your

absence from work. Sickness benefit  If you are not entitled to sick pay, you may be able to get sickness benefit from Försäkringskassan. In this case you must notify the Försäkringskassan that you are ill. You may also be entitled to sickness benefit when you have been ill for 14 days and are no longer receiving sick pay from your employer. Försäkringskassan assesses your entitlement to sickness benefit. A long period of illness If you are ill for more than seven days, you will normally be expected to produce a sick note from the doctor in order to continue receiving sick pay or sickness benefit. If you become unemployed If you become unemployed, it is important that you register within 3 months from the day your work ceased with the employment office as seeking work. The reason is that when you no longer have income from work, the main rule is that your previously fixed SGI (the income on which your sickness benefit is based) ceases to apply. In some circumstances, however,

it is possible to keep your SGI despite your not working. This is the case, for instance, when you are unemployed and have registered with the employment office as seeking work Source: http://www.doksinet Travel allowance instead of sick pay or sickness benefit In certain cases you may qualify for a travel allowance instead of sick pay/sickness benefit. This is the case if your employer or Försäkringskassan judges that you are able to work but are unable to get to work by normal means. Your employer or Försäkringskassan will then pay a reasonable allowance for additional expenses you have for travel to and from work. Complete or partial incapacity for work You may draw one-quarter, half, three-quarters or full sickness benefit, depending on the extent to which you are unable to work. Försäkringskassan assesses your entitlement to sickness benefit and decides whether you are able to carry out your work full time or part time, despite your illness. It also decides whether you

will be able to return to your regular job after your period of illness comes to an end. If you can go back to work, your disability will be assessed in relation to your normal work. If not, your disability will be assessed in relation to other work that your employer can offer you. If your employer has no other work to offer or if too long a period of rehabilitation is needed, your capacity for work will be assessed in relation to the needs of the labour market as a whole. If you are self-employed If you are self-employed, you must pay your own health insurance contributions to your health insurance along with your tax. You can choose between a waiting period of 3 or 30 days (during which time you will not get any sickness benefit). Your contributions will be lower if you choose the longer waiting period If you are a student A number of different rules about entitlement to sickness benefit apply to students. You should therefore contact Försäkringskassan, who can tell you exactly

what applies in your particular case, or go to www.forsakringskassanse Voluntary sickness benefit insurance If you have no income or a low income, you can sign up with Försäkringskassan for voluntary sickness benefit insurance. Payments from this insurance are free of tax.  Source: http://www.doksinet 10 Source: http://www.doksinet Disease carriers If you have or are suspected of having an infectious disease but are still fit for work, or if you are carrying or are suspected of carrying an infection without being ill, you may be able to get benefit from Försäkringskassan in the form of disease carrier’s allowance. You are also entitled to disease carrier’s allowance if you have to give up work as a result of a decision under the term of the Communicable Diseases Act or the Food Act. Care of relatives If you give up work to look after a seriously ill relative, you may be able to get an allowance for the care of close relatives from Försäkringskassan and be entitled to

time off work. Activity compensation If you are aged between 19 and 29, you may be eligible for activity compensation if your capacity for work is reduced permanently or for a limited period (at least a year) by at least a quarter. The reduction in working capacity must be due to illness or other impairment in your physical or mental performance. You may have full, threequarters, half or one-quarter activity compensation, depending on how much your capacity for work is reduced and your opportunities of supporting yourself through work. Extended schooling due to disability If you have a disability which obliges you to attend compulsory school or upper secondary school for a longer period, you will be entitled to activity compensation while you are at school, without your capacity for work being assessed. Activities While you are receiving activity compensation, you have an opportunity to take part in activities which are aimed at providing you with the means to improve your capacity

for work. A condition of this is that the activities can be presumed to have a beneficial effect on the circumstances causing the reduction in your capacity for work. 11 Source: http://www.doksinet Sickness compensation If you are aged between 30 and 64, you may be able to get sickness compensation if your capacity for work is permanently reduced by at least a quarter. The reduction in working capacity must be due to illness or other impairment in your physical or mental performance. If your capacity for work is reduced for a limited period (a minimum of one year), you may be able to get temporary sickness compensation. This can be full, three-quarters, half or one-quarter sickness compensation, depending on how much your incapacity for work is reduced and your opportunities of supporting yourself through work. Size of sickness and activity compensation 12 Sickness or activity compensation is paid as an income-related benefit and as a guarantee benefit. Both these apply on

condition that you satisfy certain requirements in regard to work or residence. Income-related benefit is based on your income from employment You get guarantee benefit if you have or have had a low or no income. Guarantee benefit is designed to provide financial basic protection, regardless of your previous income from employment The amount depends on how many years you have lived in Sweden. Dormant sickness and activity compensation If you are receiving sickness or activity compensation, you have the possibility to work without losing your entitlement to compensation. This is called dormant sickness or activity compensation. When you have received sickness or activity compensation for at least a year and want to try to see whether you can cope with working, you can apply for a trial period in which you receive compensation and pay at the same time. If your attempt to work is successful, you can apply to have your compensation made dormant. The trial period and the period of dormant

compensation may together last for up to 24 calendar months or for the remaining period for which you have been granted compensation. Rehabilitation Sometimes when on sick leave you need support in order to begin work again. Rehabilitation is a generic term for all measures of a medical, psychological, social and work-related nature that are gea- Source: http://www.doksinet red to helping ill and injured people to regain the best possible function capacity and conditions for a normal life. Different authorities are responsible for different areas. Healthcare is responsible for medical treatment and rehabilitation. The employer or the employment office is responsible for work-related measures and the municipality is responsible for social measures. Försäkringskassan coordinates society’s various measures for your rehabilitation and is responsible for attending to your need for rehabilitation to return to work. Försäkringskassan should also take the initiative and coordinate

the measures needed. Försäkringskassan can support you where necessary in your contact with authorities and others so that you receive the rehabilitation help you require. Dental care Everyone who lives or works in Sweden receives some form of subsidised dental care. It briefly works as follows: up to and including the year in which you reach the age of 19, you receive free dental care, which is financed by the county councils. From the year in which you reach the age of 20, you are covered by dental care insurance. Under this scheme you do not need to pay the full cost of your dental treatment. You pay a patient charge and Försäkringskassan compensates the dentist directly for the remaining cost. You should bear in mind that the cost of dental care is not fixed and that the dentist decides on the price of treatment. The cost varies considerably between dentists, so it may be worth comparing what different dentists charge. You should always ask your dentist, therefore, how much

the treatment will cost before it starts. 13 Source: http://www.doksinet If you fall ill abroad If you travel abroad for a short period, you may be entitled to some free treatment in certain countries. The countries in question are those with which Sweden has an agreement. It can be a good idea to supplement the basic protection provided by social insurance with travel protection from your home insurance or a private travel insurance. In EU and EEA countries and Switzerland 14 If you are insured in Sweden, you are entitled to medical treatment that you need during a temporary stay in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland. If you visit a public healthcare facility, you will be entitled to treatment on the same financial conditions as others who are insured in the country where you are seeking treatment. You must therefore pay the same relevant charges as the country’s own inhabitants. The requirement is that you must use a care facility which is affiliated to the general

healthcare system. Don’t forget to take your European health insurance card on your journey! Outside the EU/EES area In countries outside the EU/EEA you may also be entitled to healthcare benefits. This is the case in countries with which Sweden has an agreement. You should always contact Försäkringskassan well in advance of your journey and ask for the certificates you need. If you are pregnant Adoption allowance If you are adopting a child from abroad, you can apply to Försäkringskassan for an adoption allowance. You are eligible for an allowance for adoptions for which a Swedish court has given permission and for adoptions approved by the National Board for Intercountry Adoptions (NIA). A decision from the country of origin relating to an adoption which applies in Sweden under the terms of the Hague Convention is of equal validity as a decision made by a Swedish court. Source: http://www.doksinet 15 Source: http://www.doksinet Pregnancy rights If you are pregnant, you

are entitled to be transferred to other duties if you have a physically demanding job that you cannot continue doing as a result of your condition or if you have been suspended from your job under the Work Environment Act. Pregnancy benefit If your employer is unable to relocate you, you may be able to draw pregnancy allowance if 16 • your capacity for work is reduced by at least a quarter owing to your pregnancy and you have a physically demanding job • you have a job that you are not able to do because of risks in the work environment. If you have physically demanding work, you can draw pregnancy benefit for up to 50 days, starting at the earliest 60 days from the date on which you are expected to give birth. If you have been forbidden to continue working under the terms of the Work Environment Act, you may draw pregnancy benefit for each day to which this prohibition applies. In the ten days before the expected date of delivery, you are not eligible for pregnancy benefit.

If your duties allow you to work for part of the day, you may apply for three-quarters, half or one-quarter pregnancy benefit Read more about which rules apply for prospective parents in the brochure “Blivande förälder” (Prospective Parents) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or at www.forsakringskassanse For families with children Parental benefit If you have children, you are also entitled to parental benefit if you give up gainful employment in order to look after them. Parental benefit is payable for 480 days for children born in 2002 or later and for 450 days for children born before 2002. The days of parental benefit are always shared equally between both parents One parent may give up the right to parental benefit to the other parent, apart from 30 days for children born before 2002 and 60 days for child- Source: http://www.doksinet ren born in 2002 or later. If you are a lone parent, you are entitled to all these days yourself. If you are the mother, you

can start drawing parental benefit 60 days before you are expected to give birth. Both parents can draw parental benefit in connection with parental training. Parental benefit may be drawn until the child reaches the age of eight or when the child comes to the end of his or her first year at school. You can choose to draw full, three-quarters, half, one-quarter or one-eighth parental benefit Temporary parental benefit If you have to stay at home from work in order to look after a sick child under the age of twelve, you may be entitled to temporary parental benefit. This also applies if the person who normally looks after the child falls ill. Parents together are eligible for temporary parental benefit for sixty days per child and year. After these sixty days have been used up, a further sixty days can be taken out It should be noted, however, that these extra days cannot be taken out in the event of illness or infection of the normal carer. You can also draw temporary parental benefit

for visits to a doctor or child healthcare centre. Special need of care and supervision Parents can also draw temporary parental benefit for children who are 12 and below the age of 16. This may be the case if the child, when ill, is in special need of care and supervision. A certificate from a doctor that the children are in special need of care and supervision is required. Special rules apply in the case of children covered by the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS). Read more in the brochure “Funktionshindrad” (Disabled Persons) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or at www.forsakringskassanse Payment Benefit is payable for all, three-quarters, half, one-quarter or oneeighth of a day, depending on the degree to which you need time off work. Note that it is not possible to receive temporary parental benefit for non-working days 17 Source: http://www.doksinet Paternity leave If you have recently become a father,

you are entitled to ten days’ leave on temporary parental benefit in connection with the birth of the child. You may take these days within sixty days of when the child comes home from the hospital. If you are adoptive parents, you are eligible for five days each, unless you have agreed to divide the days up otherwise. You can take these days within sixty days after the child has entered your care. Child allowance and large family supplement 18 If you have a child under the age of 16, you will receive child allowance if the child lives in Sweden. When your child reaches the age of 16, the child allowance ceases and is replaced by extended child allowance if the child is still attending compulsory school. Extended child allowance is paid up to and including the month in which the child finishes compulsory school. If you have two or more children, you may be able to get large family supplement. Children who continue their studies without interruption after the age of 16 also entitle

the family to large family supplement Childcare allowance If you are a parent and are looking after a sick or disabled child at home, you may be able to get childcare allowance. A condition of this is that the child needs special supervision and care for at least six months or that you have special additional costs as a result of the child’s disability. How it works Childcare allowance is payable as soon as the child is born. The allowance remains payable up to and including June of the year when the child reaches the age of nineteen, when the child becomes eligible for disability allowance. If your child is being cared for in hospital or other institution, you may continue receiving child allowance for a maximum of six months If the child is seriously ill, you may continue receiving the allowance for a further six months. Maintenance If you are parents who are not living together, the parent who is not Source: http://www.doksinet living with the child must contribute towards

the care of the child by paying maintenance. You can agree on the maintenance between yourselves. If you are unable to reach agreement, the matter can be settled in court. Maintenance support If the parent liable for maintenance fails to pay it or pays an insufficient amount, Försäkringskassan may pay maintenance support to the parent with whom the child is officially registered as living. This parent must also have parental responsibility for the child and the child must be officially registered as living with him/her. When Försäkringskassan pays out full maintenance support, the parent who does not live with the child must fully or partly reimburse the maintenance support costs taken from public funds. The amount to be paid depends, among other things, on the size of this person’s income. Maintenance support can also be paid out as supplementary allowance if you pay child support direct to the other parent. Maintenance support can also be paid to a child who is resident in

Sweden and registered in the population register with one or two specially designated persons with custody or to a child who has been adopted by only one person. How long? Maintenance support can be paid until the child reaches the age of 18. Extended maintenance support may be payable up to and including June of the year that the child reaches the age of 20 (provided that the child is still studying at compulsory school or upper secondary school level). The child must be resident in Sweden and registered at the address of one of his or her parents or someone who had parental responsibility for the child before he or she reached the age of 18. Changes must be notified to Försäkringskassan It is important for you to notify any changes which may affect entitlement to maintenance support. This includes the situation, for example, where the child goes to live with the other parent Read more about which rules apply for families with children in the brochure “Barnfamilj” (Families with

Children) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or visit www.forsakringskassanse 19 Source: http://www.doksinet If you are disabled Disability allowance You may be able to get disability allowance from July of the year in which you reach the age of 19, provided you become disabled before the age of 65. To qualify for the allowance, you must need assistance from another person that is demanding in terms of time in order to manage in your day-to-day life, your work or your studies, or else you must be faced with substantial extra costs as a result of your disability. You must also be in need of support for at least one year. In some cases you may continue to receive this allowance after reaching the age of 65. Assistance allowance 20 You are entitled to assistance allowance if you are severely disabled and require personal assistance to help you manage in your day-today life. Personal assistance is defined as a programme of personally designed support to be given in

specific situations by a limited number of people. Although entitlement to this allowance is not subject to a lower age limit, you must not be over 65 when the allowance is granted. You must need personal assistance with basic needs (eg with personal hygiene, dressing and undressing, eating, communicating with others) for an average of more than 20 hours per week. Car allowance You may be able to get car allowance if you have considerable difficulty as a result of permanent disability in getting around on your own or using public transport. Parents with a disabled child may also be entitled to car allowance in some cases if they need the car to travel somewhere with the child. Car allowance may also involve a grant for another means of transportation, such as a moped or a motorcycle. Read more about help with disability in the brochure “Funktionshinder” (Disability) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or at www.forsakringskassanse Source: http://www.doksinet About

pensions Old age pension National basic pension for those born in 1938 or later This pension consists of income/supplementary pension, premium pension and guarantee pension and is administered by Försäkringskassan and the Premium Pension Authority (PPM). The pension is based on the income you have had during your life (from the age of 16 up to and including 1998). If you have worked for a long time and earned a lot, you will receive a higher pension. Similarly, you will receive less pension if your income has been low. 185% of your income is paid into the pension system, 16% to the income pension and 2.5% to the premium pension These contributions are recorded as pension entitlements. You also receive pension entitlements for sickness benefit, parental benefit, unemployment benefit, and sickness and activity compensation. You get additional pension entitlements for years when your children were small, studies with study assistance and national service. The ceiling for pensionable

income is 7.5 income base amounts For income above this amount, you pay no contributions and also get no pension entitlement. You can start drawing your pension from the age of 61. The longer you wait and continue to earn pension entitlements, the higher your pension will be You can also choose to take out full, three-quarters, half or one-quarter pension. Similarly, you can draw different proportions of your income pension and premium pension. As long as you have an income, you will continue to earn pension entitlements, regardless of whether or not you draw your pension. The old age pension is liable to tax Income pension The bulk of the pension entitlements you have earned go towards your income pension. Your pension entitlements earn interest in line with the growth of incomes in Sweden. When you retire, your pension is determined by the pension entitlements you have earned throughout your life and by the life expectancy for your age group. In the case of persons born between 1938

and 1953, supplementary pension forms part of the income pension. The older you are, the 21 Source: http://www.doksinet 22 Source: http://www.doksinet larger the proportion of income pension you get as supplementary pension. Premium pension 2.5 per cent of your pensionable income goes towards your premium pension For those born between 1938 and 1953 this percentage is less You may choose to invest your pension capital in any of the various funds registered with the Premium Pension Authority. If you decide not to choose your own investments, the money will be invested in the Premium Saving Fund administered by the 7th Pension Insurance Fund. Married or registered couples can transfer their pension entitlements to each other. On retirement, the pension is calculated basically in the same way as income pension. The premium pension scheme is managed by the Premium Pension Authority (PPM) Guarantee pension If you have had a low or no income during your life, you may be entitled to

guarantee pension. To qualify, you must have been resident in Sweden for at least three years. To qualify for full guarantee pension, you must have been resident in Sweden for 40 years An exception may be made in the case of refugees Guarantee pension is payable from the age of 65 A foreign pension and widow’s pension can affect your entitlement to a guarantee pension. Born between 1938 – 1953 If you were born between 1938 and 1953, you are guaranteed at least the pension you would have received under the ATP scheme, based on the amount you have earned for this scheme up to and including 1994. Should your national basic pension give you a smaller amount, it will be topped up. This top-up amount is known as guarantee supplement; it is calculated automatically and is payable from the age of 65. Born 1937 or earlier From the beginning of 2003 everyone receives their pension under the reformed pension scheme. This means that national retirement pension is paid in the form of

supplementary pension and/or guarantee pension. As with all income, your pension is liable to tax The 23 Source: http://www.doksinet rules governing basic pension, pension supplement and ATP have ceased to apply and the special basic tax deduction (SGA) has been abolished. Supplementary pension Those who have earned pension points for at least three years are entitled to supplementary pension. Those with pension points for only one or two years in Sweden may be credited with insurance periods accumulated elsewhere in the EU/EEA or in countries with which Sweden has a convention. Supplementary pension replaces ATP and employment-based national basic pension and thus consists of two parts: 24 • One part corresponds to your national supplementary pension (ATP) according to rules which applied before January 2003. • One part corresponds to basic pension based on the number of years of pension points. In the case of someone who, for example, has earned pension points for

twenty years, twenty-thirtieths of the previous national basic pension will form part of the supplementary pension. The size of the supplementary pension you get thus depends on how many years you have worked and how much you have earned each year. Guarantee pension If you have a low or no supplementary pension, you may be able to get guarantee pension. Guarantee pension is also payable to those with a higher supplementary pension to compensate for a previous residence-based national basic pension. Guarantee pension replaces the residence-based national basic pension, the pension supplement and the special tax deduction (SGA). Survivor’s pension If you are a relative of someone who is deceased, you may be able to get social insurance benefits, namely child pension, adjustment pension and widow’s pension. You may also be able to get an occupational injury annuity for survivors and funeral allowance if the death was caused by a work injury or an accident on the way to or from work.

Survivor’s support for children is payable in addition to child pension, and guarantee pension is payable in addition to adjustment pension and widow’s pension. Source: http://www.doksinet Adjustment pension and guarantee pension You may be able to get adjustment pension and guarantee pension if your spouse has died. Adjustment pension is paid for twelve months to men or women below the age of 65. If you are living with a child under the age of 18, the pension is payable for another twelve months (“extended adjustment pension”). The latter is always paid up to and including the month in which the youngest child reaches the age of 12. Widow’s pension and guarantee pension You may be able to get widow’s pension and guarantee pension if your spouse has died. You must fulfil certain conditions and you must have been married at the end of 1989 and at the time of death. Different rules apply to women born in 1944 or earlier and to women born in 1945 or later. For example,

women born in 1945 or later are not eligible for guarantee pension. Child pension and survivor’s support for children Children under the age of 18 are entitled to child pension on the death of one or both of their parents. Child pension is payable to children over 18, provided they are studying at compulsory school, upper secondary school or a similar establishment qualifying for extended child allowance or study assistance. The pension is then payable up to and including June of the year in which the child reaches the age of 20. You can read more about survivor’s pension in the brochure ”Efterlevande” (Survivors) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or at www.forsakringskassanse 25 Source: http://www.doksinet Pension supplement Housing supplement for pensioners If you are a pensioner, you may be able to get housing supplement, which is a means-tested supplement. This means that the amount payable depends on your housing costs and your income. Maintenance support

for the elderly If you have a low pension, e.g due to a short period of residence in Sweden, you may be eligible for maintenance support for the elderly. Your accommodation costs and your income will affect the size of this benefit. Special pension supplement 26 If you have given up work for at least six years in order to care for a sick or disabled child, you may be able to get special pension supplement. The child must have been receiving full disability pension/ sickness compensation and disability allowance or similar benefits. A minimum of six and a maximum of fifteen care years since 1964 may be taken into account. For the period before 1 July 1992, a minimum of ten care years is required in order to qualify for this supplement If you are not entitled to full basic pension, your pension supplements will be reduced in the same way as for basic pension. Read more about different pension types in the brochures “Arbete eller pension?” (Work or Pension?) and ”Pensionär”

(Pensioner) which can be obtained from Försäkringskassan or at www.forsakringskassanse Source: http://www.doksinet If you are injured at work Occupational injury insurance If you are injured at work or on your way to or from work, you may qualify for compensation from occupational injury insurance. This insurance also covers occupational diseases such as skin conditions brought on by contact with certain substances or back trouble caused by unsuitable work postures. Certain infectious diseases such as nosocomial (hospital) disease and jaundice may also be regarded as work injuries. If you are injured at work, you should notify your employer without delay. The employer must then report the injury to Försäkringskassan. Annuity If you are injured and can no longer work or are receiving less earned income than previously because of your injury, you may qualify for an annuity. The annuity compensates you for the income you have lost as a result of the injury. If you are also awarded

sickness or activity compensation, the latter will be coordinated with the annuity. Death If a person dies as a result of a work injury, his or her surviving spouse and children under the age of 18 will be entitled to an annuity. The size of the annuity depends on the earned income of the deceased. The annuity will be coordinated with survivor’s pension and survivor’s support for children. The survivors are also entitled to help in meeting the funeral expenses. 27 Source: http://www.doksinet If you are taking part in a labour market programme Activity support If you are taking part in a labour market programme, such as employment training, occupational rehabilitation, practical job experience, work at a datortek [computer centre], business start-up or youth guarantee, you may be able to get activity support. How it works 28 Activity support is normally equal to the daily allowance you would otherwise have been paid from your unemployment insurance fund. It is payable for five

days a week. The County Employment Board/ Employment Office will help you to find the labour market programmes which entitle you to activity support. The amount payable is calculated and paid out by Försäkringskassan. Activity support is a taxable benefit. Help with the cost of housing Housing allowance Families with children and also young people without children aged 18–28 may be able to get housing allowance. In order to be able to apply for housing allowance, you must be living and officially registered in Sweden. As a rule, you must also be registered as living in the accommodation for which you are applying for the allowance. Families with children may receive a contribution towards housing costs, a separate grant for the children living at home and an allowance for children who sometimes live at home. Young people without children can receive the housing contribution Source: http://www.doksinet How it works The amount payable will depend, among other things, on the size

of your household, your income, your housing costs and the size of your accommodation. Housing allowance is a provisional payment and is based on the income you expect to receive in any one calendar year. The final allowance is not established until your actual income for that year has been assessed for tax purposes The provisional and final allowances are then compared If your provisional allowance was too low, you will receive a supplementary payment with interest. Similarly, if your provisional allowance was too high, you will have to repay the amount to which you were not entitled plus a charge. If you are an employer Insurance against sick pay costs If your total wage costs for a calendar year do not exceed 130 price base amount, you as an employer may insure yourself against sick pay costs. The calculation disregards the charges you pay in accordance with the Social Insurance Act, the Payroll Charges Act and tax costs according to the Special Wages Tax (Certain Acquired Income)

Act. The insurance compensates the employee’s sick pay costs according to the Sick Pay Act from the fourth day of the sick pay period. Compensation is also paid for costs incurred for contributions for the Social Security Contributions Act and the Wage Tax Act and also the Special Wages Tax (Certain Acquired Income) Act. Note that the insurance does not apply for employees covered by the special high-risk protection. The charge for the insurance is calculated from the company’s wage cost and applicable percentage as determined annually by Försäkringskassan. Inform employees who have been given notice! If you give notice to employees or if employees receive severance pay, it is important for you to inform them that they must register with the employment office as seeking work. This is very important for any future social insurance benefits. 29 Source: http://www.doksinet General rules Dissatisfied with the decision? If you are dissatisfied with the decision of

Försäkringskassan, you can ask for it to be reviewed or appeal to the County Administrative Court. If you also consider the court’s decision to be incorrect, you can refer the matter to the Administrative Court of Appeal. If you also consider the decision of the appeal court to be wrong, you may appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court, which is the final court of appeal. The Supreme Administrative Court considers only cases involving important matters of principle or precedence. Taxation and income tax return 30 Most of the benefits from Försäkringskassan are taxable and many are also pension-based. In January each year you will receive from Försäkringskassan a statement of the payments you have received to help you with your tax return. The statement shows how much money you received from Försäkringskassan in the previous year and the amount deducted for tax purposes. Price base amount The price base amount is an amount fixed by the Government for one year at a time

on the basis of figures provided by Statistics Sweden. It is adjusted annually When Försäkringskassan calculates, for example, the size of your pensions and allowances, it makes use of the price base amount. Social insurance in practice From proposal to a new law or amendment to a law The Government proposes several times a year new laws and amendments to laws in the area of social insurance. These proposals are then voted on by the Swedish parliament, the Riksdag. Source: http://www.doksinet Who manages social insurance? Försäkringskassan manages social insurance. Social insurance is uniform throughout the country and funded by the State. The State therefore controls activities through, among other things, the appointment of boards. More detailed information Information sheet The following is a list of references to more detailed information which you can find at www.forsakringskassanse in the form of an information sheet for printing out. If you do not have access to the

Internet and a printer at home or at work, you can always contact Försäkringskassan for help. See also the page reference behind each sheet for the benefits in this brochure. Adoption allowance page 14 Activity compensation page 11 Activity support page 25 Occupational injury insurance page 25 Assistance allowance page 19 Children covered by LSS page 16 Child allowance and large family supplement page 17 Car allowance page 19 Housing allowance page 26 Housing supplement for pensioners page 24 Voluntary sickness benefit insurance page 9 Parental benefit page 16 31 Source: http://www.doksinet 32 Guarantee pension page 23 Disability allowance page 19 Pregnancy benefit page 14 Income pension page 20 Kindred allowance/benefit for care of relatives page 11 Paternity leave page 17 Premium pension page 20 Rehabilitation page 12 Sickness compensation page 11 SGI (income on which sickness benefit entitlement is based) page 8 Falling ill while

living abroad page 13 Falling ill while staying temporarily abroad page 13 Sick pay page 8 Sickness benefit page 8 Disease carrier allowance page 9 Temporary parental benefit page 16 Maintenance support page 18 Dormant sickness and activity compensation page 12 Childcare allowance page 17 Old age pension page 20 Maintenance support for the elderly page 24 Source: http://www.doksinet Anteckningar 33 Source: http://www.doksinet 34 Source: http://www.doksinet 35 Source: http://www.doksinet 36 Source: http://www.doksinet Obligations What happens if you receive too much benefit? If you receive a benefit to which you are not entitled, you will in general be obliged to repay the money. This is the case even if it was not your fault that you received the payment. It is a criminal offence to give false information The Swedish Social Insurance Office takes a serious view of fraud. By fraud we mean when someone deliberately tries to get round the rules for

obtaining benefit. What happens then if someone commits fraud, for example by leaving false information or by not reporting a change in his or her circumstances? Anyone who commits fraud is liable to repay the money received, and also runs the risk of punishment by fine or imprisonment. Always notify the Social Insurance Office of any changes You are obliged to notify changed circumstances that may have a bearing on your right to benefit. GRAFISK FORM: BLOMQUIST ANNONSBYRÅ Social Insurance Fk 4002. 0605 FOTO: JØRGEN REIMER Source: http://www.doksinet A guide to authorities Below we have compiled a list of addresses to the websites of some of the most common authorities. At www.forsakringskassanse you can find general information on the social insurance scheme as well as more detailed informtion on certain benefits. The employment office, wwwamsse and the municipal business secretaries are useful if you have questions about work or the labor market. On wwwforetagarguidense you

can get in touch with many diffrent authorities If you have questions about taxation you might find answers at www.skatteverketse On the website of the National Board of Health and Welfare, www.socialstyrelsense, you can read more about maintenance grants This broschure provides only general information and should not be regarded as an authoritative statement of the law. Additional information can be obtained from the Social Insurance Office on www forsakringskassan.se