The Swedish Pensions Agency has been tasked by the government to combat benefit fraud of the guarantee pension.

It is one of three authorities – the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Pensions Agency and the Swedish Social Insurance Inspectorate (ISF) – given appropriation directions by the government to tackle benefit fraud.

The authorities have been given several tasks to reduce incorrect payments and counteract benefit fraud, including strengthening international cooperation to verify information on foreign income and strengthening checks on S1 certificates.

The Swedish government estimates that each year SEK 15-20bn is paid out in incorrect payments, half of which is suspected to be benefit fraud. The government is therefore carrying out extensive work to give the welfare authorities stronger conditions to prevent benefits and compensation from being paid to people other than those entitled to compensation.

The government said one of the most serious threats posed by organised crime is the misuse of welfare systems to make money, finance criminal activities and, in some cases, terrorism.

“To maintain the legitimacy of the welfare systems, we must stop the incorrect payments and benefit fraud while strengthening the recovery of incorrectly paid benefits, allowances and pensions.

“We are giving a mandate to increase the exchange of information with authorities in other countries so that guarantee pensions or housing allowances are not paid to people who have actually left Sweden or are not entitled to Swedish social insurance," Swedish Minister for Elderly and Social Insurance, Anna Tenje, said.

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency and the Swedish Pensions Agency have been given several new tasks in their letters of appropriation, including strengthening their international cooperation to verify information on foreign income, and addressing long response times and deficiencies in the handling of refunds from institutions in other countries.

In addition, the ISF has been commissioned to review the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's and the Swedish Pensions Agency's control work to counteract incorrect payments and benefit fraud, as well as their part in the joint work of the authorities against serious and organised crime. The reviews will help to improve efforts to counteract and stop welfare crime, the government said.

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