Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (H) says Nav does not expect to be up to date with the payment of unemployment benefits until the end of July.
In the oral questioning session at Parliament on Wednesday, Isaksen could tell that Nav has doubled its processing capacity. But at the same time, during one week in March, more than a hundred times more applications for unemployment benefits were submitted than in a normal week.
The consequence is, according to Isaksen, that Nav expects to be up to date with payouts for unemployment benefit only by the end of July.
At the same time, a new wage compensation scheme will be introduced. This is scheduled to come into place in the first half of June, and payments may then be made within a few days when employers submit claims.
The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs provided the information in response to a question from Labor leader Jonas Gahr Støre. He pointed out that many people who have been laid off are still waiting for money and have ended up in very vulnerable situations.
“They are not get paid money, while the rent, kindergarten, and electricity bills continue to come in,” Støre said.
Isaksen pointed out that in a few months Norway has reached 450,000 laid-off and unemployed, and that Nav has been tested to the limit.
“We are in a very, very serious crisis,” he said.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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