M wants unemployment benefits to fall faster

The Moderate Party wants unemployment benefits to fall faster and plans to abolish the tax deduction for unemployment-fund fees.

Both measures appear in the financing section of the party’s 2026 election manifesto. M says a broader package of tougher benefit rules, anti-fraud measures and administrative savings could free more than SEK 70 billion. It gives no separate saving for the unemployment-insurance changes.

The manifesto also says jobless people should face tougher requirements to move to places where work is available, across all benefit systems.

Under current rules, eligible fund members can initially receive 80% of previous income up to a ceiling. The rate falls by 10 percentage points after 100 benefit days and by another five points after 200 days.

M does not state the proposed new reduction rates or when they would take effect. The measures are election proposals, not current law, and the party says manifesto reforms will be introduced only as financing becomes available.

The position is the direct opposite of the Left Party proposal published on Tuesday, which would keep an 80% rate throughout unemployment for most workers. DailySweden covered that originating proposal separately.

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