Given Norway is known for its strong welfare state, it’s no surprise that there are safety nets available for those who are unable to work due to disability.

Those whose ability to work has been reduced by at least 50 percent due to an illness or injury may be entitled to a disability benefit.

The benefit can be paid out in two different ways: either as a “minimum” amount that is adjusted depending on your situation or 66 percent of your pensionable income in the best three years of the last five before you were unable to work.

More information on how the benefit works can be found on the website of the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration(NAV).

Norway’s disability benefit, therefore, acts as a lifeline for those who can no longer work due to disability.

However, the way the system works means some foreigners can be locked out of applying altogether.

What are the potential issues for foreigners?

To be eligible for disability benefits, the applicant must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least five years.

This means newer arrivals to Norway can be locked out of applying for the benefit altogether should they become disabled after living in the country for a few years.

“It’s reasonable to require five years of insurance before disability, with exceptions for breaks in coverage, younger individuals, or prior insurance periods,” Ellen Bakken, state secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Inclusion, told The Local. A state secretary is roughly equivalent to a junior minister in other countries.

“We believe it’s fair to require some insurance period in Norway before qualifying for disability benefits, with adjustments based on the length of insurance,” she added.

Eligible applicants receive up to 66 percent of their average salary, or any other income that allows for pension contributions to be made, in the five years before they were unable to work.

The three highest earning years are used to calculate the average. However, there is a cap on the income that is calculated.

NAV caps the earnings to calculate disability benefits to six times the national insurance basic amount, which is currently 744,168 kroner. Therefore, disability benefits in Norway can be up to 491,150 kroner per year at the time of writing.

Applicants must also have accumulated enough membership years in the National Insurance Scheme to receive the full 66 percent of previous income. If they do not have enough membership years, then payments are downscaled to reflect this. 

To receive the full payment, you must have been a of the National Insurance Scheme for 40 years. NAV will use actual years you have been a member of the scheme and theoretical future years up to the age of 66.

Those who haven’t lived in Norway for four-fifths of their lives after turning 16 will have the number of theoretical years reduced by four-fifths of the time between turning 16 and becoming disabled. 

More information on how NAV calculates the National Insurance Scheme period can be found in its regulations, but essentially the rules make it hard for foreigners to reach the number of years required to receive the full benefit – meaning they receive reduced payments. 

Applicants without an income can apply for a minimum payment, which will also depend on their membership in the National Insurance Scheme.

At the time of writing, NAV’s minimum rate for somebody with enough years in the National Insurance Scheme is between 288,000 and 313,000 kroner. Young disabled people receive a higher minimum disability benefit rate.

Should you not have enough years when applying for the minimum amount, then your benefit payment will be downscaled. 

For foreigners in Norway, this means that they must have earned over 501,000 kroner per year and meet the minimum insurance scheme membership requirements before they became disabled to receive the equivalent of the minimum amount via the income rules – provided they have enough membership years.

When asked by The Local whether the current disability benefit scheme punished those with the lowest incomes, Bakken said that the government’s priority was to get more people into work.

“The most important thing we can do to prepare Norway for the future is to get more people into work and fewer on benefits,” she said.

“Work is beneficial for the individual and necessary for society. It provides an income to live on and a sense of belonging. Work promotes equality, integration, reduces inequality, and combats poverty. It finances our welfare system,” the state secretary added.

Furthermore, the state secretary told The Local that there were no plans to change the country’s disability benefit rules.

“At the moment we have no plans to propose changes in rules on the disability benefit,” Bakken said.

What happens if you aren’t eligible for disability benefits?

If you aren’t covered by Norway’s disability scheme, there are several alternative options.

Firstly, you may be eligible to receive welfare payments from your home country to Norway—however, this will not be the case for everyone, and how much you will receive will depend on your country’s rules and whether it has an agreement in place with Norway.

Should you have private health insurance or disability insurance, then you could also potentially receive a payout in the event you can no longer work. Still, disability insurance policies in Norway are only typically intended to top up disability benefits rather than cover the full lost income.

Finally, there have been cases of NAV paying financial assistance (økonomisk sosialhjelp) to those locked out of the scheme. These payments are only supposed to be a short-term measure and cover the essentials for a short time.