Pleiepenger - when will NAV pay for caring for a child or loved one?
Do you need to reduce your working hours because your child requires constant supervision? Are you caring for a seriously ill adult or a loved one in the final stage of life? In such situations, you may be eligible for a benefit known as pleiepenger.
In this article, we explain the conditions a caregiver must meet, when the patient's condition qualifies for payment, how much NAV can pay in 2026, and how to prepare an application and medical documentation.
What is pleiepenger and what conditions must the caregiver meet?
Pleiepenger is a benefit from NAV that replaces income lost due to providing care. Its legal basis is Chapter 9 of the Norwegian National Insurance Act.
The benefit covers three main situations:
| Person requiring care | Main condition | Basic time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Child under 18 | Illness, injury or congenital condition creates a need for continuous supervision and care | No general limit, as long as the conditions are met and the child is under 18 |
| Person over 18 with an intellectual disability | A very serious illness or injury requires intensive care | No general limit, as long as all conditions are met |
| Loved one in the final stage of life | Private care is provided at home | A total of 60 benefit days per patient |
Regardless of the type of care, you must generally:
- be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme,
- be under 70 years of age,
- have worked for at least 4 weeks immediately before the start of care,
- lose income due to absence from work,
- reduce your working hours or income by at least 20%,
- earn income equivalent to at least 0.5 G, which after rounding is NOK 68,275 per year in 2026.
The work period may include, among other things, periods during which you received sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, parental benefit, pregnancy benefit and certain care benefits. Exceptions also apply to specific statutory leave periods and unpaid parental leave lasting up to 12 months.
Membership in the Norwegian system is not confirmed simply by citizenship, registered residence or paying tax. Your place of residence, employment and EEA rules are particularly relevant. This is especially important if you live in Poland, work in Norway or provide care outside Norway.
When will NAV pay the benefit for care?
When you care for a sick child
A child under 18 must, because of illness, injury or a congenital condition, need continuous supervision and care beyond the ordinary needs of a healthy child of the same age. There is no closed list of diagnoses. A physical or mental illness, injury or congenital condition may be relevant, and a formal diagnosis is not always required.
The need for care must be continuous. Occasional help with administering medication, transport or a specific procedure is usually not enough. If the child is in hospital, you are generally entitled to the benefit if you need to be absent from work to accompany them. This also applies to certain forms of home treatment where the child formally remains a hospital patient.
The caregiver may be a parent, foster parent, stepfather, stepmother or another person who is genuinely involved in the child's regular care.
The application requires a certificate from a hospital doctor or a doctor in the specialist health service. The document should describe:
- the child's health condition,
- the extent of supervision required,
- the caregiver's tasks,
- the expected duration of care,
- the need for two caregivers to be present at the same time, if applicable.
For a typical infection, stomach flu or a short-term illness treated only by a GP, paid care days are usually used. We discuss their rules in the article How many days off are you entitled to for a sick child in Norway?
Parents share a maximum of 100% of the benefit, for example 60% and 40%. NAV may grant a total of up to 200% if the child is in hospital or their condition requires two people to be present at the same time. The need for two caregivers must be documented medically.
Pleiepenger can be combined with part-time work. The amount of the benefit depends, among other things, on the number of hours worked and the time the child regularly spends at school, kindergarten or a care facility. Time spent at an institution is compared with a 37.5-hour working week. If regular institutional care exceeds 80% of a normal week, the benefit is generally not paid.
An exception may apply where the child's illness requires night-time monitoring or the caregiver's constant availability. In that case, the child's time at an institution does not necessarily reduce the payment.
When you care for an adult with an intellectual disability
For a person over 18, all of the following conditions must be met at the same time:
- the person has an intellectual disability,
- they suffer from a life-threatening or other very serious illness, or have sustained a severe injury,
- they require such intensive care that they cannot be left alone,
- they have received treatment or remain under the care of a hospital or the specialist health service.
The application may be submitted by anyone who actually provides care, for example a parent, adult sibling, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle or close friend. There is no general time limit if the medical and employment conditions continue to be met.
When you care for a loved one in the final stage of life
A loved one may be a family member, partner, friend, neighbour or another person with whom the patient has a close relationship. The degree of kinship does not determine entitlement to the benefit.
The patient must be in the final stage of life, where the expected remaining lifespan is usually limited to weeks or months. An incurable illness alone, or dependence on help from others, is not sufficient if this stage has not yet been reached.
Care must be provided privately at home. A stay in hospital or a nursing home excludes payment for that period because care is then provided by the facility's staff.
A total of 60 benefit days is available per patient. This is a shared pool for all caregivers. A maximum of two people may receive the benefit at the same time. If both receive 100%, two days are used from the shared pool each day, so each of them can receive a maximum of 30 days.
The days do not have to be consecutive. You can work part-time and spread the benefit over a longer period. A certificate from the doctor or facility treating the patient is required to confirm the final stage of life. The same document may be used by several caregivers.
How much is pleiepenger in 2026?
Pleiepenger is generally 100% of the calculated income basis, up to a maximum of 6 G. From 1 May 2026, 1 G is NOK 136,549, so the maximum annual basis for the benefit is NOK 819,294. You can read more about the significance of this amount in the article The G base amount in Norway in 2026 - impact on benefits and pensions.
Income above 6 G is not compensated. The maximum theoretical rate is approximately NOK 3,151 gross per day, as the annual basis is divided by 260 days. The benefit is paid for five days a week, excluding Saturdays and Sundays.
| Employment situation | How is the basis calculated? |
|---|---|
| Employee | Usually based on average income from the last three full calendar months |
| Employment shorter than three months | Based on income from the actual period of employment |
| Self-employed person with an ENK | Usually based on average income from the last three completed tax years |
| Freelancer | Usually based on average income from the last three calendar months |
If an employee's income from the last three months, converted to an annual amount, differs from their annual income by more than 25%, NAV assesses which figure better reflects the current situation. A more representative income may also be used for a new business or a permanent change in employment circumstances.
With part-time work, the benefit is reduced proportionately. However, you must reduce your work activity by at least 20%. If you work 80% of normal hours, you can receive a maximum of 20% pleiepenger, provided the other conditions are met.
Pleiepenger is taxable. The benefit is not paid during formal annual leave, so you must inform NAV about your holiday.
NAV calculates feriepenger at 10.2%, but only on the basis for the first 12 weeks of combined receipt of pleiepenger and training benefit during a calendar year. Feriepenger is usually paid in May of the following year. We discuss the general rules for holiday pay separately in the article Feriepenger - key rights and rules.
How do you apply and which documents should you prepare?
You submit your application electronically to NAV. The standard deadline is 3 months from the start of the period for which you want to receive payment. Applying later may result in losing payment for earlier months.
A certificate concerning a child or an adult with an intellectual disability must be issued by a hospital doctor or the specialist health service. When caring for a person in the final stage of life, the document is issued by a doctor or the facility treating the patient.
The employer submits an inntektsmelding (income statement):
- with the first application,
- after a break in receiving the benefit lasting at least 4 weeks,
- after a shorter break, if income has changed.
When caring for a person in the final stage of life, one application may cover a maximum of 14 days ahead. A further period requires another application.
Your employer may continue paying your salary and receive reimbursement from NAV, but there is no general statutory obligation to fund the salary in advance. Such an obligation may arise from a collective agreement, internal regulations or an employment contract. If the employer does not pay your salary, NAV pays the benefit directly to you.
When you are granted pleiepenger, you have a statutory right to be absent from work. The employer may receive confirmation that the application has been submitted, but should not demand the full decision containing sensitive medical information.
According to processing times current on 8 October 2026, the estimated processing time was:
| Type of case | Estimated processing time |
|---|---|
| Care for a sick child | Approximately 8 weeks |
| Care for a person over 18 with an intellectual disability | Approximately 8 weeks |
| Care for a person in the final stage of life | Approximately 5 weeks |
| Case with an international element | Approximately 6 months |
Regular payment is made by the 25th day of the month. If the decision is issued before the 15th day of the month, the money should be paid by the 25th day of that same month. If the decision is issued later or covers a retroactive period, payment usually reaches your account within approximately 5 days.
You must promptly report to NAV, among other things:
- an increase or reduction in working hours,
- a change in income or employment relationship,
- the start of annual leave,
- a change in the child's time spent at school or in a facility,
- another person taking over part of the care,
- the patient's admission to hospital or a nursing home,
- travel outside the EEA,
- an earlier end to care.
FAQ - frequently asked questions
Summary
- Pleiepenger replaces income lost while caring for a seriously ill child, a specified adult with an intellectual disability or a loved one in the final stage of life.
- You generally need to reduce your work by at least 20%, meet the income requirement of NOK 68,275 per year and be covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
- The benefit amounts to up to 100% of the basis, capped at NOK 819,294 per year, and the theoretical maximum daily rate in 2026 is approximately NOK 3,151 gross.
- The application generally must be submitted within 3 months, and a correct medical certificate is the basis of the case.
If you need help applying for pleiepenger, call us: +47 21 38 38 21. We help Poles in Norway organise their benefit matters.
Article author: Marcin - marcin@efirma.no
