Last summer, the temporary extra housing allowance for families with children, which could provide around 1,300 kronor per month, ceased.
Now, instead, the Tidö parties propose that the ceiling for housing allowance be raised, so that it better matches actual rents.
The ceiling has not kept up with rent increases, given that it has not been raised in 30 years, says Anna Tenje.
Permanent increase
For families with one child, it will mean a raised housing allowance of up to 800 kronor per month. For families with two or more children, it will mean up to 1,000 kronor per month.
Unlike the abolished supplement, the raised ceiling means a permanent increase. Another difference is that the temporary benefit went to all families with children who received housing allowance, but the raised ceiling affects the 69 percent who currently hit the ceiling. Despite rising rents and inflation, the ceiling has not been raised since 1997.
We think it's right and proper to raise the ceiling for housing allowance, so that it becomes more effective, but also that the link between the actual housing cost and housing allowance becomes much stronger, says Anna Tenje.
”Boundless hypocrisy”
The Green party's economic policy spokesperson Janine Alm Ericson is not impressed.
”There is no limit to the Tidö group's audacity”, she says in a comment.
She refers to the fact that the government has just removed the temporary supplement to the housing allowance, and that the now announced increase barely compensates for it. She continues:
”It's important to strengthen the economy of families with children – but this is election pork and boundless hypocrisy."
The increase is estimated to cost the state 655 million kronor in 2026, and slightly less in the following years.
On September 22, the government will present the budget proposal for 2026 in its entirety. According to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (The Moderate Party), there are 80 billion kronor in reform space.
