Understanding letters from Försäkringskassan
Who sends these letters
Försäkringskassan, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, pays most of the money the state gives to families, sick people and people with disabilities. That includes parental benefit (föräldrapenning), pay for staying home with a sick child (VAB), child allowance (barnbidrag), housing allowance (bostadsbidrag) for families and young people, and sickness benefit (sjukpenning) once an employer's sick pay ends. Its letters are mostly decisions about those payments, requests for more information, and claims for money paid out by mistake.
Deadlines and your right to challenge a decision
If you disagree with a decision, the first step is to ask Försäkringskassan to review it (begära omprövning). Your request must reach them within two months of the day you received the decision, and it must be in writing, on their form or in a letter. Only the new decision after the review can be appealed to the administrative court (förvaltningsrätten).
Checked on 2026-10-07 against: Om du inte är nöjd (omprövning), Parental benefit (English), Vård av barn (VAB), Sjukskriven när du är anställd. Rules change: the official website and your letter always win.
These pages explain the Swedish words in official letters. They don't replace the letter itself or advice about your case. Always check the deadline printed on your letter, and contact the agency (their phone number and your case officer are usually at the bottom of the letter) if anything is unclear. Lingolib is not connected to any of the agencies named here. Facts were last checked on 2026-10-07.
Example letters, word by word
These letters were written by us to show the style and the typical phrases. The names, amounts and dates are made up; real letters look different from agency to agency and year to year. Tap a word to see what it means.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Amina Yusuf!
A greeting with your full name. Swedish agencies often start with Hej.
2 2026.
They have received your housing-allowance application, dated 2 September 2026.
.
They need more information from you before they can decide.
.
Send a copy of your rental contract and your payslips for July and August.
.
You can send the documents through your logged-in pages or by post to the address below.
30 2026.
The missing documents must reach them by 30 September 2026 at the latest.
.
If the documents don't arrive in time, they will decide on what they already have, which often means a no.
. .
If you have questions, call them and give your case number.
, Johan ,
Signed by the case officer handling your application.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a decision about parental benefit.
5 –13 2026.
You have been granted parental benefit for 5 October to 13 November 2026.
.
You are paid at the income-based level for five days a week.
25 .
The money will be paid around 25 November.
.
The decision is based on your application and on your registered income (SGI).
.
If you disagree, you can ask them to review the decision.
.
Your request must reach them within two months of the day you received this decision.
, .
Say which decision you mean, what you want changed, and why.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
2024
Heading: the final calculation of your housing allowance for 2024.
2024 .
They compared the allowance you got during 2024 with the income in your final tax decision.
.
Your income turned out higher than you said in your application.
4 860 .
So you were paid 4,860 kronor too much.
. .
You must pay it back. An invoice explaining how will follow.
.
If you can't pay it all at once, you can apply to pay in instalments.
.
You can ask for a review within two months of receiving the decision.
34 key words in letters from Försäkringskassan
The words specific to these letters first, then the general ones every agency uses.
- föräldrapenningparental benefit
- Money for staying at home with your child instead of working. There are 480 days per child: 390 paid according to your income and 90 at a fixed low rate.
- tillfällig föräldrapenningtemporary parental benefit (VAB)
- Money for staying home from work to look after a sick child. Apply within 30 days of the first day you were at home with the child.
- vård av barncare of a child (VAB)
- The everyday name for temporary parental benefit, shortened to VAB. Tell your employer and apply to Försäkringskassan.
- barnbidragchild allowance
- Paid automatically every month for each child living in Sweden. You don't apply for it.
- flerbarnstillägglarge-family supplement
- Extra money on top of child allowance when you have two or more children. Also paid automatically.
- bostadsbidraghousing allowance
- Help with rent for families with children and for young people aged 18 to 28. It is based on your estimated income and settled afterwards.
- preliminärt bostadsbidragprovisional housing allowance
- The housing allowance you get during the year, based on the income you expect. It is checked against your real income later.
- slutligt bostadsbidragfinal housing allowance
- The amount you were really entitled to, worked out once Skatteverket has decided your final tax for the year. It can mean money back or a claim.
- återkravrepayment claim
- A decision that you must pay money back because you got too much. Check the amount and the reason. You can ask for a review, and you can ask about paying in instalments.
- betala tillbakapay back
- To return money you have been paid. The letter says how much and by when.
- avbetalningsplaninstalment plan
- An agreement to pay a debt in parts. Ask for one before the due date if you can't pay all at once.
- sjukpenningsickness benefit
- Money when you can't work because of illness. Employees first get sick pay from their employer for days 1 to 14; Försäkringskassan pays from day 15.
- sjuklönsick pay (from your employer)
- Paid by your employer for the first 14 days you are off sick, minus a deduction for the first day (karensavdrag).
- karensavdragqualifying-day deduction
- A deduction from your sick pay that works roughly like losing one day's pay when you are off sick.
- läkarintygdoctor's certificate
- A certificate from a doctor. Needed from the eighth day off sick, and for VAB if the child is ill for more than seven days (a nurse can also write it then).
- sjukpenninggrundande inkomstsickness-benefit qualifying income (SGI)
- The yearly income your benefits are calculated from. Usually shortened to SGI. If it looks wrong, contact Försäkringskassan.
- sjukpenningnivåincome-based level
- Days of parental benefit paid at a percentage of your income (your SGI).
- lägstanivåminimum level
- Days of parental benefit paid at a fixed low amount per day, whatever your income.
- ersättningcompensation, payment
- The money you get from a benefit. Ersättning per dag is the daily amount.
- utbetalningpayment, payout
- When the money is paid to your account. Betalas ut means is paid out.
- anmäla ändringarreport changes
- You must tell Försäkringskassan when your situation changes, for example your income, address or who lives with you. Not doing so can lead to a repayment claim.
- underhållsstödmaintenance support
- Money for a child whose other parent does not pay maintenance. The other parent may have to pay it back to Försäkringskassan.
- graviditetspenningpregnancy benefit
- Money for a pregnant woman who can't do her physically demanding job during the last part of pregnancy.
- fick del av beslutetreceived the decision
- Legal phrase for the day the decision reached you. Your time limit for a review is counted from this day.
Words every agency uses
- beslutdecision
- The formal answer to your case. A beslut is legally binding until it is changed. Read the date on it: most time limits for challenging it start from the day you received it.
- handläggarecase officer
- The person handling your case. Their name and phone number are usually at the bottom of the letter. You can call and ask them to explain it.
- begära omprövningask for a review
- To ask the same agency to look at its decision again. At some agencies this is the first step before you can appeal. Do it in writing and within the time limit in the letter.
- förvaltningsrättenthe administrative court
- The court that hears appeals against most decisions by agencies and the kommun. You usually send the appeal to the agency, which passes it on.
- kompletteringadditional information
- Something is missing from your application. The letter says what to send and by when. If you don't send it in time, the agency may decide on what it has, often a no.
- Mina sidorMy pages (your account)
- Your personal logged-in pages on an agency's website, where you see letters, decisions and messages. Migrationsverket calls it Min sida.
- ärendenummercase number
- The reference number of your case, also called diarienummer or dnr. Quote it in every contact.
- uppgifterinformation, details
- Facts about you: income, address, family. Lämna uppgifter means to provide information. Felaktiga uppgifter are incorrect details.
- intygcertificate
- A written confirmation from someone else, such as a doctor (läkarintyg) or employer (arbetsgivarintyg).
- underlagsupporting documents, basis
- The documents or information a decision is based on. Begära underlag means asking for documents.
What to do next
- Find the date and the deadline. Look for senast, inom and förfallodag. Write the deadline in your calendar.
- Find who to contact. The handläggare and a phone number are usually at the end. You can ask them to explain the letter in simpler Swedish or English, and to book an interpreter.
- Answer in writing when it matters. Our email templates include a polite Swedish message asking an agency to explain a letter.
- Look up other words in the all-agency glossary or the Swedish dictionary.
Letters from other agencies
Reading letters like these gets easier fast once the everyday words are automatic. Season 1 of our course is free in full, and the guide to the language you need when moving to Sweden covers the basics.