Do you have the right to unemployment benefits?

You need to:

• Be registered with Arbetsförmedlingen (th Public Employment Service) as a jobseeker and actively apply for jobs
• Submit an activity report to the Arbetsförmedlingen every month
• Follow the plan you have created together with Arbetsförmedlingen.

There must also be nothing preventing you from taking a job. Examples of obstacles include being ill, studying, taking care of children or living abroad.

You also need to meet an income requirement

To receive unemployment benefits, you must have earned at least SEK 120 000 during the reference period (normally 12 months, see more information below) and have had a monthly income of at least SEK 11 000 for at least 4 months.

All income from your work can be included. Kommunals a-kassa collects your income information directly from Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency).

What if your total income is less than SEK 120 000?

In that case, we can check whether you meet the so-called alternative income rule. This requires that you have earned at least SEK 11 000 for four consecutive months. In this case, there is no requirement for your total income to reach SEK 120 000.

The reference period is normally 12 months

The reference period (ramtiden) is the time we look at to see if you meet the requirements for benefits. Normally, it is the last 12 months before the month you apply. If you have not been able to work due to, for example, illness, parental leave, or full-time studies, we can look back further than 12 months.

How many benefit days can you receive?

The number of days with unemployment benefits you may receive depends on how many months during the reference period you had an income of at least SEK 11 000 per month:

• 300 days – at least 11 months
• 200 days – 8–10 months
• 100 days – 4–7 months
• 66 days – if you meet the alternative rule (4 consecutive months with at least SEK 11,000 per month)