Social Democrats' Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh warns that the government's new benefits reform hits poor child families hardest and risks increasing poverty. The reform, presented in September, aims to boost incentives for work but faces sharp criticism in a debate on SVT's Agenda. Social services minister Anna Tenje defends the changes as necessary to break cycles of exclusion.
The government presented a benefits reform in September to reduce exclusion by making work more financially rewarding than relying on försörjningsstöd. The reform includes a general reduction in support and a cap that sharply cuts amounts from the fourth child, primarily affecting large child families. Smaller families are impacted to a lesser degree.
In Sunday's Agenda on SVT, Malmö councilor Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (S) faced off against social services minister Anna Tenje (M). Stjernfeldt Jammeh leveled sharp criticism: "Poor children become even poorer." She highlighted three issues: the reform has limited impact on employment according to the government's own investigators and the fiscal policy council; Sweden has 500,000 unemployed; and it hits children in vulnerable families hard. She referenced Denmark, where similar reforms led to lower school results, more dropouts, and increased crime.
Tenje defended the reform: "The point of this reform is for people to move from exclusion, from benefits, and into work instead." She argued that a five-child family can receive up to 46,500 kronor per month after tax in support, making work unprofitable. Stjernfeldt Jammeh countered that the average for families with four or more children is 19,800 kronor and called the figure misleading. Tenje replied: "It's the benefits line from the Social Democrats."
Last year, 145,000 households received försörjningsstöd. The debate underscores tensions over balancing incentives and social security.