On September 19, the government presented, with the Minister of Finance Elisabeth Svantesson (M) at the top, the budget bill for 2025 which is called “a budget for a richer and safer Sweden”, by the government.
Svantesson then announced that they intended to allocate 60 billion in everything from reduced taxes and fees to strengthening both welfare and total defence.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) presents the budget bill for 2025. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TTPRO criticized the new budget: “Thumbs down”
One who was critical of the budget early on was PRO’s chairman Åsa Lindestam.
In an interview with TT, she aired criticism that, according to her, the budget fails to support the members of the Pensioners’ National Organization, as reduced taxes for pensioners only receive an addition of SEK 2.5 billion – far from enough according to Lindestam.
– It’s really thumbs down. They are talking about SEK 150 more a month, she told TT afterwards.
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Åsa Lindestam is chairman of the National Association of Pensioners. Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT
Reduced tax: SEK 26.7 billion (44 percent of the budget)
— enhanced employment tax deduction: 11 billion
— reduced tax for pensioners: 2.5 billion
— scrapped phasing out of the employment tax deduction: 4.7 billion
— reduced tax on ISK savings: 4.4 billion
— reduced petrol tax: 3.2 billion
— abolished flight tax: DKK 0.9 billion
Welfare: 7.5 billion (12 percent of the budget)
— care: 4.6 billion
— school: 2.8 billion
— care: 0.1 billion
Total defense : 8.6 billion (14 percent of the budget)
Environment and climate: 1.3 billion (2 percent of the budget)
Judiciary: 3.5 billion (6 percent of the budget)
Infrastructure (road maintenance): 1.6 billion (3 percent of the budget)
Research : 1.5 billion (3 percent of the budget)
Costs of medicines : 5.6 billion (9 percent of the budget)
Other: approximately 4 billion (7 percent of the budget)
Amount: About 60 billion (100 percent of the budget)
Source: Ministry of Finance
Pensioner? The cost can rise to SEK 575
Another change in the budget bill, which will hit the country’s elderly hard, is the proposal to raise the amount limit in the high-cost protection, which is proposed to come into force on 1 July 2025.
Today, those who need medicine pay full price up to SEK 1,425. But according to The pharmaceutical world does the government want to raise the amount so that you have to pay full price up to SEK 2,000 instead.
This means that the difference for a pensioner would be that you are forced to pay SEK 575 more before the high-cost protection kicks in. Then it is also in addition to the annual increase in the high-cost protection that occurs due to the rate of inflation. At the turn of the year 2024/2025, it will be increased by SEK 50. And there could be more next year.
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The proposal to raise the amount limit in the high-cost protection is proposed to come into force on 1 July 2025. Photo: Martina Holmberg/TTPRO’s federal secretary critical of the proposal
One who is strongly critical of the proposal to raise the limit for full price is PRO’s union secretary Christine Cars-Ingels. In an interview with News24 she explains the risks this may entail for the country’s elderly.
– We see a clear risk that the elderly will be hit hard by the increase in high-cost protection. Drug use is highest among the elderly and women, which makes these groups particularly vulnerable. Many elderly people have limited financial resources and the increased cost may force them to forego necessary medication, which worsens their health and risks increasing healthcare costs in the long run, says Cars-Ingels, adding:
– We assume that the government has a clear plan to protect the most vulnerable elderly, so that no one has to choose between their health and the economy.
Is there a risk that the elderly will find it more difficult to procure necessary medicine?
– Yes, there are clear risks that more elderly people refrain from collecting their medicines due to the increased costs. According to Vårdanalys, every third person who has refrained from collecting medicines has done so because of the cost. The economically vulnerable are hit the hardest, and this can lead to poorer health and increased care needs.
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Christine Cars-Ingels, federal secretary of the Pensioners’ National Association, PRO. Photo: Anneli NygårdsChristine Cars-Ingels: “Strikes hard on those who are financially vulnerable”
If the risk increases because the elderly avoid purchasing medicine because of the costs, is there anything positive about the proposal? According to Cars-Ingels, it can save the state money in the short term.
But the risk is that over time it will cost more when medical expenses affect the financially vulnerable.
– The government justifies the proposal by reducing the rapidly increasing public costs for medicines, and the plan means that the Swedes will take a larger part of the cost out of their own pockets. While this may lead to short-term savings for the government, there is a clear risk that it will hit those who are already financially vulnerable.
She believes instead that not everyone can afford to cover increasing costs and that in the long run it rather leads to more opting out of medication, even if it is absolutely necessary.
– Not everyone can afford to cover the increased costs, and in the long run it can lead to more waivers from necessary medication, which risks increasing care costs when health deteriorates, she says in conclusion to Nyheter24.
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