Household finances change when you shared your finances with the person who died. Some benefits will cease and, in some cases, payments from insurance policies and survivor's pensions will also come to an end. It may be helpful to prepare a budget and, if you are a pensioner, find out whether you may be entitled to housing supplement.
Decisions on benefits and payment periods
If you receive payments from insurance policies or a survivor's pension, you will also have received a decision letter from the organisation making the payments. The decision states how much you will receive and for how long.
If you are unsure or have questions about the payments, contact the organisation making them. This may be an insurance company, a bank, the Swedish Pensions Agency (Pensionsmyndigheten) or another organisation.
Prepare a budget for your finances
If your financial situation has changed, it may be helpful to get advice about your future finances.
The Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) provides information and guidance on personal finances, as well as budgeting tools that you can adapt to your income and expenses. If this is new or difficult for you, you can ask someone you know for help.
You can also contact the municipal budget and debt advisory service. All municipalities in Sweden provide this service free of charge. They can help you review your finances, prepare a sustainable budget and deal with any debts.
Support and advice on preparing a budget (konsumentverket.se, in Swedish) External link.
Financial support from the Swedish Pensions Agency
You may be entitled to a survivor's pension and survivor's support from the Swedish Pensions Agency. Different types of survivor's pension are paid for different periods of time.
- Child pension and survivor's support are paid until the child turns 18. If the child is studying at upper-secondary level, the payments may be extended until June of the year in which the surviving child turns 20.
- Adjustment pension from the Swedish Pensions Agency is paid for one year if you are under the age of 67.
- In most cases, adjustment pension is extended automatically if you have children under a certain age.
Report changes to the Swedish Pensions Agency
Your income and assets affect how much housing supplement you may receive as a pensioner. If you already receive housing supplement, you need to report any changes to your income, assets or housing costs.
If you move abroad, you need to notify the Swedish Tax Agency. You should also contact the Swedish Pensions Agency if you receive a survivor's pension. As a relative, you can log in to pensionsmyndigheten.se to report changes that may affect housing supplement.
Relatives may act as representatives
If the surviving person is unable to manage their finances, you, as a relative, have the option to represent them. You can use the Swedish Pensions Agency’s online service for housing supplements with your BankID if you are a spouse, cohabiting partner, or child.
Make a calculation of your income before applying for housing supplement
Your financial situation determines whether you are entitled to a housing supplement. If you are 67 or older and receive a low pension, you may be eligible for a housing supplement and elderly support from the Swedish Pensions Agency. You can make a preliminary calculation based on your specific financial circumstances.
It can be difficult to assess this on your own. If you call the Swedish Pensions Agency’s customer service or visit a service office, you can get help calculating what applies to your specific situation. You can also perform a calculation yourself at pensionsmyndigheten.se.
Make sure you have the following details
Your full financial situation will be investigated to see if you are entitled to housing supplement (bostadstillägg). It may be difficult to make this assessment yourself. If you call the Swedish Pensions Agency’s (Pensionsmyndighetens) customer services department or visit a service office, they will help you to calculate your entitlement. You can also make your own calculation at pensionsmyndigheten.se.
It is helpful to have the following information ready, as it makes it easier to calculate whether you are eligible for a housing supplement:
- Total pre-tax income, combining your pension, occupational pensions, and any other income (refer to payment notifications and your latest tax return).
- Assets such as bank savings, mutual funds, and stocks, or real estate other than your primary residence (refer to account statements, annual statements, and your latest tax return).
- Housing costs. Details regarding the home.
- Any mortgages for a cooperative apartment or house (the latest statement showing interest and loan balance).
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