50th annual report on the the application of the European Code of Social Security and its Protocol by Sweden, detailed report - period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017
I. GENERAL
A. Administration/Organisation
a) Changes made during the reference period
The staff of the Department of Sickness and Rehabilitation has increased with approximately 450 persons during the reference period. This is part of a heightened focus on legal certainty and quality.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
As of the 25th of September 2017 part of the sickness benefit claims will be handled by a partly automatized digitalized system. The estimation is that approximately 10 % will be handled automatized as far as the system at the present time sanctions.
c) Research (including evaluation), completed or initiated
Socialförsäkringen i siffror 2017 (Social Insurance in Figures 2017)
B. Benefits
a) Changes made during the reference period
The Base Amount
During the period to which this report refers, the base amount, by which several benefits under the Swedish social security system are calculated, was as a result of changes in the consumer price index increased as follows:
Year Base amount Increased base amount
2016 SEK 44,300 SEK 45,200
2017 SEK 44,800 SEK 45,700
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Theres is also a proposal on changes in Social Insurance Code, 2010:110, 5:12 regarding requirement on permission for residence.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Socialförsäkringen vid studier, arbete eller flytt utomlands. Granskning av informationsgivning om socialförsäkringsfrågor i internationella situationer, ISF 2017:3
Informationskvalitet i socialförsäkringsregistren - En granskning av den manuella hanteringen av personuppgifter och försäkringstillhörighet. ISF 2017:7
Digital transfer of residence permit data, an agreement between Sweden social insurance agency, Försäkringskassan, and the Swedish migration agency, Migrationsverket.
Svensk social trygghet i en globaliserad värld, SOU 2017:05
Regeringsuppdrag 2016: Fastställande av tillämplig lagstiftning (Dnr 013293 – 2016)
Orange rapport – Pensionssystemets årsredovisning 2016 - Orange Report – Annual Report of the Swedish Pension System 2016. (Link to page with all publications in English)
Alternativ pensionsålder. (Link to page with all evaluations, in Swedish)
II. MEDICAL CARE
a) Changes made during the reference period
All medicine for children prescribed by a doctor is free of charge provided that it is medicine covered by pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
Birth control pills are free of charges for women under 21 years.
Dental care is free of charge for persons under 21 years.
Non-institutional healthcare is free of charge for persons older than 85 years.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report
III. SICKNESS BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
As of the 15th of July 2016 a new part was added to paragraph 2 in Ordinance 2000:1418. The purpose of the new text is to provide protection of the Sickness Benefit Qualification Income (SGI) for persons studying with a new study grant for Kompletterande Pedagogisk Utbildning (Bridging Teacher Education Programme).
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
As of 1st of July 2017 the text of paragraph 2 in Ordinance 2000:1418 will be changed. The change mean that the protection of the Sickness Benefit Qualification Income (SGI) is abolished for persons who are studying with Swedish doctoral study grant.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
ISF (2016): Läkares sjukskrivning av kvinnor och män. ISF Rapport 2016:13 (Summary in English: Physician´s sickness certification of women and men)
afa Försäkring (2016): Den bortre tidsgränsen i sjukförsäkringen/The time limit for sickness benefit.
IFAU (2016): Könsskillnader i sjukfrånvaro: en aktuell fråga i historisk belysning. IFAU Rapport 2016:24. (Gender differences in absence from work: Lessons from two world wars. Working paper in English 2016:26)
Försäkringskassan (2016): Sjukfrånvarons utveckling 2016/The development of the level of sickness absence (Socialförsäkringsrapport/Social Insurance Report 2016:7)
Förslag på utfallsmått för att mäta återgång i arbete efter sjukskrivning (Socialförsäkringsrapport 2016:9)
Sjukskrivningsmönster. Skillnader mellan län, kommuner och vårdenheter. (Socialförsäkringsrapport 2017:3)
Tabellbilaga Kommuner, till (Socialförsäkringsrapport 2017:3)
Sjukfrånvaro efter invandring. Utrikes föddas tillgång till och nyttjande av sjukpenning (Socialförsäkringsrapport 2017:7)
IV. UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
From May 15, 2017 the provisons about part-time work have been changed. A person who performs or declare part-time work will, from now on be paid unemployment benefits for a total maximum of 60 weeks in a benefit period. The remaining benefit days of that period must be used only for weeks when the person is not performing or declaring any work at all. Prior to the amendment a person who performed or declared part-time work, could only be paid unemployment benefits for a total of 75 days of a benefit period. The remaining benefit days of that period could be used only for weeks when the person did not perform or declare any work.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
The Government has to the Council on Legislation proposed that the right to become a member of an Unemployment insurance fund should be extended from the day before the date that the unemployed reaches the age of 64, until the turn of the month before the month that the unemployed reaches the age of 65.
It is also suggested that the board should be able to delegate certain decisions on retained membership to the Head of the Unemployment insurance fund.
There is a departmental memorandum from the Swedish Labor Ministry proposing some amendments to the Swedish Act; Lagen (1997:238) om arbetslöshetsförsäkring.
In the memorandum it is proposed that time with “förtroendeuppdrag”[1], which by law gives the right to leave from work, shall be equal to time with acuisition work. Days of “förtroendeuppdrag” will also be counted when considering whether a candidate who lost the right to unemployment benefit has worked 80 days and thus again can be entitled to unemployment benefits. It is further proposed that “förtroendeuppdrag” shall not be considered as a suitable employment when applying the warning and suspension provisions.
Furthermore it is proposed that if an applicant receives a general retirement pension or other pension due to employment, the daily allowance should be reduced by the amount of the pension.
Finally it is suggested that it should be clearly stated by law, that the right to income-related compensation requires membership in an Unemployment insurance fund for at least twelve consecutive months. The government, or an authority appointed by the government, is proposed to be given the right to issue regulations about interruptions of the membership, that the Unemployment insurance funds should disregard when examining the membership condition.
The changes are proposed to enter into force on April 2, 2018
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report.
V OLD AGE BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Nothing to report.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report.
VI. WORK ACCIDENT AND OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE BENEFIT
Not accepted by Sweden.
VII. FAMILY BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Changes made 1 January 2017:
Large family supplement for families with three or more children increased from 454 SEK to 580 SEK (increase with 126 SEK per month).
Adoption grant increased from 40 000 SEK to 75 000 SEK
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Initiated research on the administration of family benefits. (ISF granskningsplan 2017)
Completed research on adoption grant and the economics of child adoption. (ISF 2016:9 Att adoptera – en ekonomisk fråga – en studie om adoptionsbidrag och förutsättningar för adoption)
Completed research on shared child benefits. (ISF 2016:15 Delat barnbidrag – ett steg på väg mot ökad jämställdhet?)
HOUSING ALLOWANCE
a) Changes made during the reference period
Changes made 1 January 2017:
Limits of allowed income levels for full housing allowance is raised to 127 000 SEK per year for single parents and 63 500 SEK per year for couples.
PARENTAL BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Changes entered into force 1 January 2017:
Gender Equality Bonus abolished for new cases, but still in place for cases before 2 January 2017.
Restrictions on parental benefits for parents migrating to Sweden with children having the age of 2 years or are older than 2 years. Restrictions entered into force 1 July 2017 and apply to new cases.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Initiated research on the effect on parents’ position on the labour market as a result of changes in the minimum guaranteed parental benefit level. (ISF granskningsplan 2017)
Initiated research on the use of parental benefits after separation. (ISF granskningsplan 2017)
Completed research on pregnancy cash benefit. (Försäkringskassans rättsliga uppföljning 2017:2)
Initiated research on parental leave without use of parental benefits (Försäkringskassans interna granskning av avdelningen för analys och prognos)
Initiated evaluation on the rule that parental leave must equal the use of parental benefits after the child’s first year, or the rate of parental benefit will diminish. (Försäkringskassans interna granskning av avdelningen för analys och prognos)
MAINTENANCE AND CHILD SUPPORT
a) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Proposed changes in maintenance and child support. (DS 2017:2)
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Initiated research on the 2016 reform of child support and responsibility of child maintenance. (ISF granskningsplan 2017)
VIII. MATERNITY BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Nothing to report.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report.
IX. INVALIDITY BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Nothing to report.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report.
X. SURVIVORS’ BENEFIT
a) Changes made during the reference period
Nothing to report.
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report
c) Research (including evaluation), completed or initiated
Nothing to report
XI. FINANCING
a) Changes made during the reference period
The following rates apply to statutory contributions for employees for 2017 (including general salary contribution):
Sickness insurance 4,35 %
Survivor’s pension 0,70 %
Old age pension 10,21 %
Parental insurance 2,60 %
Work injury insurance 0,20 %
Labour market 2,64 %
General salary contribution 10,72 %
Total 31,42 %
The following rates apply to statutory contributions for self‑employed for 2017 (including general salary contribution):
Sickness insurance 4,44 %
Survivor’s pension 0,70 %
Old age pension 10,21 %
Parental insurance 2,60 %
Work injury insurance 0,20 %
Labour market 0,10 %
General salary contribution 10,72 %
Total 28,97 %
b) Changes decided, planned or proposed for the following year
Nothing to report.
c) Research (including evaluation) completed or initiated
Nothing to report.
Comments to questions posed to Sweden in the conclusions of the committee of experts (Application of the European Code of Social Security and its protocol)
In the report and conclusions of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the ILO on the annual reports concerning the application of the European Code of Social Security and its Protocol from 2017, in appendix XVIII, the Swedish Government is requested to provide additional information concerning the application of the European Code of Social Security and its Protocol.
I. Part XIII (Miscellaneous provisions), Article 74(1)
Consolidated report on the code
“The Committee attaches the CR to the present conclusions and asks the Government, in discharging its reporting obligation under Article 74(1) of the Code, to complete it with the missing information, technical clarifications, provisions of the national legislation and updated statistics.”
The Swedish government appreciates the work done by the ILO in producing the Consolidated Report (CR). When it is complete, it will be a useful tool for understanding the Swedish social security system. However, the completion of the CR requires substantial time and work. Hence, in order to be able to fully update the requested information in the CR, Sweden will send the updated CR to the Council of Europe and the committee of experts in September 2017.
Sources and consistency of statistical data
“Where the figures appear to be divergent or controversial, the Committee asks the Government to check the data for consistency, to align it for the same time basis to enable comparison, and to specify the official sources of statistics which shall henceforth be continuously used by the Government for reporting purposes.”
The statistical information given in the annual reports on the code is provided by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Pension Agency and the Swedish Unemployment Insurance Board. The reference wage is calculated by Statistics Sweden. These government agencies will also henceforth provide the government with the information needed for the reporting obligations under the code of social security. The requested updates regarding the statistical information will be provided in the updated Consolidated Report in September 2017.
II. Part XI (Standards to be complied with by periodical payments), Article 65 and 66
“The Committee observes that substantial differences in the calculated amounts of the skilled and unskilled workers’ wages should be explained by the governments concerned, particularly in cases where the replacement rate of benefits recalculated on the basis of the SES reference wage would not attain the percentage prescribed by the Code.”
Looking at the question mark in the table attached to the conclusions presented by the expert committee, Sweden would like to clarify that the reference wage for a male unskilled worker in 2015 was 25 500 SEK. The reference wage for the unskilled worker is calculated according to the method described in article 66 a, option 4. The calculation for both skilled and unskilled worker is made by the government agency Statistics Sweden, and is based on the same data that is provided to the Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey (SES). However, the Swedish government acknowledge that there is in fact a substantial difference between these calculations and the reference wage presented by Eurostat (SES). One possible explanation to this might be that the SES reference wage is calculated from a much smaller sample compared to the national calculation. As an example, SES only includes employers with more than 10 employees. This increases the confidence interval in the SES calculations, and makes it problematic to compare the SES reference wage with the reference wage calculated by Statistics Sweden. It should also be mentioned that it is a big advantage using this national calculation instead of Eurostat, because of the fact that SES reference wage is calculated every fourth year and the data from Statistics Sweden is updated annually.
[1] Assignments that according to law gives the right to leave from work, for example lay judges or members of parliament.