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The coronavirus covid-19 applicable regulations

April 01, 2022

Due to the coronavirus/covid-19, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency has received questions about the rules for disease carrier allowance, travel allowance, sickness benefit and care of a sick child (vab).

If you are a disease carrier

As of 1 April 2022 Covid-19 is no longer considered a public health hazard. This means that if you have been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus after 31 March 2022, you can no longer receive disease carrier allowance.

Illness

Deduction from sick pay during the qualifying period

If you fall ill after 1 April 2022, you can no longer receive reimbursement for deduction of sick pay.

 

If you fall ill on the 1 April 2022 or later, you need a doctor´s certificate day 8 when you apply for sickness benefit.

 

Due to the Corona pandemic, health care and medical treatment can be suspended or delayed. This means that the assessment that Försäkringskassan usually does after day 180 of an individual´s sick leave can be suspended or delayed as well.
Contact Försäkringskassan in order to find out how this affects your situation.

If you or a close relative belong to an at-risk group

 

From 1 April 2022 it is no longer possible to receive benefit for people belonging to an at-risk group.

 

From 1 April it is no longer possible to receive a benefit if you have to refrain from working in order to protect a close relative belonging to an at-risk group.

 

If you have sustained an occupational injury

 

Covid-19 is an infectious disease that can lead to an occupational injury. If you have been infected by the coronavirus and developed covid-19 it can be considered an occupational injury.

This is the case if you:

  • have treated, handled or taken care of people, animals or material that was contagious, or
  • worked in a laboratory where the coronavirus was being handled.

If you were injured at work

Employers should report occupational injuries

As an employer you have to report an occupational injury if your employee has received an injury or has died as a result of being infected with the corona virus and subsequently developed covid-19.

This is applicable if your employee:

  • has treated, handled or taken care of people, animals or material that was contagious, or
  • worked in a laboratory where the coronavirus was being handled.

Occupational injuries

In the case of death

If someone dies following an occupational injury caused by covid-19, the the survivning relatives can apply for survivor’s pension. You apply for survivor´s pension from The Swedish Pensions Agency.

Pensionsmyndigheten (pensionsmyndigheten.se) External link, opens in new window.

If you are or will become a parent

 

The government has proposed that families with housing allowance will receive a temporary additional payment from July to December 2022. No application is necessary as the families will automatically receive the payment.

The temporary additional payment will be 25 percent of the amount of your usual housing allowance.

 

If you are pregnant you can receive pregnancy benefit if there are risks in your work environment. Your employer is responsible for your work environment. This means that, in accordance with laws and regulations (arbetsmiljölagen 1977:1160 and Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter AFS 2007:5), your employer has to carry out a risk assessment. This is something that an employer always must do if an employee is pregnant.

The corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has been classified as a risk class 3 contagion. The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) has assessed the consequences of catching covid‑19 during pregnancy. There is a higher risk of giving birth prematurely if a person in the later stages of pregnancy falls ill with covid-19.

Your employer can stop you from working if there are risks in your work environment. If your employer is unable to relocate you to a safer environment, for example working from home, you can apply for pregnancy benefit. You can receive pregnancy benefit until the 11th day before your estimated due date.

Pregnancy benefit

You can begin taking out parental benefit 60 days before your estimated due date.

Parental benefit before the child is born

 

If your child is ill or is a disease carrier, you may receive care of a sick child (vab) if you need to be at home to care for your child.

You need to submit a certificate signed by a nurse or a doctor if your child is ill or infected for more than 7 days.

Remember that you must apply no later than 90 days after the first day you were at home with the child.

As of 1 April 2022, you can no longer apply for compensation if your child´s school or preschool closes. If the school or preschool closed prior to this date, you can apply for compensation. However, you must apply no later than 90 days after the event.

Compensation information

Care of a sick child (vab)

 

From 1 April 2022 it is no longer possible for parents of a child who has been seriously ill, to receive a preventive benefit in order to stay at home to shield the child.

If you are a job seeker

 

Deduction from sick pay has been re-introduced

As of 1 April 2022, a deduction from sick pay will be reintroduced if you participate in a program at the Swedish Public Employment Service. This means that you will not receive activity compensation during the first day that you are ill.

Remember to report to the Swedish Public Employment Office (Arbetsförmedlingen) the first day you fall ill. If you are ill for more than 7 days, you have to have a doctor´s certificate.

The Swedish Public Employment Agency has more information on their website about what you need to do it you fall ill.

Report absence when you are sick External link, opens in new window.

Temporary higher compensation levels

The government has decided to temporarily raise the jobseeker´s allowance. This also applies if you are a member of an unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) and are taking part in a program through the Swedish Public Employment Office (Arbetsförmedlingen).

The lowest activity grant you can receive has been raised from 365 to 510 Swedish Krona per day.

During the first 100 days as unemployed your compensation is based on the salary you had when you were employed. You can now receive up to 1 200 Swedish Krona per day instead of 910 Swedish Krona per day if you take part in a program full time.

The temporary higher activity grants will be applicable from the April 13, 2020 to January 3, 2021.

Your activity grant is based on information that Försäkringskassan receives from your unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa). You will receive the rest of the money at the next opportunity if they sent the information after Försäkringskassan made the payment.

The government has proposed that the jobseeker´s allowance will be raised from 760 Swedish Krona to 1000 Swedish Krona from the 101 day of your unemployment. If you are a member of an unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa) and are taking part in a program through the Swedish Public Employment Office (Arbetsförmedlingen), your activity grant will be affected by this proposal.

From the 101 day of your unemployment, your activity grant will be raised from 760 to 1000 Swedish Krona if you participate full time. The temporary raise is proposed to apply from June 29, 2020 to January 3, 2021. This is still a proposal. No decision has been taken.

If you receive introduction benefit or development allowance you will not a receive a higher compensation.

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