This chapter describes different types of benefit that you can receive if you have a disability. It explains the conditions you must fulfil to obtain the benefit; how much you can receive and how you apply.

The chapter includes:

• Support according to LSS (stöd enligt LSS)
• Personal assistance and assistance allowance (personlig assistens och assistansersättning)
• Car allowance (bilstöd)
• Additional cost allowance (merkostnadsersättning)
• Disability allowance (handikappersättning)
• Other support for people with disabilities (annat stöd till personer med funktionsnedsättning)

In what situation can I claim?

People with disabilities can apply for different types of allowances, depending on their needs. The Act Concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS) sets out rights for persons with considerable and permanent functional impairments. It includes ten measures for special support and service to provide good living conditions.

If, you due to a severe and permanent disability, have significant difficulties in your everyday life and therefore require personal help, you can apply for assistance allowance from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency or personal assistance from your municipality.

Additional cost allowance can be applied for by persons who have extra costs due to a disability. The allowance replaces the disability allowance, provided for support in the persons everyday life or for extra costs, which exists for persons who have already been granted the allowance.

Persons with permanent disability, and significant difficulties using public transport, can apply for a car allowance, to purchase or adapt a car, motorcycle or moped.

As a parent of a child with a disability you can, depending on the scope of the disability, apply for assistance allowance, personal assistance, car allowance or additional cost allowance.

You or your employer can apply for remuneration for occupational aids so that you can continue to work with your disability.

What conditions do I need to meet?

Support according to LSS

If you have a substantial disability you may be eligible for ten different measures for special support and service are to provide good living conditions. The measures are: counselling and other personal support (rådgivning och annat personligt stöd), personal assistance (biträde av personlig assistent eller ekonomiskt stöd till skäliga kostnader för sådan assistans), companion service (ledsagarservice), personal contact service (biträde av kontaktperson), relief service in the home (avlösarservice i hemmet), short stay away from home (korttidsvistelse utanför det egna hemmet), short period of supervision for school children over the age of 12 (korttidstillsyn för skolungdom över 12 år utanför det egna hemmet i anslutning till skoldagen samt under lov), family homes or homes with special service for children and young persons (boende i familjehem eller i bostad med särskild service för barn eller ungdomar som behöver bo utanför föräldrahemmet), residential arrangements with special service for adults or other specially adapted residential arrangements (bostad med särskild service för vuxna eller annan särskilt anpassad bostad för vuxna) and daily activities (daglig verksamhet).

Personal assistance and assistance allowance

If you have a disability that causes you significant difficulties in your everyday life, i.e. you require support with your basic needs (breathing, your personal hygiene, meals, clothing, communicating with people or other support that requires in-depth knowledge about you) for more than 20 hours per week you may be eligible for assistance allowance.

If you require support with your basic needs for less than 20 hours a week, you can apply for personal assistance from your municipality.

If you are granted support for your basic needs, you can also be granted allowance for other personal needs. There is no lower age limit for assistance allowance or personal assistance.

Car allowance

If you are between 18-65 and have a permanent disability and significant difficulties moving around on your own or using public transportation, or have a child with such a disability, you can apply for car allowance for purchase or adaptation of a car.

Disability allowance

The aim of disability allowance is to cover expenses for persons with a disability who needs assistance in their daily activities or have extra costs due to their disability. The disability allowance has however been replaced by additional cost allowance, i.e. it is no longer possible to apply for it, although the allowances will run in parallel for a period to come.

Additional cost allowance

If you have additional costs as the result of a disability, that amount to at least SEK 12,075 per year, you may be eligible for additional cost allowance.

Other support for people with disabilities

If you have a disability or illness and need special assistive devices to be able to work, you or your employer can apply for allowance for assistive devices. You can also apply for an allowance to conduct an expert assessment to find out what assistive devices you need.

Self-employed people can also be granted occupational aids. The support can be paid out until you turn 68.

If you have a disability that is likely to mean that you will be unable to work full-time, you can obtain activity compensation (aktivitetsersättning) if you are under 30 years of age or sickness compensation if you are between 19 and 29 years old. The compensation can be granted for 1 to 3 years depending on how long you will be unable to work. Depending on how much your work capacity is diminished, you may have full, three-quarters, one-half or one-quarter activity compensation. You can read more about this in the chapter Benefit during sickness.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Personal assistance and assistance allowance

You receive SEK 324.50 per hour in remuneration. If you have special reasons, for example if you need an assistant with special training that requires more payment, you can receive higher remuneration. The maximum amount is SEK 363.44 per hour. Assistance allowance should be used for costs for personal assistants, for example salary, employer contributions and administration costs. This means that money which is not used for this should be repaid to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. If you need assistance with basic needs more than 20 hours per week you apply through the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. If you need assistance with basic needs up to 20 hours per week, you apply for personal assistance through your municipality.

Car allowance

You can receive the basic allowance to purchase a vehicle. If you purchase a vehicle you can receive a maximum of SEK 30,000. The maximum amount for a motorcycle is SEK 12,000 and for a moped SEK 3,000. The acquisition allowance depends on your income If you earn less than SEK 220,000 per year, you may also be eligible for car purchase grant. The grant ranges from SEK 4,000 to SEK 40,000. If you are married or have a live-in partner, your spouse’s/partner’s income is included in the calculations. The adaptation allowance is based on the cost of the special device or adaptation. For the driving licence test allowance there is no maximum amount. Vehicle allowance is tax free. You apply at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Disability allowance

The amount of disability allowance you receive depends on your needs and how high your additional costs are. There are three different levels. Disability allowance is tax free. You apply at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Additional cost allowance

If you have additional expenses as the result of a disability, you may be eligible for additional cost allowance. The amount of additional cost allowance depends on the level of additional costs. There are five different levels. Additional cost allowance is tax free. You apply at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Other support for people with disabilities

You, or your employer can apply for the allowance for special assistive devices. The maximum amount is SEK 50,000. In certain circumstances a higher amount can be granted. Regardless of the cost, the employer is responsible for a cost of SEK 10,000. You or your employer apply at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Support according to LSS

Support according to LSS can be applied for in your municipality. The needs assessment is carried out by trained social workers.

Forms you may need to fill in

• 3062 Application for attendance allowance
• 5014 Application for car allowance
• 3070 Application for disability allowance
• 3085 Application for additional cost allowance
• 7545 Application for special assistive devices - employee
• 7547 Application for special assistive devices - employer

Know your rights

Sweden:

• Act (1993:387) concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments
• Social Insurance Code (2010:110) - Chapter 48-52.
• Regulation (1991:1046)

EU:

• Healthcare: your rights abroad as EU citizens

Who do you need to contact?

Swedish Social Insurance Agency
Website: www.forsakringskassan.se
Customer centre e-mail: kundcenter@forsakringskassan.se
Customer centre telephone: +46 771524524

Find your local Social Insurance Agency

Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) has contact details for all municipalities in Sweden.