Many parties reacted to news’s disclosure. Labor and Inclusion Minister Marte Mjøs Persen (Ap) is now commenting for the first time on news’s disclosure of what happens to disabled people who start full time in the middle of the calendar year. – I understand very well that it can be perceived as very unfair to have to pay back previous disability benefits when you have returned to full-time work, says the Minister of Labour. – Do you also agree that it is unreasonable? – Yes. Therefore, I have asked Nav to clarify the practice around this, so that I can get an overview of both the scope and the problem. Then I will see if there is a change in regulations or practice that is needed to resolve this. The Minister of Labour: – Serious matter There is broad political agreement in the Storting on the so-called “work line” – i.e. the goal that as many as possible of those who can work, come to work. Mjøs Persen believes that the repayment requirement for disabled people who get a job is contrary to the “work line”. – Yes. It must always pay to work. It is therefore important to underline the seriousness of this case. It’s really great that disability insurance is coming to work. It’s a win-win for everyone, she says. She says she was not aware of how the regulations work when the disabled get a full-time job. “Everyone” reacted This month, news told about Guri Anne Egge in Bergen and Arne Olav Grønbech Hope in Haugesund. After many years on disability benefits, they have now got a full-time job. Then in the autumn Nav demanded back around NOK 40,000 from each of them. These were payments they had received for the last few months before they stopped receiving disability benefits. The reason is that the law and regulations set a limit on how much one can earn in addition to disability benefit during a calendar year. This does not only apply if you work while you have social security, but also if you stop receiving social security. – Unfair, and a shock, said Egge and Hope. The two are also trustees – respectively regional manager and deputy manager – in Norway’s handicap association Sørvest. In the Storting, the reactions were in unison from both the right and the left: Nav director: – Rigid rules State Secretary Tomas Norvoll (Ap) in the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion points out that Nav both has the right to and should use discretion and not demand repayment in such cases. Nav director Hans Christian Holte thinks it will be shown. – In those cases where it is possible not to have to come up with this repayment claim, I will not do that either. But the requirement is that the transition from social security to work takes place early in the year, he says to news. Holte says that the regulations are “a bit rigid”. – If there are unfortunate consequences of this, it is something that must be assessed politically, quite simply. Nav director Hans Christian Holte says the politicians must consider whether there are unfortunate consequences of the regulations. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Exceptions to claims for repayment of disability benefits According to regulations on disability benefits from the National Insurance Section 4-1, fourth paragraph, the following exceptions apply: “Recovery of too much paid disability benefits can be waived for a person who has had no income or who has had income below the income limit (see Norwegian National Insurance Act § 12-14 first paragraph) at the beginning of the year and then begins work with an annual income that exceeds 80 per cent of income before disability, see Norwegian National Insurance Act § 12-14 third paragraph. It is a condition that this is considered a single work attempt and not repeated year after year.” Source: Ministry of Labor and Inclusion. Not promising a change in the law Last week, deputy leader Kirsti Bergstø of the SV proposed that the Storting ask the government to ensure that disabled people who come to work, “should not receive unreasonable repayment demands for already paid disability benefits”. The party emphasized that the change must not weaken or remove the current free amount. The matter will come up in the labor and social affairs committee over the new year, but the labor minister is all on the ball. – We have to make sure that there is an incentive to work, rather than that it doesn’t pay to work, says Mjøs Persen. – If all the parties that have reacted to the individual cases that news has highlighted, also want to help change the regulations, I have great faith that we will make it happen, says Bergstø. – We ask the government to present a piece of legislation that corrects the unfairness, says deputy leader Kirsti Bergstø in SV. Photo: Fotonorden Handikapforbundet: – Discrimination Birkenes and Egge in the Handikapforbundet are happy that both the government and many political parties are reacting against the current arrangement. – It is very good that this has received so much attention. I feel that the scheme is a mistake, and that no one has really thought through what the consequences are. People must avoid getting a huge bill if they are lucky enough to get paid work, says Egge. Birkenes believes the rules discriminate against the disabled and that Nav has been too passive. – Nav should have notified the ministry when they saw how unreasonable the regulations are. Nav employees have a duty to notify about unintended consequences, he says. . – It is great that the rules that discriminate against the disabled are being addressed, says Arild Birkenes. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news
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– Unfair and unreasonable – news Vestland
