8(30)
3
Swedish sickness insurance
The Swedish social insurance system covers everyone who lives or works in
Sweden. It is a state-financed programme that provides economic support
to people with reduced working ability who are aged between 16 and 64
years. The sickness insurance mainly includes two types of replacements:
sickness benefit and disability pension.
3.1
Sickness benefit
Sickness benefit may be granted on a part-time as well as on a full-time
basis, but requires a reduced working capacity of at least 25 per cent.
Since 1992, the first day within a sickness spell has been uncompensated.
Thereafter, the employer pays sick pay. The time for which the employer
pays sick pay has varied slightly over time, but has typically been the
following 14 days since 1992. After 14 days, the Swedish Social Insurance
Agency (SIA) disburses sickness benefit. For unemployed persons, the SIA
starts disbursing sickness benefit from the second day onwards.
After 7 days of sick leave, a doctor’s certificate is needed. Based on this
certificate, the SIA formally decides whether an individual is entitled to
compensation or not. When the entitled period has expired, a renewal
certificate is required and the process is repeated. A person can receive
sickness benefit for at most 364 days during 15 months. If a person’s work
capacity is still reduced after a year, he or she can apply for extended
sickness benefit, which could, during the time period we study, continue
without time limit.
10
3.2
Disability pension
Disability pensions can be granted by the social insurance office if the
working ability is reduced by at least 25 per cent. The disability pension
could, at the time, be granted temporarily
11
or permanently up to old-age
retirement, and could be given on a full-time or a part-time basis. To be
eligible for the disability pension, a certificate issued by a physician must
affirm the disability. However, during the study period, the disability
pension was also used to reimburse individuals encountering difficulties in
entering the labour market, i.e., for other reasons than pure impediments
to carrying out any labour work (SOU 2000:78).
10
More restrictive rules were introduced in July 2008.
11
Since July 2008, the disability pension has only been allowed on a permanent basis
(for persons above the age of 30).
