Response to interpellation 2024/25:476 on sex purchases with wellness allowances

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Eva Lindh has asked me what I intend to do to stop fraud with wellness subsidies and that wellness subsidies are used to pay for sexual services.

No human being shall be exploited for sex-buying. Sex-buying is criminalized, and the penalty for the crime was tightened during 2022. Persons in prostitution are in a very vulnerable situation.

The government is currently implementing several measures so that more people in prostitution can receive support and help to leave prostitution. For example, the government has decided on an action program to prevent and combat men's violence against women, violence in close relationships and honor-related violence and oppression, as well as prostitution and human trafficking. The government has also, in the budget bill for 2025, strengthened the financial support for those vulnerable to prostitution.

The purpose of the wellness allowance is to encourage staff towards wellness, for example by receiving reimbursement for a gym membership. That which has emerged regarding the wellness allowance being used for sex purchases is reprehensible.

The employer is responsible for their staff's use of wellness allowances and that it occurs in a correct manner. Our authorities have an important role in ensuring that employers follow the taxation regulations regarding wellness allowances and in investigating sexual offenses. I expect both employers and authorities to take their responsibility and ensure that the wellness allowance is not used for the purchase of sexual services.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Mr. Speaker! Prostitution and human trafficking are the ultimate expression of men's violence against women. It is a violence that affects millions of women, children, and men worldwide. Perhaps someone thinks that it is not common here in Sweden? That is not true. Sweden is actually a destination country for human trafficking for both sexual purposes and labor exploitation.

Sex trafficking – slave trade – exists in all parts of our society: in large cities, in medium-sized cities and in small municipalities. In order to counter the destruction of people's lives, we must combat human trafficking in every way we can. Cooperation between municipalities, the police and judicial authorities is naturally extremely important. The risk of detection must increase, because we know that it always plays a decisive preventive role.

According to international studies, women in prostitution have often been in a very vulnerable situation that has resulted in them ending up in prostitution or human trafficking. Many young women and children are exploited. It is important to remember that sex buying is criminal because it involves violence and exploitation of vulnerable people. Sex buying can be called nothing other than reprehensible.

We also know that proceeds from sex trafficking fuel organized crime. There are thus many different aspects. It is incredibly tragic.

In my work, I have met many women, girls, and children who have been subjected to sexual violence in various forms, also in prostitution. It is tragic and upsetting. Now we also find out that we taxpayers, indirectly through the wellness allowances, actually pay for these crimes. The police have seen it, and we have discovered that wellness allowances have been exploited to buy sex.

I cannot put into words how upset and deeply affected I am by this. Furthermore, there are Facebook pages where men tip each other off on how to proceed and what they should ask to be written on the receipt or the certificate. It is deeply upsetting.

I directed my question to the Minister for Finance because she is responsible for the rules regarding wellness allowances. I understand, of course, the answer that the Minister for Finance has given that this is difficult and should be handled by the judicial authorities. But my question was whether the Minister for Finance has tried to find ways to limit this, because I believe I know that both the Minister for Finance and I think that it is something that should not be allowed in Sweden.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Eva Lindh for this important question. It focuses on something unreasonable that has come to our attention. Furthermore, it focuses on much of the crime we see. Not everything is about shootings and explosions, even though there are very many such incidents. It is also about how many women all over Sweden are exploited every day. They can be victims of trafficking and vulnerable in many other ways. The question truly highlights that. It is a despicable activity, which the interpellor has rightfully pointed out. Just as the interpellor does, I am at least choked by what I read about what has happened.

Just to be clear, even though it has already been said: It is criminal to purchase sexual services in Sweden. It is also obviously criminal and forbidden to attempt to claim a deduction for the same. Those who are hit hardest are the women who are affected.

Fundamentally, this is still a matter for the employers, but of course also for the authorities that monitor this. In this specific case, the portal in question seems to have decided to temporarily exempt all Thai massage. I think that is a very wise decision. My hope is that all employers and also the portals that work with the issue will do a better basic job so that this never ever happens again.

Mr. Speaker! Let me also briefly say something about what the government is doing to help people who are in prostitution to leave it. We are working on several different things, including through the investigation that has proposed exit programs for people in prostitution. There is also a proposal to establish an individual plan for the entire process and that one should receive a dedicated support person when one wants to leave this environment. It is a very long and difficult journey.

We have also allocated 600 million kronor in earmarked funds to stop violence against women.

Here in the Swedish Riksdag, there is a great consensus regarding these issues, and that is very pleasing. Such a consensus is not a given in all countries.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Mr. Speaker! I begin with the last thing that was said. It is obviously pleasing, and I am proud that Sweden was the first country with a sex purchase law. This is something that is now spreading around the world. It may not be happening to as great an extent as we had hoped, but still. Such a law makes it illegal to buy sexual services but not to sell them. It is not a free choice to sell sexual services. In the vast majority of cases, one has been forced into this.

I am, as I have said, proud of the law. I am also proud that we can now collectively here in the chamber say that we do not think this is okay. It is a crime, and it shall continue to be a crime. We will do what we can to combat it. That we have a common view on this, I think, is very good.

It is also good that the work continues to be developed, even though I see that there is a lot more to be desired when it comes to the transition program. I believe that more measures are needed to truly help, above all women but also children and men, to get out of the situation they find themselves in.

Let me say something briefly about the wellness allowance. Of course, we think it is good, and we want people to have good health. That is the basis for the wellness allowance. But if we set aside that, what we are talking about now is still a large amount of cheating. It is being exploited for a multitude of other things, for nail fixing and all sorts of such things. It is also against the background of the large amount of cheating that occurs that I bring this up.

It is not reasonable that our tax money goes to that. They are to be used for the right things. We have also previously spoken about how it is a theft from the people if one does not strive to use the tax money, which we collectively collect, for sensible things. And these are not sensible things. That it is furthermore used to buy sex is the ultimate proof of how bad it is.

Some people have emailed me about the interpellation that I have written. Above all, it concerns people who do not think it is good that I have raised the interpellation. They do not think it is so much to fuss and argue about. To them I want to say: There is a lot to argue about. Buying six is not only criminal, but it is also morally wrong and an exploitation of other people. I just want to take the opportunity to say that. It is repulsive every time one receives such an email.

Let me return to the subject. I hope and wish that the Minister for Finance can say something about whether there is anything further that can be done to tighten the legislation. That is why I have taken the opportunity to debate this with the Minister for Finance. Now the answer was that the municipalities must review this and that someone else should do something. But as national politicians, we have an opportunity to make changes to rules that can prevent fraud with wellness subsidies and – the worst – sex purchases for them.

Is there anything the Minister could consider looking into, either to change the rules or to increase the risk of detection? That we increase the pressure from the authorities to audit more and more is something we control.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! To those who have emailed Eva Lindh, I want to say: She and I stand on the same side. This is a very important issue to highlight from different perspectives and in different ways. Many, many women in Sweden – unfortunately no fewer today than ten years ago – are subjected to often brutal violence but also to having their bodies sold through trafficking. They are completely abandoned. Therefore, this issue is important to raise in many ways.

What should the government do then? The government is working on two different fronts. One is about helping women who get trapped in such activities to get out of them, which I mentioned earlier. The other is about giving the authorities that work with control and accessing fraud both tools, in the sense of legislation, and money and resources to do their job. One must not forget that this concerns crime and fraud.

The authorities have received significant resources from the previous government but also quite a lot now from this government so that they can truly work against this. Furthermore, they have received better tools in the form of legislation. Now, for example, information about crime in the working life can be shared with other authorities in a completely different way. This will also facilitate things in this case.

It is forbidden to buy sex. It is definitely forbidden to make deductions for it. I expect employers to keep track of this and that any platforms ensure that crime is kept away. What we do is ensure that the authorities – in this case the police and the Tax Agency but also others – have the tools, the legal space, and the money that are needed. We will continue to work on this. But I do not see today that changed legislation would solve the problem for these women, rather what is required is active work from all parties.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Finance for the answer. I am also pleased that she takes such a clear stand against this. That is good. For me, it is important to bring up these issues so that we can talk about them as often as we can.

A lot is happening now. There is much in the world and in Sweden that people are worried about, things that people should rightly feel concern about. There is much we need to do to limit crime, for example shootings and other violence, which the Finance Minister was touching upon.

However, we must not forget the violence against women. There is a risk that it disappears among everything else. But every day, and now as we stand here, women and children are being sexually exploited. It is happening all the time. Our work must never cease. We must not lose focus, because a serious exploitation is occurring that affects very many people.

I thank you for the debate, but I will nevertheless, with a fool's persistence, continue to raise the question to hear if there is still nothing that we could do together to prevent cheating – it is of course not good at all that the wellness allowance is being cheated – to stop sex trafficking and human trafficking and, above all, to stop the possibility of paying for one's sex purchases with the wellness allowance. My question concerns all these matters.

I thank you for the debate.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Eva Lindh once again for raising the issue.

Crime often finds new ways. We know that much of what drives it is about money. It is often A and O for the vast majority. Crime turns over around 100–150 billion. It is difficult to estimate, but it is enormous amounts of money. To get at it, whether it concerns the exploitation of women or the fact that children shoot children, we must start turning off the taps.

Here, crime has found another small path. Regardless of which path it takes, we shall do what we can to tighten the valves. In this case, I expect employers, different platforms, the Swedish Tax Agency, and others to work to plug just this hole. I want to emphasize that it is very easy for issues to be forgotten in the shadows when there are many problems at the same time. But the ongoing violence against women is in some way a constant, and it should not have to be.

I walk a lot and love to take evening walks. I walk and look at beautiful areas and often think, Mr. Speaker: This is a beautiful house – I hope it is just as beautiful inside, behind the curtains, and that they care for each other and take care of each other. But we know that many women are exploited in different ways and are mentally and physically abused, and we must never let that go. It is not just that women in 2025 own half of what men own. Much worse, of course, is that the home is still the most dangerous place for many women.

The massage rooms should also not be the most dangerous or difficult place. They should be safe zones, and we should all help each other to ensure that it continues to be so.

(Applause)

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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