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Disability allowance

Disability allowance is money you can receive if you have a disability or illness and as a result you need assistance in daily activities or have additional expenses.

It is no longer possible to apply for disability allowance, so the information on this page is only intended for individuals who have already been granted the allowance. If you are not already receiving disability allowance, you can instead apply for additional cost allowance. This is a new form of compensation that replaces disability allowance.

 

If your decision on disability allowance has a time limit and ends during this period, you can apply for renewal and be granted disability allowance for no more than an additional 18 months. This applies if you are still entitled to disability allowance.

If it is time to review your disability allowance during the period January2019–June 2021, then it will end. But, if you apply for renewal, you can receive disability allowance for no more than an additional 18 months. This applies if you are still entitled to disability allowance.

If you receive a decision on sickness compensation, activity compensation or old age pension that relates to a time period before 1 January 2019, your decision on disability allowance will be reviewed in accordance with the previous rules.

If you have additional expenses related to your disability, you can instead choose to apply for additional cost allowance when your disability allowance ceases.

Additional cost allowance for adults

Who can be granted a new period of disability allowance?

If you are receiving disability allowance that ends by no later than 30 June 2021, you may be granted a new period of disability allowance if one or more of the following applies to you because of your disability or sickness:

  • You need at least two hours of assistance each day to handle activities of daily living.
  • You need assistance to be able to study or work.
  • You have additional expenses. If you receive compensation for additional expenses only, these must exceed SEK 13,253 a year (amount applies for 2019).

In addition, you must

  • have a disability that persists at least one year.
  • be insured in Sweden. If you live here, you are. There are some exceptions to this rule.

How to apply for a new period

If you have a decision with a time limit that ends by no later than June 2021, your personal administrative officer will contact you and let you know whether you can apply for a new period of disability allowance. If you would like to apply for a new period of disability allowance lasting no more than 18 months, your administrative officer can help you fill in the application form.

If your decision ends because your conditions have changed or because you received a decision about sickness compensation, activity compensation or old age pension, you will be notified when the allowance ceases. Contact your personal administrative officer if you would like to apply for a new period of disability allowance. Your administrative officer can help you fill in the application form.

 

 

If you have a decision with a time limit or it is time to review your disability allowance after 30 June 2021, it will end and you cannot apply for a new period. However, you can apply for additional cost allowance if you have additional expenses related to your disability.

Additional cost allowance for adults

 

 

If you receive a decision on activity compensation, sickness compensation or old age pension that relates to a time period before January 2019, your decision on disability allowance will be reviewed in accordance with the previous rules.

If you receive a decision on activity compensation, sickness compensation or old age pension that only relates to a time period after 1 January 2019, then your disability allowance will cease.

 

 

If you are blind or have a severe hearing impairment and are thereby entitled to disability allowance at minimum a guaranteed level, you are also subject to the information found under the headings “This applies during the period January 2019–June 2021” and “This applies beginning June 2021”.

If you are blind

If you are blind, you are entitled to disability allowance at the maximum compensation level. If you receive full sickness compensation, activity compensation or old age pension at the same time, your compensation is reduced to the minimum compensation level. However, you may receive a higher level if you have additional expenses or need support due to your disability.

If you have a severe hearing impairment

If you have a severe hearing impairment, you are entitled to disability allowance at the minimum level. However, you may be entitled to a higher level if you have additional expenses or need support due to your disability.

 

Report changes

Notify your personal administrative officer if any of your conditions change in a manner that could affect your right to receive disability allowance or the level of compensation you are entitled to. For example, if you need less assistance or you no longer have an additional expense. Report the change as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after you learned about it. Otherwise, you may be required to pay back the money.

Disbursement

Disability allowance is paid out on the 18th or 19th of every month.

 
  • If the disbursement date is a Saturday, your money will be paid out on Friday.
  • If the disbursement date is a Sunday, your money will be paid out on Monday.
  • Disbursement normally scheduled for 19 April is paid out on 18 April 2019.
 

There are three possible levels of disability allowance. Which level you receive depends on how much assistance you are receiving and how large your additional expenses are. You do not pay any tax on the allowance.

The levels are adjusted at the start of each year. For 2019 they are:

  • SEK 1,395 per month (minimum)
  • SEK 2,054 per month (medium)
  • SEK 2,674 per month (maximum)

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Frequently asked questions

Examples of help in daily activities include administration of medicine, help with personal hygiene, cooking, serving as a guiding companion, making purchases, washing and cleaning.

It may also be help in getting to work or studies, or assistance at the workplace in the form of getting binders or other work materials or getting to and from the employee dining area.

Additional expenses are extra costs you incur due to your disability or illness. Examples of this include

  • healthcare equipment and the rent or purchase of assistive devices
  • physical therapy, medical care and treatment
  • medications or a special diet prescribed by a doctor or dietician
  • dental care
  • household equipment
  • travel due to sickness or to obtain treatment
  • extra wear to clothes
  • fee for a special representative
  • charge for home health services.

For some of these expenses, you may also receive money from your municipality, your county council, or elsewhere. If this is the case, you cannot also receive disability allowance for them since you can never receive double compensation for an expense.

Yes, under certain conditions.

You can keep the allowance you already have as long as you have the same need of assistance and the same additional expenses. But, you cannot receive a higher level if you would need more assistance or incur increased costs.

You can also apply for disability allowance once you have turned 65 if you meet certain requirements. You must meet the general conditions for disability allowance. Your disability and the associated need for assistance or additional expenses must also have occurred before you turned 65. We will investigate what need of assistance and additional expenses you had before you turned 65. It is therefore important to have a doctor’s statement describing the disability from before your 65th birthday.

Yes, if you lack locomotor vision you will receive the highest compensation. If you receive full sickness compensation, activity compensation or old-age pension at the same time, it is reduced. However, you are always entitled to compensation at the minimum level.

Yes, if you have seriously impaired hearing or have difficulty hearing what other people are saying even when using hearing aids, you are entitled to disability allowance at the minimum level. You may be entitled to a higher level of compensation if you have other assistance needs or additional expenses. You will usually be notified of the decision within three months of the date you applied.

Yes, you can keep the disability allowance if you will not remain in hospital longer than six months.

Yes, you can take advantage of discounted travel on public transport in some cities and pay less to get into certain events if you can present a benefits certificate. The certificate comes together with the decision letter.

If you have not received it or need a new one, you can call the Customer Centre at 0771-524 524 and order one.

Yes, you can keep the compensation you already have as long as you have the same need of assistance and the same additional expenses.

Yes, you can receive assistive devices from your county council, region, or municipality. The easiest way to find out what applies where you live is to consult the staff of your primary care centre. You can also search for information on Hinfo, which is a database for assistive devices.

Hinfo, database for assistive devices (hinfo.se) opens in a new window

If you incur expenses for the assistive devices, you can apply for disability allowance from Försäkringskassan.

No, not usually. You can receive disability allowance indefinitely if your need for assistance and your expenses will persist. In such cases, we will contact you every few years to review your need for assistance and your expenses. Your decision letter will indicate when the next follow-up is planned.

Yes. You can apply to receive disability allowance for six months back in time if you needed assistance or had additional expenses at that time.

If you need to change something in your application, you should contact your personal administrator. You can also call the Customer Centre at 0771-524 524.

Yes, you can receive disability allowance if you live in a boarding house if you have expenses for personal assistance and service. This applies to boarding houses at

  • a national special school for the disabled
  • a national upper-secondary school for deaf or hearing impaired young people
  • a national upper-secondary school for physically impaired young people

Yes, in certain cases.

If you live in serviced housing or group housing, you often receive service that corresponds to the assistance you would otherwise receive disability allowance for. But, you may need assistance not covered by the service in the housing. The housing may also have associated costs that are considered additional expenses when calculating disability allowance.

Call the Customer Centre at 0771-524 524 to learn what applies in your case.

You are insured in Sweden if you work here. There are some exceptions to this rule. You can work in another country and still be insured in Sweden. There are also situations in which you can work in Sweden but be insured in another country. Call the Customer Centre at 0771-524 524 to learn what applies if you:

  • work as a sailor
  • are assigned to work in another country by a Swedish employer or are assigned to work in Sweden by a foreign employer
  • are a diplomat
  • work in two or more countries
  • are a civil servant of an administration that belongs to Sweden but work in another country
  • work as part of a flight crew
  • are a contracted employee within the EU
  • have been granted an exemption to be covered by Swedish social insurance

If you have technical issues

If your e-identification does not work or if you have other technical issues, you can get help on our technical support pages. There, you can get assistance from an administrator directly in a web meeting. You are then connected with the administrator, who can see your screen and help you. Web meetings are available during the Customer Centre’s opening hours.

Technical support

If you have a protected identity

If you have a protected identity, you cannot use all of the e-services found on My pages (Mina sidor). You can instead apply using a paper form.

If you must apply using a paper form

All forms that can be downloaded from the website can be found under Forms and certificates.

Forms and certificates