Former Sweden Democrats Member of Parliament, Margareta Gunsdotter Hayes, is facing criticism from the Riksdag’s remuneration committee for not doing enough to find employment following her departure from the political party in 2015. Hayes, who trained as an Ayurvedic massage therapist, continued to serve in the Riksdag until the end of her term as a self-proclaimed “political savage.”
Under the law, Hayes is entitled to an income guarantee until she reaches the age of 65, which amounts to SEK 28,776 per month meant to aid her transition into a normal working life. However, the Riksdag’s remuneration committee has determined that Hayes has not made sufficient efforts to find a job and has not sought traditional employment since receiving the income guarantee.
In response to the committee’s findings, Hayes took various distance courses, including lymphatic massage, to enhance her skills as an Ayurvedic therapist. She now plans to market her services independently.
It is worth noting that Hayes has not received any additional income since beginning to collect the income guarantee. The remuneration committee has emphasized that the income guarantee is not intended to serve as a permanent livelihood.
As a result of her alleged lack of effort in finding employment, Hayes has been instructed to repay SEK 70,000, equivalent to 20 percent of the income guarantee she received last year.
In an email to Ekot, Hayes expressed her intention to appeal the decision and provide additional information and documents to support her case. She hopes that these additions will clarify her actions for the administration and ultimately lead to a reconsideration of the committee’s decision.
For further inquiries, contact Lova Olsson at lova.olsson@sverigesradio.se.