The rehabilitation chain and work capacity assessment

The election manifesto demands humane sickness insurance and an end to the exclusion of sick people, and the party programme wants insurance to be designed so that everyone can live securely, also those who have not been able to work for wages. The fixed time limits in the rehabilitation chain are precisely the mechanism that excludes people. The counter-proposal's requirement for a step-by-step model and assessment based on the insured person's current condition therefore follows from the plan.

• end to exclusion from insurancedecisive»Vänsterpartiet vill se en mänsklig sjukförsäkring och ett slut på utförsäkrandet av sjuka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to see humane sickness insurance and an end to the exclusion of sick people.”
• security also without wage work»utformade så att alla människor ska kunna leva tryggt, också den« (party programme ↗)“designed so that all people can live securely, also those”
• secure compensation for illness»När du blir sjuk eller föder barn ska du kunna lita på att få ersättning från Försäkringskassan utan att behöva stånga dig blodig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When you become ill or give birth you should be able to rely on receiving compensation from the Social Insurance Agency without having to fight for it.”
• the income-loss principle»grundade i en inkomstbortfallsprincip är viktigt« (party programme ↗)“based on an income-loss principle is important”

The election manifesto stands guard over the principle that those too sick to work can rely on sick leave insurance and wants to improve sick leave benefits. An assessment of working capacity based on the insured's current condition, with more assessment criteria and clarified rehabilitation need within 60 days, is an application of the same security principle. The plan, however, does not take a position on the structure of the rehabilitation chain.

• trust in sick leave insurancedecisive»Våra förbättringar av trygghetssystemen står på spel i höstens val – och vi slår vakt om principen att den som är för sjuk för att arbeta ska kunna lita på sjukförsäkringen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our improvements to the security systems are at stake in the autumn election - and we stand guard over the principle that those too sick to work can rely on sick leave insurance.”
• improved sick leave benefits»Vi ska säkra rätten till personlig assistans och arbeta vidare med förslagen om att förbättra sjukersättningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall secure the right to personal assistance and work further with proposals to improve sick leave benefits.”
• protect the security pension»Vi står upp för trygghetspensionen, som utmanas av krafter från höger« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We stand up for the security pension, which is challenged by forces from the right”
• protection when income is lost»Ett gott ekonomiskt skydd när den egna förvärvsinkomsten faller bort är grundläggande« (party programme ↗)“Good economic protection when earned income is lost is fundamental”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto wants to change the sickness insurance so that it provides better security when on sick leave and that people are not passed between agencies, and the party programme places responsibility on society to actively support the individual through rehabilitation. An assessment of work capacity based on the insured person's current condition and a swift clarification of rehabilitation needs is in line with this.

• safer sickness insurancedecisive»förändra sjukförsäkringen så den ger bättre trygghet vid sjukskrivning och se till att människor inte bollas mellan myndigheter när de behöver samhällets stöd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“change the sickness insurance so it provides better security when on sick leave and ensure that people are not passed between agencies when they need society's support”
• society's rehabilitation responsibility»genom åtgärder för rehabilitering och utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“through measures for rehabilitation and education.”
• one door into the security systems»myndighet enligt principen ”En dörr in”.« (party programme ↗)“authority according to the principle "One door in".”
• raised benefit levels»höja den lägsta nivån i sjuk- och aktivitetsersättningarna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise the lowest level in sickness and activity allowances”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's answer to the sick insurance problem is better rehabilitation, more flexible sick leave and greater employer responsibility, not abolishing the rehabilitation chain and assessing work capacity in the current state. The work line shall be valued and security combined with transition, which argues against a model that weakens the direction towards return to work. The counter-proposal's demand thus does not receive support, even though the plan shares its goal of faster clarified rehabilitation needs.

• value the work linedecisive»Arbetslinjen måste värnas, och den som kan jobba ska inte leva på skattebetalarnas pengar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The work line must be valued, and whoever can work should not live on taxpayers' money.”
• flexibility and transition»Svensk arbetsmarknad behöver både mer flexibilitet och mer trygghet. Stödet vid omställning och vidareutbildning måste bli bättre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish labour market needs both more flexibility and more security. Support during transition and further education must become better.”
• better rehabilitation»Vi vill förbättra rehabiliteringen och göra sjukskrivningen mer flexibel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to improve rehabilitation and make sick leave more flexible.”
• employer's responsibility»Arbetsgivare bör ta ett större ansvar för förebyggande insatser och rehabilitering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Employers should take greater responsibility for preventive measures and rehabilitation.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan wants strong security systems that contribute to getting the individual back to work as soon as possible, with sickness insurance linked to support and rehabilitation. Abolishing the rehabilitation chain and assessing work capacity in current condition taking age and sex into account weakens precisely that return-to-work direction. The counter-proposal's demands are therefore rejected.

• quick return to workdecisive»trygghetssystem som bidrar till att den enskilde kommer tillbaka i arbete så snart som möjligt.« (party programme ↗)“security systems that contribute to getting the individual back to work as soon as possible.”
• rehabilitation towards work»kopplad till stöd och rehabilitering för att underlätta återgång till arbete.« (party programme ↗)“linked to support and rehabilitation to facilitate return to work.”
• the work ethic»Det ska alltid löna sig att arbeta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall always be worthwhile to work.”
• more in work»Fler måste bidra – färre måste gå på bidrag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must contribute – fewer must receive benefits.”

The party programme requires that compensation levels are designed so that the individual is stimulated to participate in measures that lead to good health and return to working life, and that dependence on benefits is counteracted. Abolishing the rehabilitation chain and assessing work capacity against current condition weakens that incentive. The plan at the same time wants to provide reasonable security in case of illness, which qualifies.

• incentives for rehabilitationdecisive»Nivåerna på ersättningarna ska utformas så att den enskilde stimuleras att delta i åtgärder« (party programme ↗)“The levels of compensation shall be designed so that the individual is stimulated to participate in measures”
• counteract benefit dependence»bidragsberoende motverkas« (party programme ↗)“benefit dependence is counteracted”
• full employment»full sysselsättning ett viktigt politiskt mål« (party programme ↗)“full employment an important political goal”
• reasonable security in case of illness»en rimlig trygghet vid sjukdom, arbetslöshet, arbetsskada och pension« (party programme ↗)“reasonable security in case of illness, unemployment, work injury and pension”

The ideology programme establishes that policy shall make use of each individual person's working capacity and that someone with working capacity has a responsibility to support themselves. The counter-proposal wants to assess working capacity in its current state taking into account age and work experience, which loosens precisely that assessment. The plan's line is that taxes and benefit systems shall be based on the work line and that activity shall be required.

• make use of working capacitydecisive»på den arbetsförmåga som varje enskild person har och bidra« (party programme ↗)“on the working capacity that each individual person has and contribute”
• own support responsibility»därför också ett ansvar att försörja sig själv och sin familj« (party programme ↗)“therefore also a responsibility to support themselves and their family”
• the work line in security systems»Skatter och bidragssystem ska utgå från arbetslinjen.« (party programme ↗)“Taxes and benefit systems shall be based on the work line.”
• requirement for activity»Kräva aktivitet på heltid av den som lever på försörjningsstöd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Require full-time activity from those living on subsistence support”

The plan requires that the insurance system regulations become more flexible and adapted to the individual's needs and possibilities, and that decision-making receives increased individualisation. It also wants to see more resources for preventative work and early rehabilitation measures, which corresponds to the requirement that rehabilitation needs be clarified early. However, introducing gender as an assessment criterion aligns poorly with the plan's formal equality stance.

• flexible and individualised regulationsdecisive»Regelverket måste därför bli mer flexibelt och anpassas efter individens behov och möjligheter både inom sjukpenning samt sjuk och aktivitetsersättningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The regulations must therefore become more flexible and adapted to the individual's needs and possibilities both within sickness benefit and sickness and activity compensation.”
• individualised decisions»Öka flexibiliteten och individanpassningen i beslutsfattandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase flexibility and individualisation in decision-making”
• early rehabilitation»Se ökat fokus och mer resurser på förebyggande arbete samt rehabilitering« (2022 manifesto ↗)“See increased focus and more resources for preventative work and rehabilitation”
• no differential treatment by gender»Vare sig negativ eller positiv särbehandling på basis av kön, ålder, sexuell läggning,« (party programme ↗)“Neither negative nor positive differential treatment on the basis of gender, age, sexual orientation,”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.