In its budget bill, the Swedish Government proposes that the allowance for personal assistance be increased by 2.5 per cent for 2024. The announcement, which was made public by the government today, September 20, 2023, is an increase compared to previous years, yet disappointing for everyone who cares about personal assistance. 

Since 2014, with the exception of 2021, the surcharge on the assistance allowance each year has been lower than the collectively agreed salary increases.

There is a broad consensus between the disability movement, the union and all providers of personal assistance - regardless of form of operation - that the assistance allowance increase has been insufficient in recent years and that the annual adjustment needs to better compensate for cost increases.

- Personal assistance is treated particularly stingily. Other parts of LSS, such as municipal group homes, have a much more reasonable mark-up (4.6 per cent versus 2.5 per cent). One consequence may be that children have to move from their homes and families to other forms of housing if assistants cannot be recruited. Why should assistance, which is so important for the everyday lives and freedom of over 13,000 people, be worth less? Why should personal assistants not have the same opportunities to do a good job?, says Hans Dahlgren CEO of Humana Assistans.

- The increase in assistance allowance for 2024 is an improvement on previous years, but it is far from enough. Those who are hardest hit by the government's cut in personal assistance are, of course, all the people whose independent everyday lives depend on assistance, Hans Dahlgren continues.

The financial impact for Humana of the proposed increase in the assistance allowance depends on several factors and it is too early to draw final conclusions, but it can be stated that the increase of the allowance does not compensate for the collectively agreed salary increases.

For more information, please contact:

Ewelina Pettersson, Head of Investor Relations

+46 73 074 79 12, ewelina.pettersson@humana.se

Rasmus Jonlund, Press Officer

+46 76 611 21 11, rasmus.jonlund@humana.se

Humana is a leading Nordic care company providing services within individual and family care, personal assistance, elderly care and special service housing in accordance with LSS. Humana has 20,000 employees in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark providing care for 10,000 individuals and working to achieve the vision "Everyone is entitled to a good life". In 2022, Humana's net revenue was SEK 9,199m. Humana is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and the company's headquarters are located in Stockholm. Read more about Humana on: https://www.humanagroup.com/

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