You who need personal assistance in everyday life will come directly into contact with a team called LSS. But what does LSS actually mean, what is included in the term, and how does it all work? We will clarify the concepts and also show how you can make sure to use LSS to gain more self-determination?
What does LSS mean?
LSS stands for the Act on support and service for certain disabled persons and is a rights act. It guarantees that you and everyone in Sweden who lives with extensive and permanent disabilities can live with good living conditions and get the help that is needed. The law gives you the right to influence and co-determine the support and service you receive – and has as its goal that you should be able to live your life like everyone else. When we talk about LSS, the designation SFB can also appear, the abbreviation stands for the Social Insurance Code, and previously went under the name LASS (The Act on Assistance Compensation). Nowadays, LASS is part of SFB and the law consists of regulations regarding assistance compensation – who is entitled to it; how the application for assistance support is processed; as well as how decisions on support are processed. The decisions are made by Försäkringskassan and must ensure that everyone has the opportunity for similar conditions in society.
Who is entitled to contributions according to the LSS?
In addition to what you can get through other legislation, LSS is for you who live with autism or with an autism-like condition; a developmental disability of any kind; or with significant and permanent intellectual disabilities after a brain injury in adulthood. LSS is also available for people with permanent physical or mental disabilities that are not due to normal ageing, i.e. for those who are disabled and have extensive needs for support and interventions.
How do I apply for contributions according to the LSS?
You apply in writing to the municipality in which you live. You describe what you need help with and attach the certificates you need to prove it. When you apply, it is important that you have someone who can help you with all aspects of the application – preferably a good lawyer. There are many laws and requirements to keep track of, and it can be difficult to sort out what exactly you need to be able to present the right documentation.
In the application, you must state which group of people you belong to. The three circles of people are:
- Developmental disorder, autism or autism-like condition.
- Significant and permanent intellectual disability in adulthood after acquired brain damage caused by external violence or physical illness. This includes tumours, strokes and traffic injuries.
- Permanent physical or mental impairments that are clearly not due to normal aging. That is, those who cause significant difficulties in daily life and thus create an extensive need for support and service. This includes, among other things, MS, ALS, Parkinson’s, muscle diseases and visual impairments.
This is how LSS is assessed based on your application
The following are some of the assessment criteria that may affect your application:
Duration
Here they look at what your need for help looks like, and make sure that they are not only temporary or quickly transient, but are expected to last for at least three months.
Functional impairment
An assessment is made regarding whether your disability affects your life in areas such as leisure, living and sometimes also work. Habilitation and/or rehabilitation are also included in this category.
Degree of difficulty
Here it is assessed whether you have difficulties with basic tasks and basic needs, such as toileting, hygiene, undressing and dressing, exercise, cooking and eating, communication, movement, and employment.
Need
In order to be entitled to interventions according to LSS, you must have extensive and recurring need for help. Here, it is also assessed how many hours a day you need support, how your impaired function affects everyday situations and other details about you or your problem that are necessary for you to get the help you need.
LSS and own direction
The basic intention with LSS and personal assistance is that you get direct self-determination – not the co-determination you get when you have an assistance coordinator. LSS thus supports the individual’s integrity and respects the choice regarding how the assistance is to be administered. If you have an assistance company, it often stops at co-determination of the efforts that are given, but for those of you who don’t think that is enough, there is thus the chance to run assistance under your own auspices. Even then, you still receive contributions according to LSS, but a completely different self-determination regarding what your support and personal service should look like. You avoid interference from assistance companies and have complete control over your assistance.
Curious to read more about self-directing? Read more practical differences between assistance companies and own management!
How do I get started?
To get started with assistance on your own, there is a lot to think about and which needs to be reported to various authorities. The first thing is that you need to inform the IVO (inspection for care and care) that you are going to start your own organization. After that, all administrative parts must be registered and notified. It might then be a good idea to get help from us at Alberum. We know exactly what needs to be done so that everything happens correctly. It doesn’t have to be complicated to start assistance on your own, especially since we can help you handle all the administrative work and at the same time give you professional support, advice and guidance in the meantime. We give you security under your own auspices – and you avoid an assistance company as an intermediary.
Use the contact form below and we’ll get in touch and tell you more about Alberum and assistance under our own auspices!
