Appeals storm around unemployment insurance

CompaniesTau in Rogaland county.Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A large number of unemployed and laid-off workers in Rogaland are unhappy after being denied payments on their unemployment insurance.

– There has been a high demand. I’ve got between 30 and 40 emails from members and also many phone calls, says Torbjørn Teigland of the department in procedures with the trade union Industri Energi, to newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad.

The basis for most rejections is a point in the insurance agreement with Sparebank 1 that compensation is not paid if the policyholder “had reason to expect imminent unemployment / layoffs.”
– They are so vague that you almost would get denied if you had dreamed of unemployment while you slept, says Teigland. He believes that when so many are rejected, it is legitimate to question whether this is insurance or just collecting money.

Sparebank 1 say they now want to change the terms to make it easier for customers to understand. According to the bank these happened due to the fact that workers have waited too long to start buying insurance.

– Insurance is to cover things that happen suddenly and unexpectedly. You can not insure your house after it has begun to burn, said communications manager Silje Linnerud Naess.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today