|
Swedish Unemployment Benefits
Swedish unemployment insurance consists of a universal basic insurance and a voluntary loss of income insurance. Unemployment benefit is provided to anyone who meets the basic conditions and a work condition. Anyone over twenty can obtain unemployment benefit under the basic insurance. In order to obtain unemployment benefit under the loss of income insurance, it is necessary to have been a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund for at least one year and to have fulfilled the work condition during that time. The Unemployment Insurance Funds decide on entitlement to unemployment benefit. Anyone granted unemployment benefit can receive a fixed daily amount of SEK 320. Anyone entitled to loss of income benefit can receive 80 percent of previous income subject to a maximum of SEK 680 per day. The unemployment benefits are taxable.
Basic conditions
In order to obtain unemployment benefit, it is necessary that the applicant:
- be entirely or partly unemployed
- be fit for work and available for work for at least three hours per day and at least 17 hours per week
- Be prepared to accept an offer of suitable work
- Be registered as a job seeker at the Public Employment Services (arbetsförmedlingen)
- Cooperate in drawing up an individual back-to-work plan in consultation with the Public Employment Services
- Be actively seeking work
Work condition
Anyone who, in the 12 months immediately preceding unemployment, has worked for at least six months and at least 80 hours in every calendar month, or who has worked for at least 480 hours during six consecutive calendar months and at least 50 hours in every single one of those months, meets the work condition.
Period of benefit
Anyone who meets the conditions for receiving unemployment benefit may draw benefit for a maximum of 300 benefit days. Unemployment benefit is payable only after the applicant has been unemployed for five days.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund may, in certain cases, decide to extend the period of benefit by an additional 300 benefit days. Anyone who is not granted another 300 days or who has used up 600 benefit days and is still unemployed can obtain a place in the "Aktivitetsgarantin" labor market program.
The Swedish unemployment insurance consists of two parts:
- A basic insurance (grundförsäkring) which can give you a maximum of SEK 320 per day.
- A complementary income related insurance (kompletterande inkomstbortfallsförsäkring), which is voluntary and can give you a maximum of SEK 680 per day. In order to receive this benefit you must be a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund.
To become a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund you must have been employed for a minimum of 17 hours per week for at least four weeks within an uninterrupted period of five weeks, and you must still be employed to the same extent.
The unemployment benefits are taxable.
The principal conditions you have to fulfill in order to be entitled to unemployment benefits:
Working condition (arbetsvillkor)
During a time-period of 12 months - immediately prior to becoming unemployed - you must have been employed for a minimum of 6 months. Working hours must have been at least 80 hours per month, or you must have been employed for at least 480 hours during a continuous period of 6 calendar months. Work must have been performed for a minimum of 50 hours in each and every one of these months.
Membership condition (medlemsvillkor)
Prior to - and in direct connection to the first day of your unemployment - you must have been a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund for a minimum of 12 months. The fixed basic amount can be applied for by anyone who is unemployed in Sweden after working here. This means that you do not have to be a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund to be entitled to this benefit. You only have to fulfill a working condition (arbetsvillkor). To receive benefits from the income related insurance (inkomstbortfallsförsäkringen) you also have to fulfill a membership condition (medlemsvillkor).
If you have been previously employed in an other EC/EEA-state or Switzerland
When applying for unemployment benefits, you are - according to EC regulation 1408/71 and under certain provisions - entitled to aggregate periods of insurance and employment fulfilled in an other EC/EEA-state or Switzerland, to those periods you have fulfilled in Sweden. However, you can only apply this condition if you have been unemployed from an employment in Sweden. In this case form E 301 is required. If you do not have this form the Unemployment Insurance Fund will request it from the EC/EEA-state or Switzerland you have been working in.
Important
In order to receive the income related insurance you must fulfill a membership condition in Sweden. That is - you must have been a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund without interruption for a minimum of 12 months. Periods of insurance in an other EC/EEA-state or Switzerland could be included to a membership condition provided that those are continuous with periods of insurance in Sweden.
Special rules for the Nordic Countries
Special rules are applicable to those who previously have been insured in Sweden and have been working in one of the other Nordic countries. According to the "five years legislation", a person who has been working and has been insured in an other Nordic country, is entitled to re-enter an Unemployment Insurance Fund in Sweden within five years without having to fulfill a new condition for entrance (inträdesvillkor). This is provided that he previously was insured in Sweden and that the application for membership is made within eight weeks from the date that he was no longer insured in the other Member State.
If you have any questions concerning your rights to receive unemployment benefits - please contact an Unemployment Insurance Fund.
The information on this web page was updated as of : 2007-01-01
|
