What Benefits Can I Apply For as a Separated Parent?

1. Housing Allowance

Housing is the biggest expense in many family budgets, whether you rent, own a tenant-owned apartment, or live in some other form of housing. If your child lives with you full time or part time, you may be entitled to housing allowance (bostadsbidrag), depending on your income and circumstances. You apply to Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency), which grants the allowance for 12 months at a time — a welcome bit of stability in your finances.

2. Child Allowance

Every child in Sweden is entitled to child allowance (barnbidrag) from the state until they turn 16. After that, it is replaced by a study allowance, paid for as long as the child attends upper secondary school. Child allowance is paid automatically to the child's custodian on the 20th of each month. For children born on or after March 1, 2014, the amount is split between both custodians, or paid in full to a sole custodian. Custodians of older children who want to split the allowance need to notify Försäkringskassan.

The allowance is 1,250 SEK per child per month. With two children you also receive a 150 SEK multiple-child supplement, and the supplement grows with each additional child. A single parent with three children, for example, receives 3,750 SEK in child allowance plus 730 SEK in multiple-child supplement — 4,480 SEK per month in total.

3. Maintenance Support

Maintenance support (underhållsstöd) is a benefit you can apply for from Försäkringskassan if the child's other parent pays no child maintenance, or pays too little. The child is entitled to maintenance support until the month they turn 18, and can then apply for extended support in their own name until June of the year they turn 20.

If the other parent pays nothing at all, the child can receive full maintenance support. If the parent pays something, but not enough, the child may receive a top-up amount instead. How much depends on the child's age:

• 1,673 SEK per month until the month the child turns 7,
• 1,823 SEK per month from the month after the child turns 7 until the month the child turns 15, and
• 2,223 SEK per month from the month after the child turns 15.

4. Care Allowance

If you have a child with a disability, you may be eligible for care allowance (omvårdnadsbidrag). The amount is based on how much care and supervision your child needs beyond what is usual for children of the same age without a disability. The amounts are adjusted at each year-end to keep pace with prices. For 2024, they are:

• 2,984 SEK per month (one-quarter)
• 5,969 SEK per month (half)
• 8,953 SEK per month (three-quarters)
• 11,938 SEK per month (full)

Both you and the child's other parent can receive care allowance for the same child; you then share the amount. Försäkringskassan assesses the child's total need for care and supervision, and you choose how to divide the allowance between you. If you don't choose, you each receive half. You can read more at Försäkringskassan.

5. Social Assistance

Social assistance (ekonomiskt bistånd) is support you can apply for from your municipality (kommun) if you are struggling to provide for yourself and your children. It has two parts: livelihood support (försörjningsstöd) and assistance for other essentials. Livelihood support covers the household's regular monthly expenses and is made up of a national standard amount — a minimum level meant to cover everyday needs like food, clothing, and hygiene — plus five cost items outside that standard, such as housing and electricity. You apply through the social services office in your municipality.

6. Private Foundations and Trusts

Sweden also has a number of private foundations and trusts that single parents — most often mothers — can apply to for financial support. Each foundation's statutes set their own conditions, such as where you must live or what the money may be used for.

One More Tip: Avoid Borrowing Money

Finally, try to avoid borrowing money for everyday consumption or buying things on installment plans, even when money is very tight.

It may sound preachy, but instant loans, payday loans, and installment purchases almost always end up costing far more than the amount you originally borrowed. Exhaust the other options first, even when that feels hard.