IAF Inspektionen för arbetslöshetsförsäkringen

About IAF

The Swedish Unemployment Insurance Inspectorate (IAF) is a public authority under the Swedish government.

The IAF is also Sweden’s liaison body and contact organization for unemployment insurance issues within the EU.

About IAF

The Inspektionen för arbetslöshetsförsäkringen/Swedish Unemployment Insurance Inspectorate (IAF), is a Swedish public authority that contributes to the good functioning of the labour market. We do this by examining three of our most important social insurance systems: unemployment insurance, activity grant/development allowances, and Introduction benefit.

The unemployment insurance funds in Sweden (arbetslöshetskassorna), the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) must carry out their assignments in the compensation systems in compliance with the rule of law and with efficiency so that the unemployed can quickly find work.

  • We audit and conduct inspections of the unemployment insurance funds and the Swedish Public Employment Service’s assigned responsibilities in unemployment insurance. We also review how the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency are working with sanctions for persons who receive activity grant/development allowance benefits or an introduction benefits but do not fulfil the requirements for the benefits.
  • We monitor developments in unemployment insurance and initiate responsive measures when necessary.
  • We compile and analyse statistics relating to unemployment insurance
  • We investigate matters on behalf of the Swedish Government.

It is not possible to make a complaint about an unemployment insurance fund or governmental authority to us, and we cannot look into individual cases.

  • In certain situations, we have the authority to issue implementation regulations that describe how legislation and Regulations should be interpreted.
  • We monitor the development of the law and pursue unemployment insurance cases in court for the purpose of obtaining precedential decisions to indicate future course of action.
  • We report to the Swedish Government if legislation or Regulations need to be changed.

We have many administrative tasks relating to unemployment insurance. Among other responsibilities, this concerns:

  • the issuance of certificates allowing unemployed individuals to look for work in other countries in the EU, EEA and Switzerland, taking their unemployment benefits from Sweden with them,
  • as Sweden’s liaison body and contact organisation, coordinating unemployment insurance issues in the EU,
  • collecting contributions to the State from unemployment insurance funds,
  • disbursing state subsidies to the ALFA Unemployment Insurance Fund,
  • investigating claims from individuals for compensation for damages,
  • deciding how the employer’s certificates are to be designed,
  • managing databases.