INFORMATION IN ENGLISH
About the unemployment insurance
Become a member of Handels a-kassa for 165 kronor (SEK) per month.
A safety net if you lose your job
Hopefully you will never lose your job, but if it ever happens you'll have an economic insurance as a member of Handels a-kassa. A membership in the unemployment insurance fund is a safety net during your whole working life and will quickly pay off if you ever would become unemployed. The membership fee is 165 kronor (SEK) per month.
Who can become a member?
You can become a member if you work in one of our professions. Our members include shop and warehouse employees, hairdressers, musicians, cultural workers and professional fishermen. Even if you're not currently working you can become a member, if your last job was in one of our professions.
What are the requirements for unemployment benefits?
Except being a member, you must also meet certain conditions to be eligible to unemployment benefits. You need to meet both the basic requirements and the work requirement.
The basic requirements
- You must be registered with Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service).
- You must be looking for work.
- You must be willing to work at least 17 hours a week.
The work requirement
There is also a minimum amount of working hours that you need to have worked in the past 12 months before becoming unemployed. You can meet the requirement in one of two ways:
- You have worked for at least 6 months with a minimum of 60 hours per month.
- You have worked a total of 420 hours over 6 consecutive months with a minimum of 40 hours each month.
Under certain conditions we can consider work that you had further back in time. For example if you've been on parental leave, been sick or have been studying full time.
How much can I recieve?
The amount you may recieve in unemployment benefits depends on how long you've been a member with an unemployment insurance fund.
Member for 12 months or longer
If you have been a member for at least 12 months and meet the work requirement during the membership period, you may be eligible for income-based compensation. Then, your compensation is based on your previous income.
The income-based benefits are 80 percent of your previous income the first 200 days and thereafter 70 percent. The maximum compensation is SEK 1,200 per day, five days per week, during the first 100 days and thereafter a maximum of SEK 1,000 per day.
To qualify for the maximum amount, you need to have had a monthly income of at least SEK 33,000 before tax for a whole year. Your compensation will be lower if you have not worked full-time, earned less, or worked for a shorter period than a year.
Member for less than 12 months
If you meet the work requirement but have been a member for less than 12 months, you may be eligible for basic compensation. The basic compensation is based on your previous working hours, not your income.
To qualify for basic compensation, you need to be at least 20 years old.
You can receive a maximum of SEK 510 per compensation day, five days per week, if you have worked full-time without absence for 12 months. If you have not worked full-time or have worked for less than 12 months, the compensation will be lower. The lowest compensation is SEK 255 per compensation day.
300 days of compensation
The compensation period is 300 days and you get a maximum of five days per week. If you are a parent to a child under the age of 18 you will get an additional 150 days. On average, you will receive 22 compensation days per month if you are unemployed full time.
Also a member with the Handels union?
If you are also a member with Handelsanställdas förbund you may be eligible to an extra income insurance if you have earned more than SEK 33 000 per month.
How do I apply?
1. Register with Arbetsförmedlingen
Register as a job seeker with Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service) on your first day of unemployment. You can only receive benefits from the day you register, and you cannot register retroactively.
You can find more information on how to register as a job seeker at Arbetsförmedlingen.
2. Apply for benefits on Mina sidor
You apply for benefits through our e-service Mina sidor (My pages). There, you will find a Att göra-lista (to-do list) of the information you need to send to us. You also need to submit your timesheets. The sheets are necessary for us to decide if you are entitled to benefits. Complete all tasks on your to-do list as soon as possible. This will expedite the processing of your application.
3. We process your application
Once we have received your application, including the timesheet, we will process your application. We process all applications from all members in the order they are received. This means it may take a few weeks before we can process your application. Under "My Profile," you can set it up to receive a notification every time something new happens in My Pages. When we are done, we will send a decision to you.
4. Payment
If we decide you are entitled to benefits, we will pay out your benefits. Payments usually occur on Thursdays and are processed through Swedbank's payment service.
Register your bank account
You need to register your bank account to have the money deposited into your account. If you have not registered an account, you will receive the payment through a postal notification.
How do I fill in the timesheets?
To receive unemployment benefits you need to fill in your timesheets every week. The timesheets are needed so we can calculate your compensation. They show us the hours you were unemployed each week, and that's what we base your payment on. You can easily fill in your timesheets on Mina sidor.
It's important to fill in the timesheets correctly
It is your responsibility to make sure all the information you provide is accurate. If you provide wrong information and get paid too much, you'll need to pay it back.
When you fill in your timesheets, you solemnly swear that everything you state is correct. If you provide incorrect information deliberately you may lose your membership, we may also have to notify the police.
Don't hesitate to ask for help if you're not sure what to do - we're here to help you!
Notify us of any changes
It is your responsibility to inform us of any changes that may affect your right to unemployment benefits or the amount you get compensated. You get compensated for the hours you are unemployed and looking for work each week. You need to notify us of any changes which may affect your ability to do so.
For example, you need to notify us if you
- start working
- become sick, or are on parental leave
- start studying
- go on vacation, or go abroad
- start your own business
- can't look for or accept a job for any reason.
Cooperate with Arbetsförmedlingen
You will also need to cooperate with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) when you are recieving unemployment benefits. Together with Arbetsförmedlingen you'll draw up a plan for you to find a new job. You will also need to submit an Activity Report (aktivitetsrapport) each month, where you state which jobs you've applied for.
If you do not fulfill your obligations towards Arbetsförmedlingen you may be issued a warning or lose your compensation for one or more days.