What this benefit is for
Närståendepenning is Försäkringskassan's benefit for a person who loses income while supporting someone who is seriously ill. The Swedish word makes it sound like a relative-only benefit, but the agency's page points to relatives, friends, neighbours, and other close people.
The benefit is not payment for taking over healthcare. Försäkringskassan describes it as being available and near the sick person. That can matter for families who are trying to split time without accidentally burning through the shared day bank.
Who may be affected
The sick person's condition has to be life-threatening. Försäkringskassan says a condition that may become life-threatening several years from now is outside the rule, and everyday help or supervision because of old age is not enough by itself.
The supporter also has to lose income, give up a-kassa, or give up parental benefit for the claimed time. A jobseeker has to have a-kassa days left, and Försäkringskassan says närståendepenning for jobseekers can be paid for at most five days a week, Monday through Friday.
The person who is ill has to be cared for in Sweden, another EU or EEA country, or the United Kingdom. Both the supporter and the sick person also have to be insured in Sweden.
The 100-day pool
The most useful number is 100. Försäkringskassan says närståendepenning can be paid for 100 days, and those days are tied to the person who is seriously ill rather than to each supporter.
That means the practical planning question has two parts: who can be away from work, and how many of the sick person's 100 days each person is using. Several people can receive the benefit for the same calendar day, but not for the same hours. If one person claims a full day for 06.00-14.00 and another claims a full day for 14.00-22.00, Försäkringskassan's example says two days are deducted from the 100-day pool.
What to gather before applying
Start with the consent and the medical statement. The sick person normally has to consent to each supporter receiving närståendepenning. If the person cannot give consent because of the health condition, Försäkringskassan says that has to be stated in the medical statement.
The medical statement comes from the sick person's doctor and has to describe the life-threatening health condition. Some care providers can send the statement digitally to Försäkringskassan. If not, the applicant can add it as a digital attachment after the application.
The practical file is usually dates and hours rather than names alone. Gather the days already spent supporting the person, the hours away from work or other compensation, income details, employer or a-kassa context, the consent form when needed, and a shared note if several supporters are dividing the 100 days.
How to apply
The application is made after the care days have happened, through Försäkringskassan's e-service or by form. The agency's wording is direct: you can only apply retroactively, for days that have already passed.
That creates the deadline trap. The application has to be sent within three months from the first day you are claiming. A family that waits until the situation calms down can lose older days even if the support itself was real.
Payment and timing
Försäkringskassan says närståendepenning is just under 80 percent of income, or previous income for someone who is unemployed, subject to a maximum limit. A person with a newer sole proprietorship can in some cases have the benefit based on an SGI comparable to an employee with similar work, education, and experience.
The current Försäkringskassan page says a decision takes about 30 days. If more information is missing, it can take longer. The separate payment and handling-time page, last updated 18 May 2026, also says applications are handled in order and that ringing the agency cannot speed up the case.
Common traps
- Waiting too long: the three-month clock starts from the first claimed day, while the application can only be sent after days have passed.
- Counting ordinary eldercare: the official test is a life-threatening condition, not general help with daily life because of age.
- Forgetting consent: each supporter needs consent, unless the medical statement explains why the sick person cannot give it.
- Double-booking hours: several supporters can claim the same date only when the claimed time does not overlap.
- Losing sight of the shared pool: the 100 days belong to the sick person, so every approved supporter draws from the same bank.
Bottom line
Närståendepenning is a small administrative task inside a very human situation. The cleanest version is to write down the dates and hours as they happen, keep the supporters coordinated, and get the consent and medical statement in place before the oldest day slips past the three-month line.
Source frame: eligibility, life-threatening-condition definition, consent, medical statement, Sweden/EU/EEA/UK care condition, insurance condition, payment basis, 100-day shared pool, same-day time split, application route, retroactive-only rule, three-month application clock, and 30-day handling statement from Försäkringskassan's närståendepenning page, last updated 30 April 2026; current handling-time context from Försäkringskassan's payment and handling-time page, last updated 18 May 2026. Accessed 19 May 2026. The rule is current final Försäkringskassan guidance where stated. This is educational benefits context, not personalized legal, medical, tax, pension, or financial advice.