1.5 percent is not enough: assistance allowance must be increased and indexed

The government submitted its transition budget to the Riksdag on 12 November. For personal assistance, this means the hourly flat rate is raised to 352.90 SEK starting 1 January 2027. That is 1.5 percent, or 5.20 SEK per hour, and the same adjustment as for 2026. Users and providers had requested 400 SEK.

We build systems for scheduling, time, and payroll for assistance providers, and we believe 1.5 percent is too little. The Riksdag can change this in the December budget decision.

Why 1.5 percent is unsustainable

Wages and labor costs account for approximately 90 percent of a provider's costs. The collective agreement for personal assistants provides 6.4 percent during 2025 to 2027. The hourly flat rate was raised by 3 percent in 2025 and will be raised by 1.5 percent in 2026 and 2027, totaling approximately 6 percent. Over the agreement period, the compensation is therefore almost in line with wages.

The problem is the starting point. According to Vårdföretagarna's own measurement, the industry's median margin was 2.5 percent in 2024, the lowest since measurements began. Three out of four assistance companies expect zero profit or a deficit this year, and two out of three say they may be forced to shut down during 2027 if the compensation is not increased. The press release does not disclose the sample size, so the figures represent an industry organization's perspective rather than an independent measurement.

With such small margins, an unplanned cost, such as long-term sick leave, comes directly out of the bottom line.

The expensive alternative

Vårdföretagarna estimates that an increase of at least 6 percent costs the state around 1.2 billion SEK. The alternative is more expensive. Municipalities' costs for personal assistance are, according to the same organization, more than 30 percent higher than the state compensation, and if municipalities are forced to take over from private and non-profit providers, they estimate the additional cost at over 10 billion SEK per year. This calculation belongs to Vårdföretagarna and the method is not disclosed. Only one in seven assistance users currently chooses the municipality as their provider, so a major transition would be a significant change. If the state saves on compensation but the operations move to where the hour costs more, the total bill becomes higher, not lower.

Our position

Increase by more than 1.5 percent for 2027. We support the industry's demand for at least 6 percent.

Introduce indexation. The government has announced this, but it has not been implemented. In June, it commissioned Försäkringskassan to propose hourly flat rates based on alternative calculation models, with a report due by 1 March 2027, and states it is continuing to investigate indexation. The assignment must lead to a decision. Compensation that follows wage and cost development ensures that every budget year does not become a new crisis.

The industry must show its hours. This is our part of the deal. An increase is easier to defend when every provider can show where the hour went: planned, worked, documented, and paid out. Open data also makes the difference visible between providers who can account for their hours and those who cannot.

The decision is made in December

This applies regardless of who is in government. The transition budget mainly builds on this year's, but the parties in the Riksdag can propose changes ahead of the budget decision in December. What figure would you personally need to plan 2027 with confidence?

Sources: HejaOlika, Assistance allowance raised 1.5 percent 2027, Vårdföretagarna, every fourth assistance company has margins near zero (9 July 2026), Vårdföretagarna, Assistance crisis could cost municipalities 10 billion (7 Sep 2026), Försäkringskassan, hourly amounts for assistance allowance, Government, assignment to Försäkringskassan regarding the flat-rate amount (18 June 2026), Riksdag, response to question 2025/26:897.