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Parents caught faking child’s illness to take sick leave

It seems parents have been taking full advantage of the welfare benefits system, but not for long!

Sweden has some fairly generous benefits system when it comes to being paid to look after sick kids and it seems parents are taking full advantage.

They’re taking it too far however, as many parents have been caught out cheating the system by faking their child’s sickness so they can dodge work.

The welfare policy includes pay outs of up to 80 per cent of a salary to parents so they can stay at home with their ill child.

Last year there were 530 mums and dads reported to police who were suspected of trying to cheat the system, and in just the first few months of this year, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency filed police reports on 400 parents – 241 of whom are mums.

So far sneaky parents have been asked to dish 32.4 million kronor (AU $5.42 million) in wrongful payouts and damages.

The Social Insurance Agency is doing randomised checks and systematic controls using criteria that point in the direction of potential offenders.

So it’s quite likely parents won’t get away with chucking sickies for their kids whenever they feel like chilling out at home anymore!

Funnily, the agency had one case where a Swedish resident was rejected after trying to get a payout claim for looking after their dog.

Wouldn’t that be the dream?!

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