Last year, Nav paid out NOK 430 billion to people living in Norway. Almost half of the population receives a benefit from Nav at least once a year.
Old-age pensions accounts for half of Nav’s payments.
Payments for the old-age pension increased by 5% from 2017, while disability benefits increased by 6%. Cash support payments increased by 3%.
Payments for unemployment benefits were, however, reduced by 21% last year, and work-related benefits were reduced by 5% compared with 2017.
Worrying increase
‘’Nav manages huge sums on behalf of the community, and these statistics provide an overall picture of developments in our areas. It shows that the labour market is improving, but that at the same time we have an ageing population and a worrying increase in disability benefits’’ said Sigrun Vågeng, Director of Labour and Welfare.
On average, each citizen in Norway received NOK 81,200 from Nav in 2018. This is approximately NOK 1,000 more than the year before.
976,000 persons received a total of NOK 217 billion in retirement pensions.
NOK 14.6 billion was paid to 721,000 recipients of child benefit, and 495,000 Norwegians received a total of NOK 39.3 billion in sick pay.
More at work
Disbursements for disability benefits and occupational injuries amounted to NOK 86.3 billion to 369,500 persons.
‘’Every third person of working age in Norway received a payment from Nav at some point during 2018. We are privileged to live in a country where the community can assist individuals who need help, but there is little doubt that we must get more people into work in the years to come to be able to maintain the current welfare level’’ Vågeng said.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today