Sjukpenning (sickness benefit)
Sjukpenning is the benefit that covers part of your income when illness keeps you from working. First the employer pays sjuklön; then Försäkringskassan takes over with sjukpenning. Both are based on your income up to a ceiling.
Sjuklön and the karensavdrag
For the first 14 days your employer pays sjuklön, 80% of the pay you lose. From that a karensavdrag is deducted equal to 20% of an average week's sjuklön, which in practice is usually about one day's pay. The karensavdrag replaced the old single waiting day and makes the deductible the same size no matter which day you fall ill.
Sjukpenning from Försäkringskassan
From day 15 Försäkringskassan takes over. Sjukpenning at normalnivå is about 80% of your SGI and is paid for up to 364 days. After that you may receive sjukpenning at fortsättningsnivå, which is 75%. The ceiling is 10 price base amounts, 592 000 kr for 2026, giving at most about 1,259 kr a day at normalnivå and about 1,180 kr at fortsättningsnivå.
SGI is the basis
Everything is calculated on your sjukpenninggrundande inkomst (SGI). The calculation itself uses a factor of 0.97: SGI is first multiplied by 0.97 before the percentage is applied. That makes sjukpenning a little lower than a clean 80% of salary. This is why it matters to protect your SGI, for example by drawing parental benefit or registering as a jobseeker if you become unemployed.
Worked example
Monthly salary 40,000 kr gives an annual SGI of 480,000 kr (under the 592 000 kr ceiling). Daily sjukpenning at normalnivå: 480,000 × 0.97 × 0.80 ÷ 365 ≈ 1,020 kr. The Karensavdrag (first-day deduction): 20% of a week of sjuklön = 1,473 kr, deducted from the first payment. If your salary exceeds the ceiling, the daily amount tops out at about 1,259 kr.
Calculate further
- Sjukpenning calculator: calculate your exact daily rate and total benefit
- A-kassa calculator: the next safety net after sjukpenning
- Parental benefit calculator: uses the same SGI base
- First-job guide: how the safety net fits together