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Summary
Eligibility and Outcome for Assistance Benefit
and Other Public Support for Functionally
Impaired Persons
The Swedish Social Insurance Inspectorate (Inspektionen för
socialförsäkringen, ISF) is an independent supervisory agency for
the Swedish social insurance system. The objectives of the agency
are to strengthen compliance with legislation and other statutes and to
improve the efficiency of the social insurance system through system
supervision and efficiency analysis and evaluation.
The ISF’s work is mainly conducted on a project basis and is
commissioned by the Government or initiated autonomously by the
agency. This report has been commissioned by the Government and is
published in two parts, the first part in December 2012 and the second
and final part in October 2014.
Background
The disability policy in Sweden is based upon the principle that
each person is of equal value and has equal rights. In 1994, the LSS –
the Act Concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain
Functional Impairments (1993:387) – was implemented to ensure
the rights of persons with major functional impairments to self-
determination, independence, full participation and equality in living
conditions.
Persons with major functional impairments and with an extensive
need for support in their daily lives may be entitled to personally
tailored benefits, one of which is Assistance Benefit
(Assistansersättning). Such assistance is provided by a limited
number of individuals, placing constraints on the scale and amount
of benefits any given individual can expect to receive. Certain