Rapport 2017-09

Summary 13 Summary The quality of assessments for sickness benefit after 90 days and 180 days The Swedish Social Insurance Inspectorate (Inspektionen för social- försäkringen, 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 initiated by the agency. Background The Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) is responsible for payment of sickness benefit. In order to be able to do so, the agency’s personal officers assess an individual’s ability to work regardless of his or her illness. This is regulated in the Social Insurance Code and is more commonly known as the rehabilitation chain. In short, the rehabilitation chain stipulates that after 90 days of sick leave, a person is only entitled to sickness benefit if he or she cannot perform any work at his or her employer (on condition that such work can be offered by the employer). After 180 days of sick leave the general rule is that a person is only entitled to sickness benefit if he or she cannot perform any work on the labour market (given some exceptions but with no regard to education or availability of such work). The rehabilitation chain was implemented in 2008 in order to achieve a more effective sick leave process.