Care of a sick child (VAB)
VAB, formally tillfällig föräldrapenning (temporary parental benefit), is what you receive when you stay home to care for a sick child. It is separate from ordinary parental benefit and does not draw down the 480 days. The benefit is about 80% of your income up to a ceiling.
Days and benefit
You can receive VAB for up to 120 days a year per child. The benefit is about 80% of your sjukpenninggrundande inkomst (SGI), but the ceiling is lower than for ordinary parental benefit: 7.5 price base amounts, 444,000 kr for 2026. So the highest daily amount is a little lower than for föräldrapenning, which has a ceiling of 10 price base amounts.
Which children, and when
VAB normally applies to children from 8 months to 12 years. For younger children it is granted only in exceptional cases, for example if the child is being cared for in hospital. For children between 12 and 16 a special medical certificate is required, stating that the child needs more supervision than usual. You can use VAB when the child is ill, when it needs to be taken to a doctor, or when the ordinary carer is sick.
Separate from parental benefit
It is easy to confuse VAB with parental benefit, but they are two different things. Parental benefit is the 480 days you use when you are on leave with a young child; VAB is for occasional sick days and is counted separately. You report VAB to Försäkringskassan, usually from the first day you are home.