Better tools for control - information gathering within social insurance and financial assistance

Jessica Rodén (S)

Madam Speaker! The Social Democrats support the committee's proposal for a decision, and I move for its approval.

The report is ultimately about trust – trust that our safety systems work as they should, that they are fair and that they are there when life takes a turn.

Protecting the welfare system against fraud and incorrect payments is about safeguarding the common good. Every krona that goes astray risks eroding the trust in the system that people should be able to rely on in life's most difficult moments.

Madam Speaker! Social security is not a grant, it is an insurance that we have built together – a promise to one another of security throughout life. It is the very heart of the Swedish model, where we take responsibility for one another and where no one is left alone.

But the safety systems must continue to be developed. The safety systems must follow the development of society – otherwise, they lose both their function and their legitimacy. We would have liked to see the government take responsibility for building upon the work that has been initiated to strengthen the social insurance as the social safety it is intended to be.

Safety must be equal, legally secure, and understandable. No one should fall through the cracks when they are ill, injured, or have a disability. The person affected by illness or injury should not only receive compensation but also the conditions to return.

Social security should be a bridge back, not a dead end. For it to be perceived as fair, the rules must also hang together. Today, a person can be assessed according to one concept of the labor market in the sickness benefit and according to another in the sickness and activity allowance. It is unreasonable, and it damages both trust and security.

Those living with long-term illness or disability should be able to live a dignified life, but today the guarantee level in the sickness and activity compensation no longer covers the cost increases in society. The gap between those who can work and those who cannot work grows year by year. This is not worthy of a strong welfare state, Madam Speaker, because one does not get healthy by being made poor.

Those who are injured at work must be able to rely on the occupational injury insurance functioning. It should provide security, justice, and redress, regardless of whether the injury is visible on the outside or if it concerns mental health. Today, it does not function as intended. The occupational injury insurance needs to be reformed so that it truly provides the protection that was once promised.

Madam Speaker! We know that the best sick leave is the one that never needs to occur. The best case of illness is the one that never happens. Therefore, the preventive work must be strengthened. People should not become ill or be injured at their jobs. It is a matter of justice but also of responsibility – responsibility to prevent ill health, not just to repair the consequences.

We Social Democrats know that security is not the opposite of responsibility. Security is a prerequisite for responsibility. When people feel secure, they dare more: to educate themselves, change jobs, and start companies. That is why we defend the welfare state, not just as a safety net but as a foundation for freedom and development. A strong society is not built on fear and mistrust but on community and trust, and on the fact that we believe in each other and our ability to solve problems together.

We Social Democrats do not believe in a society where people are pitted against each other. We believe in a society where everyone has a place, where security holds, and where justice unites. That is the Sweden that has built our welfare. That is the Sweden that we shall continue to build.

That is also why it is important that we have better tools for control within the social insurance and the economic assistance, precisely what this report is about, because the welfare must both withstand scrutiny and inspire confidence.

Fighting welfare crime is not about making people suspicious, but about defending the common good. Every krona that ends up in the wrong hands risks eroding trust in the entire system, but every correct decision strengthens that trust.

Restoring trust in our social security systems is therefore one of the most important tasks ahead, for it is trust that makes people dare to trust society – and each other. Without trust – no security, and without security – no strong society.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Daniel Persson (SD)

Madam Speaker! We are now debating the Social Insurance Committee's report SfU6 Better tools for control – information gathering within social insurance and financial assistance.

I begin by moving to approve the committee's proposal.

Through the legislative changes proposed in this report, Försäkringskassan and Pensionsmyndigheten will receive greater rights to obtain information about both the insured person and other natural or legal persons. The municipalities' social welfare committees will receive tools to verify information in cases concerning financial assistance.

The legislative changes mean, in summary, that expanded investigative powers and obligations to provide information are being introduced. This is intended to ensure that the correct underlying data is available so that correct decisions can be made and incorrect payments can be prevented. The legislative changes also aim to counter grant-related crime.

Madam Speaker! An important part is that information shall be able to be obtained broadly. The request for information shall be able to be directed to the person who can be assumed to be able to provide the necessary information if it concerns a physical person other than the insured or if it concerns a legal person. The extended obligation to provide information shall, among other things, apply to employers and principals, authorities, providers of personal assistance, insurance institutions, and credit institutions.

The Government also proposes that the secrecy protection at Försäkringskassan and Pensionsmyndigheten for information regarding an individual's business and operating conditions shall be extended.

Madam Speaker! While it is good that the authorities have become better at their controls and received more tools to prevent incorrect payments and detect subsidy crimes, it is also good that we review how the municipalities can be given more tools to work with these parts. In this report, we take some steps in the right direction from the municipalities' perspective.

Madam Speaker! Sweden's welfare system shall provide economic security for those who need support due to, for example, illness or disability or when forming a family. The welfare system is primarily financed through taxes. It is of great importance that the economic supports hit the mark and that we counter benefit fraud and crime.

In order for there to be trust in the system, it is important that no one can cheat their way to financial support. It is our duty to manage tax funds prudently out of respect for the taxpayers. Incorrect payments and benefit crime are things that undermine trust in the welfare systems. We must safeguard trust in our welfare systems and ensure that the support reaches the right people.

Madam Speaker! The Tidös agreement has provided the authorities with different tools to detect grant fraud and incorrect payments through various legislative changes from the Riksdag. The Government, in turn, puts pressure on the authorities so that the new tools are used, and it shall be reported to the Government Offices how they are used.

The current government has also tasked several authorities to cooperate on various issues, for example, efficient information sharing. There, the authorities shall develop a joint plan for efficient information sharing against crime. The goal is that information sharing between the authorities shall be used to prevent, detect, and counteract crime and incorrect payments.

Madam Speaker! There are quite a few proposals underway that have not yet had full effect. But a lot of legislation is in place, and we see that it has yielded results when we look at the development of stopped incorrect payments and clawbacks.

There is, however, more to be done, and to maintain continuity in this work, I truly hope that the Tidö parties continue to receive confidence to work further with these issues after the next election.

I again move for the approval of the committee's proposal and thank you for the floor.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Caroline Högström (M)

Madam Speaker! These legislative changes are another important step toward strengthening order in our welfare systems. It is about ensuring that every tax krona is used correctly so that our common resources go to those who truly are entitled to support and not to those who exploit the systems.

With the new rules, Försäkringskassan, Pensionsmyndigheten and social welfare committees across the country will have better tools to make correct decisions and prevent incorrect payments.

Through expanded possibilities to investigate and obligations to provide information, the authorities can more easily detect irregularities and act against fraud and errors. This means that the authorities shall be able to obtain information not only about the insured person themselves but also about other persons, companies, and organizations that may be involved. The obligation to provide information is expanded, among others, for other authorities, providers of personal assistance, insurance institutions, and credit institutions.

We Moderates have long pushed for the welfare systems to be characterized by responsibility, legal certainty, and efficiency. Incorrect payments erode trust in the systems and risk taking resources away from those who truly need the support. Therefore, it is entirely correct that we are now providing the authorities with better conditions to act. But we do not stop there. The Government has already taken several steps to prevent incorrect payments and combat benefit fraud.

For example, we have introduced a new regulation that makes it possible to detect errors earlier, exchange information between authorities, and stop incorrect payments before they occur. It is part of a larger effort to secure trust in the welfare system.

For the Moderates, it is about standing up for the work ethic that builds our society, where benefits should be a safety net, not a lifestyle, and where cheating and abuse are met with consequences.

That is why we need to continue strengthening the toolbox moving forward. For example, Försäkringskassan must have clear sanction possibilities when someone deliberately cheats – and ultimately, we must be able to introduce a benefit ban for those who repeatedly break the rules.

Madam Speaker! This is not about casting suspicion on anyone. It is about protecting the welfare for all those who truly need the support and for all those who go to work every day and contribute to the common good.

We must have a welfare system to rely on, not a system to cheat. When the rules are clear and the controls work, yes, then trust is strengthened. Then people know that society stands up for both rights and obligations. It is honest, it is fair, and it is necessary.

With these legislative changes, we take another step towards creating safety, order, and trust in the welfare system.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 22 October.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)