Response to interpellation 2023/24:350 on the follow-up of the Finnish measures
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the need for a system to evaluate the effectiveness of the coordination associations' interventions at the individual level. M believes that the coordination associations are important for supporting people toward work capacity and that it is urgent to gain knowledge about the results 1. M emphasizes that legal certainty and privacy in the exchange of personal data must be protected 1 2. M argues that work is crucial for the individual's freedom and the country's economy 2. M sees opportunities to further develop Finsam 3. S believes it is distressing that no system exists and asks if tax funds are well invested. S argues that headquarters hinder local solutions and that follow-up at the individual level is currently prohibited. S wants a national system to be able to measure progression and disprove claims about a lack of support for labor market-oriented rehabilitation 4. S hopes that the government takes initiatives so that more groups receive support. M argues that it is a priority issue to re-establish the work principle that was dismantled under the Social Democratic government 5.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Mr. Speaker! Åsa Eriksson has asked me how I and the government intend to act so that interventions via coordination funds can be evaluated at an individual level.
The coordination associations are important for carrying out coordinated rehabilitation efforts and supporting people to achieve work capacity and self-sufficiency. At the same time, it is important to obtain further knowledge about the results of the coordination associations' efforts.
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency, ISF, submitted its final report in March 2023 on its evaluation of the coordinated support units' activities at the individual level. ISF's evaluation shows that the coordinated support has positive effects for people who are far from the labor market. However, the evaluation also shows that it is difficult to measure the effects of coordinated interventions. ISF particularly emphasizes that more impact evaluations of the coordinated support are needed. This is a conclusion that I agree with.
In addition to ISF's evaluation, there has been a follow-up system, named Sus, which has been used by the coordination associations to follow up on the results for the individuals who participate in coordination association-funded interventions.
Mr. Speaker! During 2021, Försäkringskassan initiated work to replace Sus with a new follow-up system. During 2022, Försäkringskassan decided to commission only those parts of the new follow-up system that do not contain personal data. The background was that Försäkringskassan, in the work of developing the new follow-up system, had noted that there were uncertainties regarding the legal basis for exchanging personal data between the authorities.
As I have stated previously, it is good that Försäkringskassan has noted this. Follow-up on the coordination associations' efforts must not occur at the expense of the individual's legal certainty. At the same time, it is important to conduct a follow-up at the individual level of the coordination associations' work.
According to information, Försäkringskassan is currently investigating the legal conditions for being able to exchange personal data for the purpose of making a position. They are in the process of preparing a submission to the government on the matter. I look forward to receiving the position that Försäkringskassan is currently working on.
Åsa Eriksson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, that we can debate this important issue again! Quite exactly one year ago, we discussed the same thing here in the chamber, a follow-up system for individuals included in collaborative efforts via the Finsam legislation. The Minister said then: "I think it is important to gain increased knowledge about the results and effects of the various interventions of the coordination associations." Very good! I agree.
Therefore, it is both surprising and distressing that there is still no system for following up on how it goes for individuals who are included in coordinated Finsamin measures. Is there any development? Are the tax funds well invested? Is there any type of measure that is more effective than another in a certain situation? I believe that both the Minister and I, as well as many who research the area, would like to know that.
Mr. Speaker! When I meet representatives of the coordination associations across Sweden, I get the impression that the Minister's speech on support and help for people who are on sick leave and have complex issues is unfortunately just fair words. A person who works with Finsam says: Right now, it seems that this has gone haywire with our principals. Locally, fantastic solutions are being developed to reach the most vulnerable individuals, while the headquarters mostly seem to focus on preventing and reminding about everything that is forbidden. Follow-up is now forbidden at the individual level. Competence development with Finsam investments is forbidden. Collaboration with ESF funds is apparently forbidden. Preventive work is forbidden. And cooperation between the associations is forbidden. The list never seems to end.
Mr. Speaker! This concerns vital cooperation so that individuals with complex issues, including sick leave, shall receive help to get back on their feet and be able to support themselves permanently. This legislation was introduced precisely because individuals with complex issues need coordinated and individually adapted support from different actors. We must know how they are doing. Is there any progression? How are we to be able to measure it if there is no individual-based system?
I believe that everyone who has experience with the Finnish measures realizes that we would all benefit if more individuals were to leave their current situation and instead use the coordination unions to be able to manage on their own and stand on their own feet.
Mr. Speaker! What is it that is happening? The Minister says in her answer that she has received information that Försäkringskassan is now investigating this. I really hope that is the case. But when I visited Försäkringskassans head office just before Christmas together with the Social Insurance Committee, I asked when the system for monitoring individuals in the Finsamin benefits would be ready. I got the impression that no such system is even in the works. They did not mention any investigation.
Mr. Speaker! I truly hope that the Minister has more information to give me. Why has the Minister not tasked Försäkringskassan with developing a system to be able to follow up on how it is going for individuals in the Finsamin benefits?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Mr. Speaker! There is no doubt that the government sees the coordination unions as a very important resource to contribute to supporting people and equipping them to enter employment. I share the member's description of the many fine initiatives that are being made and how significant they can be for many who today stand far from the labor market and need help and support.
I myself, as chairman of the municipal executive board, in my previous life before I was given the task of being a minister in this government, have worked extensively with coordination unions and seen great successes. It is a great advantage that coordination unions can finance initiatives based on local and regional conditions to create the specific measures that can be designed according to people's needs and where they live and reside.
Getting people into work has both a social and economic function and significance, but above all, from my perspective, it is about expanding freedom and joy of life. Having a workplace, colleagues, a meaningful occupation, vacation, and an own salary to live on creates both well-being and increased independence. Additionally, society is positively affected, given that one then pays tax. One also increases one's future pension. Getting more people into work is therefore absolutely crucial for the individual, our prosperity, and above all, the country's economy and welfare.
I hope and definitely believe that the coordination associations can play a constructive and important role, but for them to function as well as possible, it is necessary with impact assessment. It is an important tool so that one can know which interventions yield effect and impact, just as the member describes. These can then perhaps be copied and taken further to other coordination associations. They can then do the same or tweak the systems a bit and adapt them to the regional and local conditions, simply so that more people can get into work.
I believe there is much more to be done. It is not that we do not have problems in different areas that we need to overcome. I completely agree with that. There is much we could do and develop even more, but then it is also important to look at and investigate the legal situation before creating a new system that might also be controversial and jeopardize legal certainty when it comes to personal data.
I think it is important to do both. One should have a system that follows up at the individual level and knows that the taxpayers' money is actually making a difference and leading to employment instead of continued exclusion. At the same time, one must safeguard privacy and legal certainty. It is very good that Försäkringskassan is looking at these matters before having a full-scale, finished system, so that there is no doubt that both of these important parts can be maintained.
Åsa Eriksson (S)
Mr. Speaker! I am very happy, truly, that we agree that Finsam and all the coordination funds and their efforts are valuable and important. I hope that we also agree that they should be able to be used more so that more groups can get help to enter employment and achieve self-sufficiency. But how is that to be done without a system where one can follow up on how it is going for the individuals?
I know that NNS, Nationella nätverket för samordningsförbund, met the Minister for the State shortly before Christmas. I know that they also raised the important point then that systems are lacking and furthermore have done so throughout 2023 and a bit into 2024. Still, as far as I know, there is no forecast for when a system where one can follow up on the individuals will arrive.
If the Minister has more information from Försäkringskassan regarding what is being investigated, when and how, I would very much like to know it. When I asked the Director General the question in December, I got the impression that there was no new system in the works. I hope that was incorrect.
Mr. Speaker! A national, quality-assured system for the collection of individual data and the processing of personal data within the framework of the financial coordination is needed. It is needed for several different reasons - not least that the Minister's own investigator, Per Johansson, in the review of changes in the sickness insurance claims that there is a lack of empirical support that labor market-oriented rehabilitation would lead to increased return to work, despite the fact that several of us believe that such research does indeed exist. That he and others who claim that there is no support can obtain facts and statistics from a system that follows up on how it goes for the individual is therefore an additional reason why it is needed.
When this investigation comes forward with its proposals in March, many of us fear the worst, namely that the government will seize the opportunity and remove all the improvements to the sickness insurance that we Social Democrats implemented during our second term in government. I and others believe that one needs to have statistics and be on one's toes to be able to show that it is incorrect to make these changes and remove the improvements.
Mr. Speaker! In order for all those who work with financial coordination, all those who are part of interventions via financial coordination, and all those who research which type of rehabilitation is most effective in reality to feel that they are doing the right things, know what is most effective, and be able to evaluate the interventions, there must be a national system.
What measures does the Minister intend to take? Does she intend to give assignments to Försäkringskassan? What does the Minister intend to do to ensure that there is a system where individuals in Finsaminsatser can be followed up?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Mr. Speaker! Work is underway at Försäkringskassan to investigate the issues surrounding the legal support and to see how a system can be designed so that it guarantees both privacy and legal principles while we can obtain an impact assessment at the individual level and not just at an aggregated level. I have pointed this out several times.
I think that when the investigation is complete, we can land on both the pros and cons of the different things that will then be presented. We can also then see how other problems can be solved and create new opportunities for Finsam to gradually do even more. It is both about being able to measure at an aggregate level and about going down to the individual level and seeing what effects the measures that have been made have led to.
Unlike the member, I am therefore not painting anything in black at all, but rather I see great opportunities ahead with both the investigations that the member mentioned and these issues which I definitely believe we can do very much more regarding.
Åsa Eriksson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Yes, that we can use the legislation on financial coordination for much more than we do today is something the Minister and I agree on. I truly hope that we can get there in the future. I also hope that the government will take the initiative so that more groups receive support of that type of intervention. But it has been twelve months since I last asked the Minister when such a system will be in place. So far, as far as I know, there has been no movement at all on the issue.
For the third time today, I am therefore asking when the Minister considers that a system can be in place. Will the Minister take any measures so that this can happen promptly?
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Mr. Speaker! I want to start by thanking you for this debate and discussion and for the member raising this issue again. I want to emphasize that I think it is very important that the coordination associations are given the opportunity to evaluate the effects of their interventions at the individual level. I am pleased that Försäkringskassan is looking into these issues so that we can move forward. But today I cannot specify a specific date or a point in time for when it can happen, and I will not even try to guess at it.
We will simply have to return to this question a bit further ahead, but I want to point out emphatically the importance of getting more people into work and moving from benefits or exclusion to activity, employment, and work. Perhaps the single most important issue for the government is to re-establish the work principle that was so clearly dismantled during the last eight years of the Social Democratic government. It is a priority issue for this government.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.