Family and children
Apply for maintenance support easily
Maintenance support is a financial safety net for families when one parent can't contribute to the child's maintenance.
- Response within one business day
- Experienced lawyers
- Online, wherever you are
What is maintenance support?
Maintenance support is a state benefit for children whose parents do not live together. It may be available when the parent who does not live with the child fails to pay maintenance, pays too little or does not pay on time.
Maintenance support is different from child support. Child support is paid by a parent and calculated according to the child’s needs and the parents’ financial circumstances. Maintenance support is paid by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency at fixed statutory rates.
If the other parent pays less than the applicable rate, the Agency may pay the difference as supplementary maintenance support. It may then require the other parent to repay some or all of the state-funded support.
Who may receive maintenance support?
A parent living with the child may qualify if:
- the child lives with that parent all or most of the time
- the parent has sole or joint legal custody
- the child is registered as living at the same address
- the parents are not in a relationship with each other
- the parent and child are covered by Swedish social insurance.
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency makes an individual assessment. Evidence concerning the child’s residence, registration, the parents’ relationship and previous payments may therefore be required.
After turning 18, the child must apply personally for extended maintenance support. This may be available if the child continues to attend compulsory or upper secondary school, lives with a parent and is not, and has never been, married.
How do you apply for maintenance support?
You apply to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency through its online service or by using the relevant form. The application includes information about the child’s residence, the other parent and any maintenance payments received.
If maintenance has been determined by a judgment or another decision, you should attach a copy. The Agency may request additional information and will normally contact the other parent during its assessment.
Maintenance support may be granted no earlier than the month preceding the month in which the application was submitted. You should therefore apply promptly once the conditions are met.
In 2026, full maintenance support amounts to:
- SEK 1,673 per month through the month in which the child turns 7
- SEK 1,823 per month from the month after the child turns 7
- SEK 2,223 per month from the month after the child turns 15.
These amounts may change. Always check the current rates with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
How we can help you
We assist both parents applying for support and parents who have received a repayment decision.
Assessment of your circumstances
We review the child’s living arrangements, legal custody, previous payments and other circumstances affecting entitlement.
Application and additional information
We help review the application, collect relevant documents and respond to questions from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
Review of the decision
We review decisions concerning maintenance support, supplementary support or repayment liability and explain their consequences.
Reconsideration and appeal
If the decision appears incorrect, we help request reconsideration and, where appropriate, appeal the reconsidered decision to the administrative court.
Get help with your maintenance support case
Schedule a 15-minute meeting with a lawyer to review and discuss your situation.
If you need further assistance, we’ll explain your options, how we can assist you, and what it would cost. If you hire us for your case, the cost of the first 15 minutes will be deducted from your final bill.
Talk to a lawyer
15-minute legal consultation
A brief meeting for quick guidance. Get answers to your questions, understand your rights and options, and learn how to move forward.
Need more help? You can also schedule a longer meeting with a lawyer for assistance with a specific task or a more complex situation.
Concerned about the cost? In some cases, part of the cost may be covered by legal expenses insurance or legal aid. We also offer payment plans through Klarna. Learn more about costs and financing →
Get help from our lawyers
Our lawyers explain the distinction between maintenance support and child support, review decisions made by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency and help request reconsideration or appeal when required.
Matilda Selander Persson
Lawyer
Matilda primarily works with employment law, business law, contract law, family law, and migration law. She speaks Swedish and English.
Wazima M. Aga
Lawyer
Wazima is deeply committed to protecting individual rights and practices immigration law, administrative law, social welfare law, family law, and contract law. She speaks Swedish, English, Persian, and Dari.
Aja Wadii
Lawyer
Aja specializes in migration law, family law, and criminal law. In addition to Swedish and English, Aja also speaks Arabic.
Nadja Hatem
Lawyer
Nadja works within family law – mainly custody disputes and international child abduction cases. She has also worked in criminal law. She speaks Swedish, English, and Arabic.
Anuta Sjunghamn
Lawyer
Anuta works in migration law – primarily handling asylum cases. She also assists with family law disputes and criminal cases. Anuta speaks Swedish, English and Persian.
Mirella Nunes Siqueira
Consulting lawyer
Mirella specializes in business law, financial family law, employment law, and consumer law. She speaks Swedish, English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Aleksandar Milic
Consulting lawyer
Aleksandar Milic specializes in business law and family law and also serves as legal counsel in LVU cases. He speaks Swedish, Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about maintenance support
Child support is paid by a parent and reflects the child’s needs and the parents’ financial circumstances. Maintenance support is paid by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency at fixed rates when the other parent fails to pay, pays too little or does not pay on time.
It may be granted no earlier than the month preceding the application month. You should therefore apply as soon as the conditions are met.
Ordinary maintenance support ends. A child who continues to attend compulsory or upper secondary school may apply personally for extended maintenance support, which is paid directly to the child.
Read the decision and check the deadline for requesting reconsideration. The request must normally reach the Swedish Social Insurance Agency within two months of the date on which you received the decision. A reconsidered decision can be appealed to the administrative court.
Let a lawyer contact you
Tell us briefly about your situation, and we’ll get back to you within one business day to schedule a video consultation.