The Alliance parties' proposal, presented on Wednesday morning, includes, among other things, that social benefits will be tightened for large families. For parents with four children or more, it may mean several thousand kronor less in their pocket every month.
The purpose of the reform is to increase the incentive to work – and a job premium will be introduced from 2026.
Save the Children is concerned that the proposal will mean that children's rights are not prioritized.
Clear responsibility
The proposal is based on labor market policy measures, more people should work. It is important to emphasize that such measures must never be made at the expense of children's rights or children's health and development, says Erik Ulnes, advisor at Save the Children.
We believe that this proposal contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Sweden has a clear responsibility to ensure that all children have the right standard of living. This proposal means that children are punished for how many siblings they have, what choices their parents make, or what conditions their parents have, he continues.
According to Erik Ulnes, the Alliance parties' reform proposal risks increasing child poverty. The opposition is also critical.
I doubt that making families with children poorer is the way forward for Sweden, says Socialdemokraternas spokesperson Anders Ygeman.
Opposition critical
He is, however, positive that the government has "abandoned the worst proposals" and that they want to introduce an activity requirement. He also sees advantages with a job premium, but questions whether it is sufficient to get people to work.
Centerpartiet's Martin Ådahl is on the same track. But introducing a benefit cap for a few thousand people "is obviously not the solution”.
Miljöpartiet and Vänsterpartiet react even more strongly and call the benefit cap remarkable and dreadful.
This is not a benefit reform, but a poverty reform, says MP's spokesperson Janine Alm Ericson.
Maj Karlsson, social policy spokesperson from V, agrees.
I think this proposal is directly hair-raising, she says.
