The government restricts aid to unemployed

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Labour and Social Minister, Anniken Hauglie, will tighten the system of work assessment allowance, and impose stricter requirements.

According to VG newspaper, 144,000 Norwegians are on work assessment allowance (AAP), 20 % of whom will return to work without needing to receive any kind of benefit. 33 % will move on to receive disability benefits. Now Høyre political party wish to tighten the scheme, with stringent new requirements to receive such benefit.

‘Through the measures we are taking, we will raise the threshold for entering the AAP scheme, and we will lower the threshold to come out of it’, said Hauglie.

The maximum benefit period will be reduced from four to three years, illness claims will be clarified, and receivers of the benefit must now be willing to seek employment outside the home. The Government also proposes that there be a 12-month waiting period before AAP can be received again.

‘Once again, the government targets the weakest. In a situation where it has created virtually zero new jobs, the government is pushing those who are out of work closer to the edge’, said LO deputy, Hans Christian Gabrielsen.

Arbeiderpartiet deputy leader, Hadia Tajik, says it is pointless to cut the scheme without ensuring jobs to fill the void.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today