Response to interpellations 2024/25:413, 414 and 438 on state services throughout the country

Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! Sanne Lennström has asked me what consequences the government has analyzed that the reduction of service offices will entail for Östhammar and other locations, and how I and the government intend to ensure that state services of this type reach those who have a need for help.

Furthermore, Marianne Fundahn has asked me what measures I and the government intend to take to ensure state services for everyone in the entire country and to ensure that the closure of service centers does not affect groups in, for example, digital exclusion.

Furthermore, Carina Ödebrink has asked me how I and the government justify that Tranås and other smaller localities are now losing important state services, despite a continued great need, and how I and the government intend to ensure that the people who previously visited the Statens servicecenter in Tranås still have access to the service they need, as well as what measures I and the government are prepared to take to ensure that state service is available throughout the country, not just in larger cities.

Every tax krona must be used wisely, and state-funded activities must constantly be subject to reassessment and prioritization. As the number of service offices has increased, the number of visitors has not increased to the same extent. Against this background, the operations need to be adapted and streamlined. This will mean that some offices will be phased out and that citizens may have to travel further to the nearest service office.

When it comes to the consequences for individual localities that risk losing their service office, it follows from the Ordinance on the Location of Government Agencies that Statens servicecenter shall, among other things, establish a consequence analysis before such a decision. With these consequence analyses as a starting point, the agency has now, in a first step, commenced consultations with municipalities and other affected actors before the continued process regarding potential decommissioning decisions concerning six specified localities.

Statens servicecenter is also working on developing more mobile and flexible office solutions in order to be able to get closer to citizens in more places in a simple and smooth way. This is a development that I follow with great interest.

There is also currently a large number of initiatives at the state, regional, and local levels, from both public actors as well as the business sector and civil society, which aim to strengthen digital inclusion among those who today do not have access to or use digital services. To further strengthen that work, the government in the regulatory letter for 2025 has tasked the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority with working towards increased digital inclusion and increased use of digital services.

I would like to conclude by underlining that the government consistently considers the service centers to be an important activity for offering personal service from state agencies. Service centers shall continue to exist throughout the country to meet individuals' needs for local state service within a reasonable distance. Even though the agency's appropriation is decreasing, there will continue to be a large number of service centers all around the country.

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

Sanne Lennström (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for the answer and today's important debate!

Statens servicecenter handles the administration for government agencies. Here, administrative services and consultancy support regarding payroll, finance and HR are some central parts.

These service centers, in Östhammar and around the country, can also offer important guidance and service regarding Arbetsförmedlingen, Migrationsverket, Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket and Pensionsmyndigheten.

In the year 2023, just over 3 million cases were handled at these offices. Closer to 2.6 million people visited the offices. In the budget for 2025, the government however chose to include a saving of a full 150 million kronor for the coming years. This means that 35 of the country's offices will now risk being decommissioned. One of these offices is the one in my home municipality, Östhammar.

Now, poorer accessibility to the type of help that the offices have offered until now is feared, and it could become particularly difficult for those who have difficulty handling digital technology in contact with these authorities. In previous debates, the Minister has hinted that the authorities will now themselves decide where they would like to locate themselves. But what does that mean in practice? It risks involving a centralization. The service disappears from smaller localities and is sometimes concentrated in larger cities.

It means that the government abdicates its responsibility to stand behind a state presence throughout the entire country. When the government abdicates from that responsibility, the field is left open for a development where the countryside is progressively emptied of community services.

Madam Speaker! It is positive to hear the announcement that the authority shall plan to eventually provide state service of this type in all so-called FA-regions as a basic level to cover the geographical ambition. But it does not help everyone.

For those who are listening and are unsure what an FA-region is, I can tell you that they are so-called functional analysis regions. It is a geographical division that was created by Tillväxtverket once upon a time, and today it is the state agency Tillväxtanalys that is responsible for the division. An FA-region is a group of municipalities that in the long run can be assumed to be self-sufficient in terms of job opportunities and labor.

That there is help to be found somewhere within the region to which Östhammar belongs is of little use for those who, for economic or other reasons, cannot travel particularly far. A resident of Öregrund, for example, has 82 kilometers to the nearest large city, which is Uppsala. Otherwise, it is Norrtälje's office that is closest, and that at a distance of 85 kilometers. These are long distances for a person who, in several respects, can be assumed to lack resources.

My question to Minister Slottner is therefore: How does the Minister and the government intend to ensure that this type of state service reaches those who actually need help?

(Applause)

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

Marianne Fundahn (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer!

The closures of the Statens servicekontor will have very large consequences for people across the entire country. One of the offices to be closed in the near future is the one in my home municipality, Trelleborg. Trelleborg is a municipality with just over 47,000 inhabitants and an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, which continues to increase. At the same time, the number of bankruptcies is now increasing faster in Skåne than in the other two major metropolitan counties.

Trelleborg is a growing municipality and an important hub in Sweden with many commuters and companies and an aging population. The service centers are a lifeline, especially for the elderly, persons with disabilities, newcomers, and those who are in digital exclusion. For many, the service center is the only opportunity to get help with matters at Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen, Pensionsmyndigheten, and Skatteverket.

For those who have difficulty handling digital tools or lack a BankID, the option is not to go online. There are no alternatives. How does the Minister and the Government intend to ensure that even the people in Trelleborg shall have access to state services?

According to the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority and Statistics Sweden, 1.3 million Swedes live in digital exclusion. What does the Minister intend to do so that those living in digital exclusion, most often the most vulnerable, are not affected when the service centers close?

Madam Speaker! In the debate in the Riksdag on 11 February this year, Minister Erik Slottner confirmed that the six service offices identified first for closure – those in Trelleborg, Jokkmokk, Vilhelmina, Strömsund, Vansbro and Lycksele – have been selected partly because their lease agreements are about to expire. Is this how we are to manage state services? Should it be decided by the property owners' lease agreements rather than by the citizens' needs? Should access to community services for the elderly, the disabled and those in digital exclusion be dependent on when the lease agreements expire?

Rental contracts are negotiable. They can be renegotiated and solutions can be found if the will exists. There, perhaps I can help, as I know the property owner in Trelleborg and can put in a good word for the Minister and the authority.

It is clear that it is rather about saving money than guaranteeing the citizens' right to service. There is a lack of an overall analysis of how the closure affects, for example, Trelleborg. The choice is based on practical and economic reasons, not on the citizens' needs. Efficiency and digitalization are positive, but it must not lead to leaving the most vulnerable behind.

(Applause)

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

Carina Ödebrink (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer to my interpellation, even though I may not be particularly satisfied with it.

One must be able to trust Sweden, and for that, all of Sweden needs to function and decisions must be made with regard to the needs and conditions of different regions. We are the foremost champion for the countryside and our small and medium-sized towns – for the heartland. We are the party for all of Sweden to function.

These words are not mine, Madam Speaker, but I could almost have uttered them myself. It was Ebba Busch, the Minister's party leader, who said this nearly three years ago.

The state service centers fulfill an important function for state service and presence for citizens and companies throughout the country. Sweden is large, and it is important to have equal community service regardless of whether one lives in Tranås, Östhammar, Trelleborg or Stockholm. It is about our common society's responsibility and people's trust in important authorities and community services.

In Tranås, one of the municipalities now affected, approximately 5,500 visits were made in 2024 up to and including October. The citizens who use the service centers are very satisfied. In a survey from 2023, over 90 percent responded that they were very satisfied with the service.

The SD-government's decision to close service offices has been debated on several occasions in the chamber. The reactions across the country have also been strong.

The state service centers are an important key to supporting and guiding people into the labor market, into Swedish society. They are also important for reducing digital exclusion, as my colleagues have previously pointed out. They are important for people with functional variations, for the elderly, and for those with language difficulties.

We are also still in a recession with a historically high unemployment rate of over 10 percent. In Tranås, the unemployment is 7.5 percent. In that case, efforts from the state are particularly important for those who lose their jobs and want nothing more than to find a new one.

In a single stroke, the expansion of the last five years has been erased. A quarter of the offices are being closed.

Politics is about will and choice. Depending on what one chooses, it becomes clear what and whom one prioritizes. It is completely obvious, Madam Speaker, that the government and the SD-government prioritize those who already have it quite well by continuing to sprinkle out tax cuts and various deductions, or rather, subsidies. But for those who have it harder today, it is made even harder.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister: How does the Minister's and the SD government's decision to scale back the state service offices and reduce the state's presence and service in rural areas and in sparsely populated areas rhyme with the Christian Democrats' speeches about the Swedish heartland and the importance of seeing Sweden beyond the big cities?

(Applause)

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

Niklas Karlsson (S)

Madam Speaker! If one wants to build strong societies, one must understand that trust and respect are absolutely crucial – trust in authorities and public services, that the state is present for the citizens it is tasked to serve, and respect, to show that regardless of where you live in our country and what circumstances you have, we are here for you too.

We live in a time where service has decreased and where trust is waning. We see cities and even municipalities all around our country where the state authorities are moving away – Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, Arbetsförmedlingen. The police are far away. The commercial service is closing down. In that case, the state service centers have played an immensely important role – an important role to build trust, an important role to show respect.

When the state service centers were established, it was about simplifying contact with the state, increasing the presence and being present throughout the country, increasing accessibility, and streamlining state services. The results have shown that this has also been fulfilled. The state presence has become more tangible throughout the country through the establishment of the state service centers. Simpler authority contacts and increased accessibility have been achieved.

I come from a town where 50,000 inhabitants live. One could say that it is located in a metropolitan region in western Skåne. We are close to many things. But we also see a society that has changed over time, where one experiences that respect is missing and where trust is beginning to decline.

When we are also in a time where unemployment is increasing and the anxiety is great, the message from Sweden's government to everyone who lives in Landskrona and other cities around our country is: We do not see you. We do not hear you.

We have previously been made aware of whom the bourgeois government represents and which interests underlie the policy one chooses to design. It is primarily the people who are already well off. It has shown itself in the economic policy, through clinically targeted tax cuts to the people who have the highest incomes, that one does not care particularly much about the broad groups of wage earners.

Now we can also add that it is not enough to be a high-income earner; you must also live in those parts of Sweden where the most people already live and where the best service already exists. It is a policy for those who are doing well, a policy for those who have large incomes and a policy for those who live in the large cities. The rest of the country, they do not care about. They do not see them, and they do not hear them.

As a Social Democrat, I think this is deeply unfair. I think it is deeply unjust. I would also, Mr. Minister, be able to venture to say that what the bourgeois government, with the support of the Sweden Democrats, is now implementing is also deeply unworthy.

(Applause)

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Adrian Magnusson (S)

Madam Speaker! We have an unemployment crisis in Sweden, one could say. We have a very high unemployment. Highest of all is it in Skåne County. In Trelleborg, which has been mentioned today, unemployment stands at 8.5 percent. In Landskrona, which was just mentioned, it stands at almost 12 percent. In Eslöv, it stands at a little over 8 percent.

The common denominator for all these towns in Skåne is that the service centers there will now be closed. Some of the towns have among the highest unemployment figures in the country. It is also, it feels like in some cases, with almost surgical precision that the service centers are closed just there, for example in Landskrona.

Sometimes, when studying the government's policy, it feels as if one must remind the government that we have an unemployment crisis, that 10 percent unemployment is not the normal situation. This is one such occasion where the feeling that one must issue such a reminder arises.

I visited the service office in Ystad just about ten days ago. It is not on the list of offices to be closed, and for that I am very grateful, and probably all of Ystad's residents are too. Just during the time I was there, which was not that long but still long enough, many visitors arrived. Not a few of them wanted to contact exactly Arbetsförmedlingen. When I spoke with the manager and the employees, they also testified that many who came to the service office were exactly people who wanted help with questions regarding Arbetsförmedlingen. Then one must assume that in many cases it was also people who were seeking work.

This issue with Arbetsförmedlingen has become a major challenge. The people who need to come to Arbetsförmedlingen no longer get in there, because the doors are locked. If you try, you are met with a door that you have to pull on until it hurts your arm – you do not get in.

The help for these people has been Statens servicecenter. But the employees testify that there are great challenges, because the activities of Arbetsförmedlingen have not yet been fully integrated into Statens servicecenter. Many who come to Statens servicecenter want help with Arbetsförmedlingen matters regardless.

The Minister refers to digitalization. It is hardly those with the greatest need for Arbetsförmedlingen's services who will use digital aids; rather, it is about people who often need help from a person at a physical office somewhere in the country.

In other interpellation debates, it has been referred to that the decision was made by the authority itself. It is very surprising. We have an unemployment in the country of just over 10 percent, and it is highest in Skåne County.

It is, as said, a very surprising decision in the unemployment crisis that prevails, if the government believes that this crisis is real. Several of the municipalities that have the highest unemployment are located in Skåne. This applies in particular to cities such as Landskrona and Trelleborg.

If the government is serious about wanting more people in work, it should work to lower the thresholds for people to be able to get a job, not raise them. One cannot make it even harder for people to get work or get help. Instead, one should ensure that the thresholds are lowered. In that case, the decision on cuts, that is to say closing service offices, is a blow to the stomach for the unemployed.

Sometimes I wonder if the government understands that there is an unemployment crisis ongoing. It really does not feel that way.

(Applause)

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

Patrik Lundqvist (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the interveners for an interesting debate.

I would have liked to be here earlier when these issues were debated, because I come from Sandviken, the municipality where the first office is being closed – or has already been closed. It happened in October because they co-located with Arbetsförmedlingen, which gave up its premises and disappeared from there. One was thus rid of the premises in the same month that the last of the offices that now exist opened. It is sudden shifts. They have looked for new premises, but then they were told to scale down and thereafter to step out completely in the municipality.

We heard earlier, for example from Marianne Fundahn, how this is described as efficiencies since the visits are not increased at the same rate as the offices are expanded. I believe it was something similar that the minister said earlier. Therefore, it is strange that an office that had 11,000 visits and 13,000 cases in ten months is the first one that must be closed. I do not intend to compare office against office, but it is still a bit funny that the explanatory model breaks down so quickly. It is therefore something other than the needs that are driving this. I suspect that the explanations we have received from colleagues to me are not very far off.

In Sandviken, all visits can be managed by one employee with some assistance from surrounding offices, as stated in the impact analysis. I suspect that they are referring to Gävle. It is not, after all, very far away. But for those who perform such errands at the Statens servicecenter as they need to do, the costs of traveling further away can become significant. In the impact analysis, it is spoken of 20–30 minutes depending on how one travels there. But the truth is that the office in Sandviken is also visited by many from Hofors, Ockelbo, and other places that are significantly further away. For them, the costs are already quite high and will now become even higher.

Statens servicecenter writes in its impact assessment that there are reasons to consider the needs for operational presence regarding the provision of local state services even in the future in Sandviken Municipality. Quite frankly, this is a damn nice way of saying: The needs are here, but we must shut down because the economy does not allow us to stay. And this is a local office for which we have no rent today.

This goes directly against the explanatory models I have received. I would therefore very much like to hear how this is explained. Can one really say that the whole thing is due to the fact that the needs have not increased when one actually only saves where it is easiest and fastest to save money? That is what is happening.

In reality, we all know that instead one should increase the number of offices and ensure that the state is present in more places and that the service comes closer to the people who need it, so that we build a society together for all of us.

(Applause)

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

Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! It is clear that the government's cuts to state service offices are a death blow to Sweden's population, but perhaps above all to the elderly and the most vulnerable.

As we have heard in the debate, it is clear that three service offices in Skåne will be closed during 2025. One of them that will be closed in the near future is the service office in Simrishamn, which belongs to my constituency. Simrishamn is a municipality where 30 percent of the inhabitants are over 65 years old. It is the municipality that has Skåne's by far oldest population.

This is about people who have dedicated their entire lives to building up our society and who have worked and paid taxes. Now they are being told that they are expected to manage without the service they have been part of building up. These are people who perhaps do not have a computer. It is an older group who cannot always handle BankID. Now they are being told that they should travel several miles to get help with pension matters or health insurance.

Simrishamn is not alone. In the debate, we have heard that the offices in Landskrona and Trelleborg are also to be removed in 2025. We already know that the office in Eslöv will be closed in 2026. But which others are to be closed, we do not know yet.

This is happening at the same time as Skåne's elderly population is expected to increase significantly. According to Region Skåne, the number of people over 80 years of age will increase by 40 percent in the coming years. This will of course put a strain on healthcare and elderly care, but the government seems to have missed that it also affects the need for service throughout the country.

Madam Speaker! Government service centers are not just about access to help with paperwork. They are also a safe point for elderly people who need support in an increasingly digitized world. It is about justice, about equal treatment regardless of where in the country one lives, and about the fact that we cannot pursue a policy where elderly people in the countryside are left behind while elderly people in large cities have everything within reach.

We Social Democrats see the value of a functioning state presence throughout the country. Therefore, the Social Democratic government prioritized not only funds for the state service centers but also for them to be expanded.

It has become clear in the debate that we Social Democrats do not accept that the government's austerity policy comes at the expense of society's most vulnerable. Simrishamn and all other towns that have been mentioned here tonight should not have to pay the price because the government chooses to prioritize tax cuts over public services.

(Applause)

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Johanna Haraldsson (S)

Madam Speaker! As we have heard in the debate, the government has decided to save 150 million on Statens servicecenter. This means that more offices will have to close.

Here in Jönköping County, it is already clear that Tranås is losing its state service office. According to information, the office in Tranås is being closed due to an expired lease agreement. The decision to close therefore does not seem to have been based on any analysis of the consequences for the municipalities and their residents who have used the offices and how their needs can be met in the future. In this case, the decision seems to have been made solely against the background that money could be saved quickly since the lease agreement had expired anyway. Does the Minister mean that it is reasonable to make such a decisive decision based on an expired lease agreement and the possibility of quick savings?

Madam Speaker! The closure in Tranås means that the municipality's residents, as well as residents in the nearby rural areas in the border area between Småland and Östergötland, will have significantly longer travel distances to state services. The savings decision worsens the possibilities of making contact with and receiving help from Arbetsförmedlingen, Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, and Pensionsmyndigheten.

For many people, the personal meeting is absolutely crucial. Those who are hit hardest are precisely those who have the greatest need for personal service: the elderly, persons with disabilities or language difficulties, and others who have difficulty managing the authorities' digital services.

The Minister argues that the operations need to be adapted and streamlined. The Government's adaptations involve closed offices and that many will have significantly longer travel distances to the nearest service office. Minister Slottner says that state service should be available within a reasonable distance. I wonder how far the Minister considers it reasonable for citizens to travel to access basic state services. Where does the Minister believe the limit is for when people simply cannot manage, cannot, or cannot afford to get to the nearest office, even though they actually have a right to the help and support offered there?

Madam Speaker! I am convinced that many of those who previously received help from the state's service office will seek out other, closer alternatives to get answers to their questions and support in contact with the authorities – perhaps a library or a citizen's office, social services, or perhaps their teacher at komvux. The risk is that the municipalities will be forced to take over the responsibility when the state withdraws, even though many of the municipalities already have a strained economy.

I wonder how the government views the risk that the municipalities are now forced to take over the state's responsibilities. Has Erik Slottner included the risk of cost shifting to the municipalities in his analysis of the consequences of the government's savings? If so, is there a plan for how the government intends to support small, financially pressured municipalities that are now forced to handle the state withdrawing?

(Applause)

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! Right now, unemployment is up to nearly 10 percent. There are 600,000 unemployed in Sweden. In this situation, the government decides to close 35 service offices and save 150 million. This affects both the countryside and cities.

The government's policy creates gaps. The municipal councilor in Växjö, Malin Lauber, spoke today regarding the closure of the office in Araby, which is a vulnerable area in Växjö: The government is leaving us in the lurch. We municipalities outside Stockholm are struggling to provide our residents with the service they are entitled to and expect, despite tough times. It feels as if the right-conservative government is working against us. Now the service office in Araby is being closed, where it is perhaps needed most – well-functioning and integrated with the citizen office.

In his answer to the three interpellations posed, the Minister says: "When it comes to consequences for individual localities that risk losing their service office, it follows from the ordinance on the location of state agencies that Statens servicecenter shall, among other things, prepare a consequence analysis before such a decision." My question therefore becomes: What kind of consequence analyses has the agency managed to carry out in this short time? The government must have been looking between its fingers, for it surely cannot be a matter of closing the offices because the lease agreements are expiring. This was what the Minister himself said in the debate on 11 February.

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! To begin with, it must be said that no decisions have been made yet. A number of locations, most of them, have been published, and a dialogue has now been initiated with the relevant municipalities and authorities on how to look forward and take this further. But no decisions have been made yet, so on the final question, the answer is that no impact assessments have been carried out yet – they are to be carried out now for that office. That work is currently underway. The Government is not involved in that analysis; rather, the authority is conducting it. We will see the descriptions later.

I forgot my paper and cannot know this entirely by heart, but these assessments shall be based on three principles. One will therefore not automatically take the offices that have the shortest lease agreements. The assessment of which offices should be closed shall be based on three principles. Geographical distribution is one, the number of visitors in relation to the cost is another, and the efficiency aspect is a third. It is therefore about a variety of considerations that shall be taken into account when the authority decides on the future establishment and distribution.

What the government has said is that there shall be at least one service office in each so-called FA-region. That is the governance the government has made in this matter to achieve a regional distribution, which we think is important.

There is a lot of talk about unemployment, as if the service centers were the most important labor market policy measure. We can probably say that they are not. Unemployment is high despite the fact that there are 148 service centers today. It is not that Arbetsförmedlingen automatically withdraws from all locations where the service centers will be closed, but it will be up to Arbetsförmedlingen to work out what the presence in these locations shall look like.

We have also, from the government's side, increased the savings on appropriations from 3 to 5 percent during 2024 so that a more orderly planning and closure of individual offices can be achieved. It should not be the length of the lease agreement that is the main argument.

To Johanna Haraldsson, I want to say that the government does not make the assessment that this will have any economic consequences for the municipalities. The government has therefore not produced any consequence descriptions in that regard, because the government does not make the assessment that this will mean that costs will be shifted onto the municipalities.

The government has tasked SSC with working more with mobile solutions, and the authority has now taken this further. Even though physical, permanent offices are disappearing in some locations, flexible solutions can therefore make the authorities more present in large parts of the country, even if one does not get fixed, physical offices.

A lot of questions have been asked about digital inclusion and digital competence. The Government is working on many measures to increase digital inclusion. Next month, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, which now runs Digitalidag, will open a telephone line, Ring Digitalidag, where people who have difficulty handling digital services can call to get direct help, regardless of where in the country they live.

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Sanne Lennström (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister speaks of dialogue. I assume he is referring to the consultations that the municipalities have been offered to carry out before a closure. In that case, I can say that last time I heard anything from my municipality, they declined such a consultation, as they did not see the point with it. It felt as if the decision had already been made that the office was to be closed.

When the Social Democrats were in government, there was a great focus on the state being more visible in Sweden. We now see this work being dismantled by the sitting government. A state presence throughout the country builds public trust, but it also gives legitimacy to the exercise of authority.

This government is withdrawing its hand from the state's presence throughout the country and thus also from accessibility and the service of the citizen-facing authorities. Those who find themselves in a digital exclusion and do not have access to BankID must turn to the physical service centers. But the government now wants to limit that possibility.

In the government mandate to report a plan for a new organization of the service office network, the following can be read: ”During the coming years … the number of service offices will decrease in all parts of the country, including sparsely populated and rural areas, metropolitan areas, and areas where exclusion is great. This will have consequences for individuals and companies who visit service offices. The assessment is furthermore that the consequences for the authority are tangible and complex.” A comprehensive operational change shall take place for those who live in municipalities where the state is now removing the service, but ”the operations shall be maintained and effective long-term solutions shall be developed”.

This means the closure of offices in rural and countryside areas, and it will be noticeable in the form of reduced accessibility. It will mean longer travel distances to the nearest office and higher travel costs for individuals to visit a service office, just as in the case of Östhammar and the village of Öregrund, which I mentioned earlier.

In urban areas, the problem instead becomes that there is a risk of traffic congestion and longer waiting times. In areas where the sense of marginalization is great, offices will also be closed, and there, trust in state activities may be negatively affected when service offices that perhaps have recently opened are closed shortly thereafter.

In short: Removing 150 million has consequences, and it is often rural municipalities like my own that suffer the most. In today's restless society, we do not need less trust in the state; instead, we need a society that holds together. State services throughout the country are important, the minister has stated. But money talks, and cutting 150 million will hurt the municipalities. For Östhammar and for everyone who lives in the municipalities where the state is now removing an important service, it will feel hard.

I wanted to go back to the wording in the Minister's debate with my colleagues where he said: "The Government has now chosen to give Statens servicecenter a greater scope to decide where the individual offices should be located." Does the Minister mean in all seriousness that this implies a free scope of action to best determine how state service should be carried out within the agency's framework when one is actually cutting 150 million kronor over three years? That is something I would like to have an answer to.

Politics is about priorities, and I ask the Minister and the government to rethink and prioritize rural services and not shut down the service centers.

(Applause)

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Marianne Fundahn (S)

Madam Speaker! No decisions have been made yet, says the Minister. But according to what I have been informed, the office in Trelleborg will close on the last of March. Should it be the case that it is not closed, no one will be happier than I, because the service provided there is important for the citizens when Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen and the tax office in Trelleborg have been shut down.

In the budget bill for 2025, expenditure area 19 Regional Development, the government emphasizes the importance of improving the conditions for living, working, and residing in the entire country in order to achieve the goals of the regional development policy.

According to the government, it is crucial that there is good access to commercial and public services, financial resources, cultural preservation, education, and skills throughout the country. According to the government, it is also crucial with effective coordination between state agencies and good cooperation between agencies and regions and municipalities, as well as consultation between the business sector and organizations within civil society. This is something we can all stand behind, but then the government cannot reduce the appropriations to the state's service offices by 50 million kronor this year and a total of 150 million over three years. This corresponds to 10 percent of the service offices' budget.

Of course, there will be major consequences for the citizens when 35 service offices are closed. The authority itself writes that the closure will have consequences for private individuals and companies who visit the service offices to get help with various matters. The cost reduction will have significant consequences for the entire authority. The savings are also judged to have consequences for cooperating authorities, including increased costs for them as well, less availability, longer travel time, and risk of longer waiting times.

In the response to the interpellation, the Minister mentions various measures aimed at strengthening digital inclusion. That is good, but for some people with various neuropsychiatric diagnoses, it does not work in any case, and not everyone can get BankID. The bank can deny it if, for example, they lack sufficient customer knowledge, if one is convicted of economic crime, or when it concerns Swedes living abroad.

No, state service is part of the social contract, and therefore it is incomprehensible that the government dismantles a well-functioning and appreciated service by the residents, where they receive the support they are entitled to.

The vision for Statens servicecenter is telling: Together we make the state more accessible and efficient. How does the Minister of State mean that this can be achieved without state agencies being present throughout the country? And are the cuts to the service centers intended to help fund tax cuts for those who earn the most? What is the long-term goal of the cuts?

(Applause)

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Carina Ödebrink (S)

Madam Speaker! In the response to our interpellations, the following was stated: "Every tax krona shall be used wisely and state-funded activities shall constantly be subject to reassessment and prioritization. In line with the increase in the number of service offices, the number of visitors has not increased to the same extent. Against this background, the activities need to be adapted and streamlined."

Of course, we should use our common tax money as effectively as possible. But it is also highly relevant that we simultaneously ask ourselves why we make certain priorities and what we want to achieve with the reforms we decide upon. What is the purpose?

Public services that contribute to strengthening and providing service to the residents of all of Sweden cannot be seen solely from a strict profitability perspective. They contribute to equipping people and building Sweden strong and competitive. The Government and the SD-government could have made a different choice. One could have said: We shall develop the state service centers, not phase them out. But that is not what is done – the opposite is done.

I believe the government is abdicating its responsibility. It lacks political ambition and shifts the responsibility and the economic consequences onto the authorities and the municipalities. In the interpellation debate in October regarding the state service centers, the minister said this about the authorities: "They have a very large right of disposal when it comes to their own operations. This regarding the operations and where, for example, different offices are placed is delegated."

I see this as a serious problem, and I would like to hear what the Minister has to say. Is that statement not a problem? Should the government not point with the whole hand and say that in Tranås, or for the part in all other locations where offices are to be closed, a service office was needed to build the community and Sweden strong? It is a responsibility for the government.

In the budget that the government submitted for the current year, and which has been passed, taxes are lowered by 13.5 billion kronor. The Minister stated in his response that every tax krona should be used wisely. Is it a truly wise way for the SD-government to prioritize 13 billion in tax cuts instead of actually prioritizing that which builds Sweden strong, which holds Sweden together, and which also equips people to take jobs, grow, and enter into society?

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Adrian Magnusson (S)

Madam Speaker! I am somewhat surprised by the Minister's dismissive tone when it comes to labor market policy. But perhaps that explains why this country has 10 percent unemployment when one expresses oneself so perfunctorily and dismissively about that type of authority.

I want to remind the Minister – it does not seem to be quite clear – that it is the government that governs the realm and also the authorities. The Minister claims that there should be a service center in every FA-region. That is not true because such a center is now to leave Ludvika. We can leave that center there. Not even with that argument can the government manage to govern Statens servicecenter. Instead, Statens servicecenter is, according to the Minister, some kind of entity that floats around and does whatever it wants, and the government absolutely cannot influence it. It must be very frustrating to be a Minister in this government; one cannot do anything, everything just happens – then one has to adapt.

The Minister may believe that reduced state presence leads to lower unemployment. Perhaps that is so, but I do not believe that it will happen. But if we could see that there is a connection between Statens servicecenter leaving Landskrona and unemployment falling, that would certainly have been something to rejoice about.

Now I do not think that is the case, but I believe that people who have it toughest and hardest to get into work, who have the greatest need to meet people, may need to come to a physical location in the place where they live. These people will suffer from the decisions. We risk seeing a development where unemployment in Landskrona continues to rise, or in Trelleborg, Eslöv, or in other places.

We do not know if the closure hysteria at Statens servicecenter will continue. It might be Ystad's turn next time, or some offices in Malmö, Hässleholm or Kristianstad. We will have to see what happens. The government seems, in any case, to have zero control over Statens servicecenter.

(Applause)

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Patrik Lundqvist (S)

Madam Speaker! One did not become much wiser, despite the latest entry from the Minister.

Just as I said earlier, there was an employee at the Statens servicecenter in Sandviken, and it was reinforced with someone extra when needed. The center served approximately 11,000 visits in ten months; that is just over a thousand visits per month – well-invested money.

The 11,000 visitors completed 13,000 cases. 5,000 turned to Skatteverket with various tax matters. Perhaps some work at the steelworks, where I myself have worked, who have received share dividends and need help with declaring for the first time when they need to sell off the shares they have received in premiums over the years – when inflation hits.

4,600 have received help with social insurance matters. These may be people who have become unemployed for the first time in their lives and need support when they do not understand how to carry out matters via the internet.

2,800 had cases at Arbetsförmedlingen, and 600 came there with pension cases. It was very well invested money.

Instead, this government has chosen to prioritize raising the threshold for state income tax from 49,875 kronor to 52,150 kronor. They have supported people who have good resources instead of ensuring that the state is present everywhere in Sweden and can help those who need help the most.

(Applause)

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Anna Wallentheim (S)

Madam Speaker! One can certainly be a bit provoked when hearing that decisions have not been made or that there is a direction. But we already see now how several service offices have closed the door, locked the door, and thrown away the key. This means that for many of the towns, the decision has actually already been made.

Madam Speaker! Another aspect is that it is not only the elderly and the digitally disadvantaged who are affected by the government's decision to cut back on state service offices. We also know that this is something that strikes directly against Sweden's crisis preparedness. The State Service Centre is also a preparedness authority. In times of anxiety and uncertainty, we need, in my opinion at least, to strengthen, not weaken, the state presence throughout the country. The service offices therefore also become an important part of the civil preparedness.

The closure of offices in Skåne or elsewhere in Sweden makes us more vulnerable. What happens when a major crisis occurs? What happens when IT systems are knocked out and people need to contact the state directly? In that case, a strong physical presence is crucial.

But this government chooses to do exactly the opposite. You cut back, phase out, and weaken Swedish preparedness. This is happening at the same time as the global situation becomes increasingly uncertain. It is short-sighted action.

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats believe that more service offices are needed, not fewer. We need more state presence, not less. We Social Democrats choose to stand up for a policy where Sweden holds together and where security should not depend on where in the country one lives.

(Applause)

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Johanna Haraldsson (S)

Madam Speaker! No decisions have been made yet, the Minister argues. But the most decisive decision has already been made, namely a cut of 150 million on Statens servicecenter, which reduces access to state services throughout the country.

In other respects, the government leaves it entirely up to the authority to do as they please. The Minister chooses not to take responsibility or make decisions, and here he tries to make it sound like something positive.

Erik Slottner speaks about a balance between geographical accessibility and cost-effectiveness. In practice, the government's policy means that accessibility is sacrificed to save money. Where the savings come quickly, for example where the lease agreements have expired, they are shut down first.

The Christian Democrats spoke gladly about the heartland during the election campaign, and many probably perceived it as a promise of a simpler and slightly better everyday life for people in the countryside. But now we see how tax cuts for the very richest are prioritized over a functioning state service throughout the country.

We Social Democrats expanded state services and presence throughout the entire country. The SD government is now rolling back that expansion, and I think it is shameful.

(Applause)

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Monica Haider (S)

Madam Speaker! The Minister says that no decisions have been taken yet and that the agency shall have a dialogue before it closes offices. At the same time, we have heard here that there are those who have already locked the door.

We have also heard that the authority is to conduct a consequence analysis and decide which offices are to be closed. It is actually evading their responsibility. What choices does the authority have if they are to save 150 million? They must close offices, and they must do it quickly. Otherwise, their budget will not balance. What could save them is, in fact, the appropriation savings.

The Minister also says that unemployment is not high because the service offices have been closed. Who has claimed that in this debate? No one has. But since we have high unemployment, the service offices become even more important. But that unemployment would be high because service offices have been closed, no one has said that in this chamber today.

The Minister also spoke about mobile solutions. I have absolutely nothing against mobile solutions, but we first want to see how it is going to work. There are probably no impact assessments of that either, I would guess.

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Madam Speaker! When it comes to Haider's last point, it is clear that there are no impact assessments of it. It is something that is being worked on now, to see if one can work more with that concept going forward. I actually believe very much in it. I identified quite early as Minister that one should work more with flexible offices, precisely in order to be more accessible across the entire country. I am happy to be able to give them this assignment.

Offices will clearly be closed down. I say nothing else. But there were some questions here earlier about exact impact assessments and so on. Work is being done on that now, and it could be that some of the offices that are now being notified for closure will not be closed down. I do not know that yet. But it could be so, if during the process it is found that there are good arguments for keeping one or another. We shall see.

I think it sometimes becomes a bit exaggerated – it often does in many political debates, so it is nothing strange. But we are not going to evict anyone from the service offices. It almost sounds like we are now withdrawing service office activities and preventing people from coming there.

Some will have to travel further to a service office, yes. But the service offices will be spread out in this realm even in the future, even if there will be somewhat fewer of them. Some will therefore also have to travel further, but even today there are people who actually have a fairly substantial distance to a service office but who still have access to a service office.

If the forecasts are correct, we will go down to the level that was in 2019, and even in 2019, the service offices were an important instance in Sweden and functioned well nonetheless.

One can always ask what is meant by the whole country. I assert that the state's service offices will be represented in the whole country even after these changes. But that does not mean they will be present in all municipalities. What does it mean that they are present in the whole country? We have said that the objective is that there should be at least one service office in each FA-region. If we succeed with that, I would still assert that the service offices are present in the whole country.

Both Sanne Lennström and Carina Ödebrink asked if I really think it is reasonable that it is the authority that should designate where the offices should be located. Yes, that is the government's position. And it is included in the budget bill, which the Riksdag has also voted through. We think it is reasonable that it is the authority that does this and that the government does not point with the whole hand. We believe that the authority is better suited to do this. The answer to that question is therefore yes.

Then there was a bit of tax policy debate. That often happens. 13 billion in tax cuts were mentioned. But if I remember correctly, we lowered taxes by 27 billion for this year. Half of the reform space went to increased expenditures, and half went to lower taxes.

The raised threshold for the state income tax, which you are now complaining about, I want to firmly remember that the Social Democrats also support in their shadow budget. We are therefore in agreement in this chamber on where the threshold for state income tax should lie. I also want to remember that LO expressed strong support for raising the threshold, so that it is not eroded in step with wage increases and rising inflation.

To Adrian Magnusson, I want to say that he attaches very great weight to my statements if he believes that what I say here would affect unemployment. I actually do not believe that.

And Monica Haider misunderstood me somewhat in my previous post. What I said was that despite the fact that we have 148 service offices today, unemployment in Sweden is still high. I believe that it is due to very many other factors than just the number of service offices and where they are located. That was what I said.

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Marianne Fundahn (S)

Mr. Speaker! Last week, the Committee on Industry's report NU10 Regional development policy was debated here in the chamber. At that time, one of the members of the government base expressed the following: Some offices in the countryside have one visitor a day, sometimes not even that. It is not reasonable that one sits there and does not do so much.

If one means that an office in the countryside has one or no visits per day, I understand that one considers it an expensive operation. But I find it difficult to believe that this corresponds with reality. It is known that the pressure of visits varies between different offices depending on factors such as geographical location and population base. But Statens servicecenter works to manage these variations in the workload.

According to the annual report, the service centers had 2.8 million visits and 3.3 million cases last year from Försäkringskassan, Arbetsförmedlingen, Pensionsmyndigheten, Skatteverket, and Migrationsverket. The number of cases increased by 5 percent while there was a cost reduction of 3 percent. I find it difficult to reconcile that with the fact that they just sit there and do not do so much. The cost per visit is 364 kronor and 306 kronor per case and person. The need for service remains, and the visits will not become cheaper because they take place in another city. On the other hand, it will cost time and money for the individual.

Does the Government share the view that emerged in last week's debate that at some service offices, people are essentially sitting and doing nothing?

The service centers are a lifeline for many. To close them is to cut that lifeline.

(Applause)

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Carina Ödebrink (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for this debate and my party colleagues for a good and important debate. This is not the first, and I do not believe it will be the last debate on the issue. It is, in fact, an important issue.

I think the Minister of Justice is answerable. In some cases, he slips on the wording, but he is also clear about what they are prioritizing. We have the highest unemployment in decades, and we have a government that says it prioritizes the work line. But the government presents no proposals for how it will reduce unemployment and equip people. It is important to do one's duty, but one must also demand one's rights and receive help and support to actually be able to take that job or learn the language so that one can enter society.

The Minister says that the service centers will remain throughout the country and that it may be that one has to travel a bit further. And that is the problem for many of those who need this service.

I apologize for saying the wrong figure, but perhaps that makes the whole matter even worse. It is not these people who perhaps to the greatest extent will receive the benefit of all these tax cuts. They already today have small or no margins, and this hits them extra hard.

Mr. Speaker! The debate will continue. I thank you.

(Applause)

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Statsrådet Erik Slottner (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I share the assessment regarding the final forecast. I believe the debate will continue. I do not believe that this was the last debate on the subject. We will see each other here in the chamber again and talk about the same thing, perhaps with some new angles and possibly also with some new information.

I still want to say that the principles that should underlie the authority's establishment of service offices are about accessibility and service throughout the country, about accessibility based on visitor volumes and needs, and about efficient use of resources. It is therefore about regional distribution across the country, about needs and visitor volumes, and about efficient use of resources. As the members can hear, there are therefore several different perspectives, interests, and considerations in this.

But the debate will continue.

When we talk about that all of Sweden should live, I cannot help but say that it now sounds a bit like the service offices are the only institutions that decide whether all of Sweden should live or not. Remember the fuel prices! Was the diesel price up at 28 kronor before the change of power? It has been lowered by approximately 10 kronor. That is perhaps the single most important reform and measure for a living countryside in Sweden and for companies to manage to continue running their operations.

The previous government left behind long healthcare queues across the entire country and unequal healthcare. We are now working to ensure that it is more equal across the country. I can also mention the shore protection rules, if we can take up this issue, which we are now moving forward with. It should be possible to build in attractive areas, also in the countryside and not just in our large cities.

I wanted to have this said.

Thank you for the debate!

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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