Economic assistance

If you need financial assistance you can apply for försörjningsstöd (financial aid). You can only apply for försörjningsstöd (financial aid) if you have no other means to support yourself.

To apply for försörjningsstöd (financial aid) you have to contact Kundcenter at Östersunds kommun. When you contact Kundcenter they can also help you to book an interpretor if you need one.

After contacting Kundcenter, it is time to meet a case worker for the first time at Social Services. Before your visit to the case worker you should have received information about which documents you need in order to apply for försörjningsstöd (financial aid).

When you meet the case officer, you review your situation together. This includes your family ́s situation, your social network, housing, work, health and financial situation. Tobe eligible för financial aid you will establish a plan for how you will be able to support yourself financially in the future.

The Social Services in Östersunds kommun are obliged to work preventively and based on a so-called holistic perspective. Therefore, you might be asked about issues other than your economic situation such as your health and that of your children, about alcohol and drug habits, etcetera.

For us to be able to process your application it is important that you provide the details we request. We process your application based on your specific situation and examine which options are available to meet your needs.

If you have no other means to support yourself financially, you can obtain försörjningsstöd (financial aid). This means that you must use all the options available to support yourself before you can be entitled to försörjningsstöd (financial aid).

If you have money in the bank or other financial assets, you must use these before you can obtain försörjningsstöd (financial aid).

If you normally have a sufficiently high income that you are above the "standard surplus" according to the Social Services Act, we expect you to have saved money to manage the income shortfall or unforeseen expenses.

When we process an application for försörjningsstöd (financial aid), we therefore investigate your income from the last three months. We will also consider what your situation will be like in the future.

Using all options available to support yourself meansthe following:

• That you are registered at the Public Employment Service and are actively looking for work
• That you have not declineda jobofferor a labour market initiative to which you have been referred and thereby been refused unemployment benefit
• That you been a member of anunemployment benefit scheme while you were working so that you were prepared if you were to become unemployed
• That you have reduced all possible unnecessary expenses
• That you are aware of which rules apply at CSN, the Social Insurance Office, the Migration Agency or other authorities, so that you avoid misunderstandings which lead to financial shortfalls or payments not being made
• That you utilise other financial benefits or payments that are available such as housing benefit, maintenance allowance, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, parent's allowance or introduction benefit if you are new to Sweden.
• You have come to Östersunds kommun from an asylum centreand lack income or assets
• If you have settled in Östersunds kommun on your own initiative after having lived at one of the Migration Agency's centres, you need to have planned your economic situation in connection with taking up residencein advance.
• The allowance you receive from the Migration Agency should be sufficient for housing, food and other expenses while you obtain another source of income or receive introduction allowance.

You must be extremely thorough when you complete your application for försörjningsstöd (financial aid). If the information you provide is incorrect or misleading it may mean that your försörjningsstöd (financial aid) is incorrect.

If we suspect that you consciously provided incorrect information, we are by law required to report it to the police.

This may lead you to be charged with fraudin accordance with the law. You will also have to pay the money you received back.

You must also check yourself that we are paying the correct amount of money to you.

If we pay an amount to you other than that which is stated in your decision, and it is reasonable to assume that you have understood that the amount is incorrect, then you may also have to pay back the incorrect amount.

Our decision on whether to grant or refuse you försörjningsstöd (financial aid) is based on the Social Services Act and the municipalities guidelines.

You are entitled to obtain a written decision where we provide reasons for why you have been granted or not been granted what you applied for.

If you are not satisfied with the decision, you have the right to appeal the decision.