Försäkringskassan – your rights, your duties and the way to the right support

Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) gives financial support, among other things in case of illness or disability and to families with children. Whether you are covered by Swedish social insurance and have the right to a particular benefit is assessed on the basis of, among other things, where you live, whether you work and the conditions for that specific benefit. This guide is general information, not an assessment of your situation. Försäkringskassan decides.

What does Försäkringskassan do?

Försäkringskassan is the authority that administers parts of Swedish social insurance. It receives applications, investigates them and decides on benefits. It also pays out the money.

It is easy to mix up the authorities, because several of them deal with money and support. This is one way to think about it:

• Försäkringskassan – benefits in case of illness or disability, and for families with children.
• Arbetsförmedlingen (the Public Employment Service) – help to find work and programmes for jobseekers.
• The municipality (kommunen) – among other things financial assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd, socialbidrag), social services and elderly care.
• CSN – student finance.
• A-kassan (unemployment insurance fund) – unemployment benefit for members who meet the conditions.
• Pensionsmyndigheten (the Swedish Pensions Agency) – pensions.

Which benefits exist?

Försäkringskassan has many benefits. Some of the most common:

• Child allowance (barnbidrag), parental benefit (föräldrapenning) and vab (temporary parental benefit when a child is ill).
• Housing allowance (bostadsbidrag).
• Sickness benefit (sjukpenning) and rehabilitation benefit (rehabiliteringsersättning).
• Activity compensation (aktivitetsersättning) and sickness compensation (sjukersättning) in case of long-term reduced work capacity.
• Care allowance (omvårdnadsbidrag) and compensation for additional costs (merkostnadsersättning) in case of a child’s or an adult’s disability.
• Activity support (aktivitetsstöd) if you take part in a programme at Arbetsförmedlingen.
• Carer’s allowance (närståendepenning) and occupational injury compensation (arbetsskadeersättning).

All benefits are collected in the list Ersättningar A–Ö (benefits A–Z) at Försäkringskassan, with the conditions and how to apply for each one.

Who can get a benefit?

Being registered in Sweden (folkbokförd) is not always enough. The right to a benefit can also depend on whether you live or work in Sweden. Every benefit has its own special conditions, and the conditions can look different in different situations.

Försäkringskassan decides only after an application and an investigation. So you cannot know in advance whether you will get a benefit. Read the conditions for the benefit you plan to apply for, and contact Försäkringskassan if anything is unclear. If you are an asylum seeker you get financial support from Migrationsverket instead, see the guide Daily allowance (dagersättning) and financial support for asylum seekers.

How a case works

1. You apply. This is most often done in an e-service on Mina sidor (My pages) or in the app. Check the details carefully before you send in or sign, because wrong details can lead to the wrong benefit.
2. Försäkringskassan investigates. The agency collects and assesses the documents, and can get information from other authorities, employers or healthcare.
3. You complete your application if needed. If something is missing, Försäkringskassan gets in touch and asks you to send more.
4. You get a written decision. Read it carefully. It says what you have been granted and what to do if you disagree.
5. You can ask for reconsideration (omprövning). If you think the decision is wrong, you can ask Försäkringskassan to review it again. The request must be in writing and Försäkringskassan must receive it within 2 months from the day you received the decision. If you disagree with the reconsideration decision, you can appeal it to the administrative court (förvaltningsrätten), also within 2 months.

Försäkringskassan’s aim is to decide within about six weeks, but it can vary between benefits and cases.

Your responsibility as an insured person

When you have applied for or receive a benefit, you have a responsibility of your own:

• Give correct and complete information.
• Send in the documents Försäkringskassan asks for on time.
• Report changes that can affect your benefit, for example in work, income, housing, family circumstances or if you are going to stay abroad.
• Read decisions and letters carefully.

If you have received too much money, you may have to pay it back. This applies whether the mistake was yours or Försäkringskassan’s. Försäkringskassan also writes that you can be required to pay a penalty fee (sanktionsavgift) if you have not reported changes. If you receive an incorrect payment, you should report it right away on Mina sidor or call Försäkringskassan.

Practical help

• Mina sidor and e-legitimation. On Mina sidor you apply, follow your case and see your payments. You log in with an e-ID (e-legitimation), for example Mobilt BankID. Försäkringskassan writes that you need a Swedish personnummer to log in. Försäkringskassan also has an app.
• Follow your case and payments. Under Utbetalningar (payments) you can see, among other things, when money is on its way, often one bank day before it arrives. You can get a notification by text message.
• Contact Försäkringskassan. Customer service for private individuals: 0771-524 524, Monday–Friday 8–16. You can also visit a service office (servicekontor) for help with the e-services.
• Understanding letters or getting an interpreter. Read I have received a letter from an authority – what do I do? and Interpreters in Sweden.