A 42-year old Swedish man who visited over 300 rock concerts in a year alone has been granted a disability allowance due to his heavy metal rock addiction.
Roger Tullgren took his music passion to the extreme when he realised that it was no longer allowing him to work normally. The unusual case opened in 2015 when a judge recognized that his addiction was indeed impeding his ability to work and live a normal life and from thereon, the judicial debate has continued.
Heavy metal addict’s claim for disability allowance gained ground with social media post
Media attention was brought to the case when Francisco Trujillo, professor of Labour Law and Social Security at Jaume I University of Castellón and a collaborator with NoticiasTrabajo (News site dedicated to the economy), posted information regarding the case on Linkedin. In the post, it explains how on March 3 2015, the heavy metal world collided with the legal world, a collision that would keep Tullgren waiting almost a decade for an answer.
Disability allowance granted by Swedish law to supplement addiction-related lifestyle
Tullgren stated: I have been waiting 10 years for them to recognise my situation as a disability. I’ve spoken with various psychologists who ascertained that I was indeed a victim of discrimination.” Professor Trujillo outlined how Tullgren had to engage with three psychologists before being equipped with sufficient psychological back-up to be taken seriously. The Swedish courts approved the case and Tullgren was granted a supplement of 400 euros, a part allowance deal which allows him to work part time as kitchen staff and maintain his addiction. It was certified that Tullgren could not sustain a job in the absence of heavy metal music. Following the court case, he has a part time job, where his boss allows him to be kitted out in his favourite hard rock gear and listen to his favourite tracks while he works. At least this way, he can manage his addiction and make it to the end of each month!
