What is personal assistance?
Personal assistance is a service that provides support to people with severe disabilities so that they can participate in society and live an independent life. The aim of the intervention is to enable people to live a life like others.
The intervention is regulated by the Act on Support and Services for Persons with Disabilities (LSS) and to be entitled to the intervention, the person must belong to one of the personal groups in LSS.
Personal assistance is based on the individual's needs, and the nature of the assistance can therefore differ greatly from person to person. The person who is granted personal assistance is called an assistance user and must, by law, be involved in their assistance, but this also varies from person to person. The important thing is that the assistance is based on the assistance user's wishes. Personal assistance can be provided anywhere in society and not only at a specific location.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers on personal assistance
More on what personal assistance is and what it means
More on personal assistance
What does the aid mean
Personal assistance is one of the ten interventions in LSS and is intended to support people who, due to major and permanent disabilities, need help with their basic needs. This may include help with personal hygiene, meals, breathing, necessary measures in connection with tube feeding, communicating with other people or support to prevent injury in the case of mental disability, ongoing support due to a medical condition. A person may also be granted personal assistance for other personal needs if they are not met by other means, such as cooking, practicing leisure activities, working, transfers, etc. It is all about enabling people with severe disabilities to live their lives as they wish and as others.
Personal assistance can be granted for all hours of the day and night and is based on the unique needs of the assistance user. Personal assistance under LSS is free of charge. The assistance user continues to be responsible for his or her own expenses, such as food, rent and costs associated with activities.
What is required to get personal assistance
The personal assistance intervention should enable people with extensive
disabilities to participate in society and live an independent life. The
Personal assistance differs from person to person because it is based on the person's needs.
1. the person must belong to LSS.
According to the LSS (Act on Support and Service for Persons with Disabilities), a person with an extensive
disabilities receive support in everyday life. There are several measures you can receive under LSS and Personal
assistance is one of them.
To be entitled to personal assistance under LSS, you must have a disability that is included in any
of the three categories of persons.
- Person with intellectual disabilities, autism or autism-like conditions.
- A person with a significant and permanent disability resulting from brain injury in adulthood, caused by external violence or physical illness.
- Person who, as a result of major and permanent physical or mental disability, has significant difficulties in daily living and therefore a substantial need for support
and services.
2. the person must not have reached the age of 66 when the application is submitted.
3. the person must be insured in Sweden. To be insured in Sweden, the person must live and
work here. If the person lives or works in different countries, there may be exceptions, as well as if
the person has recently moved to Sweden.
4. the person needs help with their basic needs such as help with personal
hygiene, breathing, communicating with other people, dressing and undressing, eating and drinking, necessary actions related to tube feeding, preventing injury in case of mental disability or assistance due to a medical condition. A person may also be granted personal assistance for other personal needs if they are not met by other means, such as cooking, engaging in leisure activities, working or moving around. It's all about enabling people with severe disabilities to live their lives as they wish and as others do.
5. persons who are included in the personal scope and need personal assistance to help with their basic needs can apply for Personal Assistance, from two different sources.
If the person needs help with their basic needs on average:
- less than 20 hours a week, an application must be made to the municipality in which the person lives. The decision is then made under the LSS (the Act on Support and Services for Persons with Disabilities) and it is the person responsible at the municipality who investigates and decides on the right to personal
assistance. - more than 20 hours a week, a person may be entitled to assistance compensation from the State, via the Social Insurance Agency. The application is then sent to Försäkringskassan, which investigates and makes the decision under SFB, the Social Insurance Code.
If you want to know more about Personal Assistance or get help with your application, please contact us at
0770-17 60 30
To find out more about Personal Assistance, visit the following pages:
Assistance allowance for adults:
Assistance allowance for adults - Försäkringskassan
Assistance allowance for children:
Assistance allowance for children - Försäkringskassan (forsakringskassan.se)