Fewer receive cash support in Oslo

NAV office, where unemployed and job seekers goes for support.NAV. Photo: Norway Today Media

The recipients of cash support have been reduced by 30% in Oslo over the past three years according to recent figures from Nav.

Last year, 1,610 families in Oslo received cash support, compared to 2,483 families in 2015.

‘’The cash support figures are going in the right direction. Never have so few received cash support in Oslo, at the same time we have never had more children in kindergarten.

This shows that the city council’s policies give results’’ said city council leader, Raymond Johansen of Arbeiderpartiet (AP).

At the same time, there are still large differences between the districts in Oslo. The share of cash support is on average around 10% in the outer western districts and over 35% in the outer eastern districts.

‘’Cash support, especially, keeps women away from working life and children in kindergarten age away from the kindergarten community. It is an important reason why many children do
not know enough Norwegian when they start school. Cash support should have been removed.

We have applied to remove it in selected districts, but received a rejection from the government’’ said Johansen.

Historically, Oslo has been the county with the most cash beneficiaries, but the trend was broken for the first time in 2018. Now Rogaland county has the most recipients of cash benefits.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today