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SOCIAL SECURITY

Norway opposition wants Prime Minister Solberg called to hearing over social security scandal

The opposition Labour Party is to propose Prime Minister Erna Solberg be called to an open hearing on the NAV social security scandal.

Published: 28 November 2019 13:17 CET
Norway opposition wants Prime Minister Solberg called to hearing over social security scandal
Norwegian PM Erna Solberg. File photo: AFP

Eva Kristin Hansen, a Labour representative on parliament’s Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, will present next Tuesday a complete proposal on whom she believes should be convened for the January 9th hearing at the parliamentary committee.

“It is natural to base the hearing on the period going back to 2012 and summon former ministers, especially those responsible for NAV. I also think it would be natural to call in the prime minister,” Hansen told news agency NTB.

Norway's Labour and Welfare Administration, NAV, is embroiled in an ongoing controversy after it incorrectly interpreted EU rules on certain types of social security, resulting in people being wrongly convicted of benefit fraud.

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When the Nav scandal originally came to light, at least 48 people were reported to have been wrongly convicted of benefit fraud after receiving Norwegian social security assistance in other EEA countries, but the number was expected to increase.

“This is a scandal that encompasses several ministries including Justice and Labour. It would therefore be natural for the prime minister to come and answer questions at parliament as well,” Hansen said.

Meanwhile, the control committee will following Tuesday's meeting send new written questions to Solberg, as well as to Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Anniken Hauglie, NTB writes.

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FINANCE

Norway plans to issue holiday pay to people furloughed and unemployed in 2020

Nav, Norway’s public welfare agency, is preparing to issue holiday pay on unemployment benefits before the summer, even though the scheme is yet to be adopted.

Published: 8 April 2021 13:47 CEST
Norway plans to issue holiday pay to people furloughed and unemployed in 2020
Photo by Andrew Neel from Pexels

According to Norwegian employment law, employees have the right to holiday pay  amounting to 10.2 or 12 percent of annual salary from the previous year. Freelancers and independent contractors normally do not.

Under a recently-proposed scheme, people who are eligible will receive 10.2 percent of their unemployment benefits as holiday pay from Nav, the national agency which administers public welfare.

Earlier this year, the ‘green’ and ‘red’ parties on Norway’s left made demands for holiday pay on unemployment benefits for the unemployed and laid-off workers (permittert in Norwegian). Permittering refers to people laid off or furloughed or not working their full hours due to Covid-19 restrictions or their consequences.

The government agreed to part of those demands and presented proposals at the end of March. 

READ MORE: ‘Fellesferie’: What you need to know about holiday pay in Norway

Holiday pay on unemployment benefits is scheduled to be be reviewed again in parliament to smooth over some of the finer details of the proposal. But Nav plans to pay out the holiday before the summer and it should automatically enter your account if you are registered and eligible, the agency has said.

“Nav has initiated work on such a solution, so if it is adopted, it now looks like we will receive payment before the summer holidays,” Nav preparations manager Yngvar Åsholt told trade union news media FriFagbevegelse.

Many people will probably be entitled to holiday pay on unemployment benefits that they received in 2020.

The government’s proposal allows for:

  • Holiday pay on unemployment benefits, calculated at 10.2 percent of paid unemployment benefits during the calculation period.
  • The calculation for payment in 2021 is set for April-December 2020. Only people who received unemployment benefits during this period will be entitled to holiday pay.
  • Only those who were unemployed or laid off for more than eight weeks receive holiday pay.
  • A maximum of 25,000 kroner will be paid in holiday pay. If this limit had not been set, people who were out of work for the entire period could have received up to 33,000 kroner in holiday pay for the period April-December 2020. 
  • Persons who, as of June 8th, 2021, are entitled to four weeks holiday with unemployment benefits, will not receive holiday benefits.
  • Persons who have been laid off for 52 weeks on June 8th or later can both take four weeks holiday with unemployment benefits this summer and receive holiday pay benefits for unemployment benefits.
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