Last autumn, Nav demanded that Guri Anne Egge repay the disability benefit she had received for the months before she moved up from 50 per cent to 100 per cent position. The social security she received for the three months before the escalation had to be paid back, Nav said. The rule is that disability benefits are calculated on an annual basis. And with full salary April-December 2021, Egge had burned too much that calendar year to be able to keep the social security she had received in January-March Nav and the government called it “stiff-legged” and “unreasonable” The whole Storting – from Raudt to Frp, and including the government party The Labor Party and the Center Party – reacted when news told her story. Nav director Hans Christian Holte himself characterized the rules as “a bit rigid”. – Yes, this is unreasonable, said Labor and Inclusion Minister Marte Mjøs Persen (Ap) in January. The ministry determined that there is also room for discretion in the current regulations. In December (pictured), Egge laughed at what she called Nav’s “stupid” repayment claim. Now she can smile after Nav finally gave her support. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Nav nevertheless stood firm in complaining about the repayment claim. In May, she finally got a response from Nav, which rejected her complaint. – Nav does not follow up on my complaint. It is very special that they choose not to show discretion when a collective political Norway thinks this is a rule error that must be corrected. That’s what Egge told news at the beginning of June. Nav wrote in the rejection that they have not found grounds to change the decision. – Then I don’t quite know how to help them! For me and everyone else, it’s quite obvious, she laughs dejectedly. In May, Nav rejected the complaint from Egge. When news got in touch a month later, Nav turned around and accepted her complaint. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news The government: – Shouldn’t have to pay back news has asked the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion to comment on Nav’s refusal. State Secretary Tomas Norvoll writes: “Disabled people who manage to return to working life should not have to pay back the disability benefits they received before they started working.” He also writes: “The Storting has asked the government to come back with proposals that will ensure that this group will not receive unreasonable repayment demands. The government is in the process of following up on the case.” The rejection from Nav was automatically passed on to Nav’s own complaints committee, and Egge had an encouragement for them: – There is no shame in turning around. Nav explains the refusal But regardless of what the politicians have said they will do, Nav says that it is still the old rules that apply. – There have been no rule changes this year. We assess all cases based on the regulations that apply at any given time, including this case. This is explained by department director Heidi Kvaal Djupvik. And the rule is clear: Discretion and exceptions only apply to those on disability benefits who try out for work – what is called a ‘work trial’ in the regulations. Nor can you get such an exception two calendar years after each other. – Egge’s complaint was rejected because we assumed that her work trial started on 1 January. Thus, there were no months that year that she could try her hand at a job for which she could retain disability benefits, says Djupvik. Department director Heidi Kvaal Djupvik at Nav admits that Nav was too strict when Egge had to pay back old disability benefits when she started working full-time. Photo: Magnus Iversen / news Egge gets the happy news that Nav is turning But then the case takes a surprising turn. – We see that this seems somewhat unreasonable, says Djupvik in the interview with news. She then comes with a happy message to Egge. On the same day that Djupvik appears for an interview, Nav’s complaints committee has reversed the case, and now supports the complaint. – This means that Egge will be able to keep the disability benefits that she received in the months before she started working full-time. – So have they been too strict? – We can see in retrospect that the discretion here has been somewhat too strict at first treatment, yes. We have now assumed that the work trial started on 1 April, not 1 January. Djupvik confirms that the inquiry from news contributed to the appeals board making its decision. – Yes, the interview agreement I had with news contributed to the case being completed. Egge’s case was checked in connection with the interview, and then it was naturally processed at the same time. The interview agreement had no effect on the outcome of the complaint. Nav: – A special case So it is useful for Egge to complain, but Djupvik says that this does not necessarily mean that others avoid paying back the disability benefits they received before they started full time work. – I always make an individual assessment. Egge’s case is something special. It is rare that someone who has 100 per cent disability benefit starts at 50 per cent at the beginning of a year, and within a few months increases to 100 per cent. This makes the discretionary assessment somewhat more complicated. Egge works at Medvind, a company that provides user-controlled personal assistants (BPA) for people with a great need for help. She is also regional manager of Norway’s Handikapforbund Sørwest. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Egge: – Fair and just Guri Anne Egge is happy that Nav has now dropped the repayment requirement. – I had to allow myself to be a little optimistic. Now I hope that others will avoid being financially punished in order to manage to get out into working life. Because this is not just about me. And I hope that Nav did not turn around because news made contact. Furthermore, she is upset that Nav skriv is so complicated. – It is very difficult to understand what is written, both in the rejection and the support. After all, they just have to get on with their complicated regulations. I am not so concerned with the details of their foundation. The important thing is what is right and fair. But it will then be necessary to formulate ourselves more clearly to us users, Egge believes.
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Nav demanded back disability benefits when Guri Anne got a full-time job – turned right before the news interview – news Vestland
