Sweden - Benefits in the case of occupational injury
This chapter describes what kind of benefits you can receive if you have injured yourself or fallen ill because of your work. It explains the situations in which you can obtain benefits, how much you can receive and how you apply.
The chapter includes:
- annuity (arbetsskadelivränta)
- remuneration for costs (kostnadsersättning)
- compensation for lost work income (arbetsskadesjukpenning)
In what situation can I claim?
If you injure yourself at work or on the way to or from work, you can receive compensation from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. The same applies if you become physically or mentally ill due to your work. This applies to employees, contractors and self-employed people and, in certain cases, students who are taking courses where they are exposed to particular risks.
You can receive compensation for both lost income and costs you have had due to the injury or illness. If you are an employee, you may also be entitled to further compensation as many employers have private occupational injury insurance.
If you must take sick leave due to your occupational injury, you receive sickness cash benefit according to the same rules as in the case of another sickness.
What conditions do I need to meet?
If you have costs or if you lose income because of an injury at work, you can receive compensation if the injury is approved by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. This can mean injuries resulting from accidents at work, but also on the way to or from work. It can also include illnesses, both physical and mental. To obtain benefits, you must be insured in Sweden, which you normally are if you work in Sweden. There are a few exceptions when you work in another country but are still insured in Sweden or work in Sweden and are insured in another country.
Lost work income -annuity
If you must change your work, reduce your working hours or if you cannot work at all and thereby lose income as a result of your occupational injury, you can receive compensation which is known as an annuity. To obtain an annuity, your ability to obtain income through work must have been reduced by a minimum of 1/15 for at least one year ahead.
The annuity will be time-limited if it is not possible to know how long your ability to work will be reduced. In other cases, it is paid out until further notice, but at most until you turn 65. If you work after turning 66 the annuity is time-limited until one month before reaching the age of 69.
Expenses due to your occupational injury
In the case of occupational injury, you can receive remuneration for costs for dental care, special aids and healthcare abroad.
Special aids are things you need to use to help you manage in your everyday life. This can, for example, be a hearing aid or special spectacles. You will only get remuneration from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency if you are not receiving any other help from another body, such as the region.
You can receive remuneration for healthcare abroad if you injure yourself when you are working abroad or if you seek healthcare abroad for a previous occupational injury.
Other benefits in the case of occupational injury
You can also be entitled to further remuneration if your employer has occupational injury insurance through a collective agreement. For example, you can receive compensation for lost work income or cost for physiotherapist, medicine, harm and so on. Many employers have such insurance through AFA Insurance.
If someone has died as a result of an occupational injury, their survivors can obtain an annuity and help with funeral expenses. You can read more about this in the chapter on Survivor's protection and other benefits for pensioners.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Lost work income -annuity
The maximum annuity is limited to 7.5 price base amounts a year. The price base amount (prisbasbelopp) is an amount which changes every year to follow the general price level in Sweden. How much annuity you can receive depends on what you earned when you got injured or sick and how much you can earn despite your occupational injury.
If you are granted an annuity, you will also be automatically given compensation for 2 waiting days. If you have had more waiting days, you can apply for further compensation. You must apply to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
Expenses due to your occupational injury
How much you receive in compensation depends on your expenses. There is no maximum amount. But when you receive remuneration for dental care linked to occupational injury, you are not guaranteed to receive as much as the price you have paid. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency can base your remuneration on a reference price which is determined by the state and this can be either higher or lower than the price actually charged by the dentist. On the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency website, you can see a list of reference prices for different treatments.
Notify your employer that you have injured yourself or fallen ill due to your work. The employer then reports the injury to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. If you are a student, it is the educational institution which reports the injury. If you are self-employed, you should report the injury to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency yourself, and then apply for an annuity.
Other benefits in the case of occupational injury
How much you will receive from AFA Insurance depends on the agreement your employer has with them. To apply for this, you should work with the employer to report the occupational injury and then apply to the insurance company.
Jargon busters
Waiting days - see the chapter If you become unemployed.
Reference price - see the chapter If you become unemployed.
Forms you may need to fill in
Apply for compensation from the occupational injury insurance scheme here - Annuity/remuneration for costs/healthcare abroad.
Know your rights
Sweden:
EU:
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
AFA Insurance
Klara Södra Kyrkogata 18
SE-106 27 Stockholm
Sweden
Customer centre telephone: +46 771880099 (Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm)