– There is a huge increase in social assistance payments in Lillestrøm municipality, says mayor Kjartan Berland (H). Lillestrøm is located directly east of Oslo. The municipality had just over 94,000 inhabitants at the turn of the year and the number of inhabitants is growing rapidly. – There is an increase of around 50 per cent from 2022 to 2023, continues the Conservative mayor. Kjartan Berland (H), mayor of Lillestrøm Photo: Olav Juven / news – It is quite clear that this is something we must find the cause of, says Berland. – Hits the municipal budget The capital Oslo is also experiencing a sharp increase. There, social councilor Julianne Ferskaug (V) says that payments for social assistance increased by almost half a billion last year. The payments reached NOK 1.86 billion in Oslo last year. – That is 444 million more than in 2022. It hits the municipal budget, says Ferskaug. She points to more expensive interest rates, increased prices for people and high housing costs in Oslo as important reasons, in addition to refugees. Julianne Ferskaug (V), social council in Oslo Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news – Oslo has taken in 4,000 refugees in two years. We also see that in our social assistance payments. news has also spoken to NAV in Drammen and Fredrikstad. In Fredrikstad, social security payments increased by 19 per cent last year. In Drammen with 27 per cent. According to Nav Drammen, the trend has continued into 2024. Minister of Labor and Inclusion Tonje Brenna (Ap) Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB – Much to be gained for the municipalities Minister of Labor and Inclusion Tonje Brenna (Ap) is not surprised that the payments for social assistance increases sharply. She points to the municipalities themselves having a job to do. – There are many municipalities that work very well to get more people into work. Also newly arrived refugees. So I still think we have a lot to do, even though many thousands of people have come to work in Norway in recent years. And here I think there is a lot to gain for the municipalities. Both with a view to people becoming better integrated and fending for themselves, but also when it comes to the fact that it directly provides savings on municipal budgets. 16 per cent more people who receive The increases in payments are due to both the increase in payments to each individual recipient and the fact that there are more recipients. The latter is particularly linked to the fact that many refugees have arrived from Ukraine. Nav has conducted a survey of the 12 most populous municipalities in the country. The survey shows that 16 per cent more people received social assistance last year than the year before. Nav CEO Hans Christian Holte tells about the high traffic at the nav offices. Photo: Trond Lydersen – Nav feels quite a lot of pressure in the office now, says Nav director Hans Christian Holte. – Ukrainian displaced persons are an important part of it. It is also still the case that many people are in financial trouble in Norway today. The animal age is not gone, Holte continues. Children’s requirements Hub offices have also received orders from the Norwegian Health Authority to have an increased focus on children’s needs. – It is like that Nav will look for the opportunity to ensure that the children in a family experience a full-fledged good life, says Nav boss Hote. The Norwegian Health Authority has produced a guide for Nav offices. It says, among other things: “The Nav office must carry out a comprehensive survey of the family’s situation, where the needs of each individual family member must be examined. The Nav office must survey the family’s material needs with a view to ensuring that the children have the opportunity to participate in the same social arenas as children of the same age where they live.” – Then both holidays and other conditions can be considered in such a context, says Holte. Increased expectations In the survey conducted by Nav itself, they also point to the signals the government has given: “The last challenge is that the authorities encourage people who are struggling to contact NAV. On the one hand, the calls lead to expectations that everyone can get help. Those who are rejected can become frustrated and angry. The call leads to extra pressure on the NAV offices,” writes Nav’s own researchers. – I think it is the right message to give, says hub boss Holte now. Labor Minister Brenna agrees. – I think it is a positive thing that people know where to turn. I will continue to encourage people to go to Nav if they need help, says Brenna. In Oslo, social welfare council Ferskaug sees the increased payments primarily as a sign that many people are struggling. – I am also very happy that we have a system in Norway that means that when you have financial problems, you can take revenge on Nav, that we have that safety net, says Ferskaug.
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– Increase of around 50 per cent – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
