Housing allowances and housing supplements

If you are under the age of 29 or have children living with you, you might be entitled to receive a housing allowance. The amount of this benefit you can receive partly depends on your income and expenses. You can receive a housing allowance even if you own your home or sublet. Housing supplements are a tax-free supplement for people with a low pension.

The income that determines whether you can receive a housing allowance – and if so, how much – is calculated differently than for your qualifying income (Sjukpenninggrundande inkomst or SGI). More income is included in the income on which the allowance is based. Grants count as income, regardless of whether they are tax-exempt or taxable. The full amount of taxable grants is included in your allowance-qualifying income.

Note: For the purposes of calculating the housing allowance, grants count as income within certain limits, regardless of whether they are tax-exempt or taxable.

Can you get the housing allowance?

The amount of compensation for your housing allowance or housing supplement depends on:

• How many people live in your household
• Your housing costs and living space
• Your income and assets.

Get help from Kassakollen

On the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s (Försäkringskassan) website, you can use Kassakollen to find out if you are entitled to a housing allowance and what the amount would be based on your income, housing and the number of children living with you.

Housing supplement – do a preliminary estimate

A housing supplement is a tax-exempt supplement for people who have a low pension. Your entire financial situation is taken into account, so you should find out what your options are before you apply. Several factors can affect the supplement. To test what it looks like for you, you can do a preliminary estimate on the Swedish Pensions Agency’s (Pensionsmyndigheten) website.

Note: To be entitled to receive a housing supplement from the Swedish Pensions Agency, you must be at least 65 years old and receive a full public pension, including premium pension. If you receive sickness or activity compensation, you can instead be entitled to a housing supplement from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.