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Parental benefit upon adoption

Parental benefit is money you receive to be able to be at home with your child instead of working, seeking work or studying. The information is intended for individuals who are or will become an adoptive parent.

Am I eligible for parental benefit?

You are eligible for parental benefit

  • if you are at home with your child instead of working, studying or looking for work
  • if you are the child's parent or have custody of the child
  • you are a prospective adoptive parent
  • you are married to or living together with the child's parent
  • if you are insured in Sweden.

How many days with parental benefit do I get?

Parental benefit is paid out for 480 days (approximately 16 months) for one child. If the child has two parents, the days are shared equally between the parents. For 390 days, the compensation is based on your income (these are referred to as sickness benefit level days). For the remaining 90 days, the compensation is set at SEK 180 per day (these are referred to as minimum level days).

 

The first 180 days that are taken out for the child must be days at the sickness benefit level. If you are two parents, it is your joint withdrawal of days for the child at the sickness benefit level that are counted. Once you have taken out 180 days at the sickness benefit level, you can begin taking out days at the minimum level as well.

You can take out parental benefit up to and including the day the child turns 12 years old or when the child finishes form/grade 5 in compulsory school. However, after the child has been in your care for 4 years, you can only save 96 parental benefit days in total. If there are more than 96 days left for the child, the days disappear.

 

If you have sole custody of the child, you are entitled to all 480 days. The first 180 days that are taken out for the child must be days at the sickness benefit level.

 

If you adopt two or more children at the same time, you will get an additional 90 sickness benefit level days and 90 minimum level days per child.

Number of days with parental benefit you receive if you have multiple children:

Number of children

1

2

3

4

Number of days at sickness benefit level

390

480

660

840

Number of days at minimum level

90

180

180

180

Total number of days

480

660

840

1020

If there are two parents, you can also take out parental benefit for one child each and thereby be at home at the same time.

When can I take out my parental benefit?

If you adopt a child, you can start taking parental benefit on the day you take the child into your care.

 

How long can I take out parental benefit?

You can take out parental benefit for 8 years starting on the date you take the child into your care. However, you cannot take out parental benefit after the child’s 10th birthday.

Can I take out parental benefit only for days I would not have worked?

Yes, if you are taking out parental benefit days at the minimum level. But, you can only take out parental benefit at the sickness benefit level if you also take out parental benefit for the days directly before or directly after the days you would not normally have worked, like the weekend.

 

How long can I take out parental benefit?

You can take out parental benefit up until the child's 12th birthday or when the child completes Year 5 of compulsory school. However, after the child has been in your care for 4 years, you can only save 96 parental benefit days for the child. If you have twins, you can save 132 days in total.

Can I take out parental benefit only for days I would not have worked?

Yes, if you take out parental benefit days at the minimum level. But, you can only take out parental benefit at the sickness benefit level if you also take out parental benefit for the days directly before or directly after the days you would not normally have worked, like the weekend.

How do I apply?

You apply in three steps. You must first send in a copy of the approval decision. You then report that you will be away from work and apply for the benefit.

1. Send in a copy of the approval decision

Before you leave to pick up the child, you must send in a copy of the approval decision from the Social Welfare Board. You must send in the decision with the parent's or parents’ name, personal identity number, and date that the Social Welfare Board granted approval.

Send it to:

Försäkringskassans inläsningscentral
839 88 Östersund

2. Register parental benefit

You can register whenever you want, but not later than the same day for which you want compensation. To register here on the website, the child must have a personal identity number.

3. Apply for parental benefit

Once the adoption certificate is registered with Försäkringskassan, you can use our e-services.

Log in to My pages (Mina sidor) and apply for parental benefit. Remember to apply no later than 90 days after you have taken your first parental benefit day.

We recommend you apply for as long a period as possible in order to ensure regular disbursements. If you need to change your application, you must submit a new application. If you submit your new amended application no later than the 15th of the month, you will receive the right amount at the next disbursement.

Please contact the Customer Centre at 0771‑524 524 if you have any questions.

4. Disbursement

If your application is complete, the money is disbursed within 30 days. Otherwise, we will contact you within one week. The money will arrive on the 25th of every month.

How the money is paid out

Example: If you apply for parental benefit for January, the money for 1–20 January will be paid on 25 January. The money for 21–31 January is paid on 25 February.

Special disbursement dates

Special disbursement dates and processing times

When will the disbursement appear on My pages (Mina sidor)?

As soon as we have processed your application, you can see your preliminary disbursements under Disbursements (Utbetalningar) on My pages (Mina sidor). The actual disbursement will be shown one bank day before the money is paid out.

5. If you want to change your application

If you need to change your application, you must submit a new application. If you submit your new amended application no later than the 15th of the month, you will receive the right amount at the next disbursement.

What should I think about when it comes to sickness benefit qualifying income (SGI)?

Many parents of young children choose to reduce their working hours during and after parental leave. This can lead to lower income, which could affect your sickness benefit qualifying income.

Your qualifying income is based on your annual income. Försäkringskassan uses this amount to calculate how much compensation you can receive if you get sick, stay home to care for a sick child, or are taking parental leave. You can protect your qualifying income in different ways depending on the age of your child and your work situation.

Before the child has been in your care for one year

 

If you are on parental leave full-time or part-time, you do not have to do anything to protect your qualifying income (SGI). You keep the same qualifying income you had when the child came into your care, even if you are not collecting parental benefit.

 

Your qualifying income will be recalculated based on the salary you receive when working full-time. So, if you have the same salary as before, you will have the same qualifying income as before the child came into your care.

But, if you have a lower salary than when you were on parental leave (for example, if you work days instead of nights and no longer receive a supplement for inconvenient working hours), your qualifying income will be lower. You will then receive less compensation if you get sick or stay home to care for a sick child.

When the child has been in your care for one year

 

If you are on parental leave full-time (or refrain from seeking work if you are a job seeker), you keep your previous qualifying income if you take out at least five whole parental benefit days per week.

 

Your qualifying income will be recalculated based on the salary you receive when working. So, if you have the same salary as before, you will have the same qualifying income as before the child came into your care.

But, if you have a lower salary than when you were on parental leave (for example, if you work days instead of nights and no longer receive a supplement for inconvenient working hours), your qualifying income will be lower. You will then receive less compensation if you get sick or stay home to care for a sick child.

Your parental benefit is not affected if your qualifying income is lowered

Your parental benefit is not affected if your qualifying income is lowered. You are protected during the first two years from the date the child came into your care. This means that even if your qualifying income is lower (for example if you reduce your working hours), you will receive the same amount of parental benefit as before if you take parental leave again before the child has been in your care for two years.

The same applies if you adopt another child before the sibling has been in your care for two years and six months, or if you or your partner get pregnant before you have had the sibling in your care for one year and nine months. You will also receive parental benefit calculated using the same qualifying income as before it was lowered.

How to protect your qualifying income if you have reduced your working hours

If you do not want your compensation for sickness benefit and benefit for caring for a sick child to be lower because you have reduced your working hours, you can protect your previous qualifying income by taking parental benefit for a time equal to your reduction in working hours.

Examples of how to protect your qualifying income:

  • If you reduce your working hours by half from full-time to part-time, you must take at least two and a half days of parental benefit per week.
  • If you reduce your working hours by half from 50 percent to 25 percent, you must take at least two and a half days of parental benefit per week.
  • If you reduce your working hours by one-fourth from full-time to 75 percent, you must take at least one and one-fourth days of parental benefit per week.

SGI guide

By answering a few quick questions, you will get answers to the following:

  • How you become entitled to an SGI.
  • How it is calculated from your income.
  • How your SGI affects the compensation you receive.
  • Why it is important to protect your SGI if you stop working or reduce your working hours.

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