Foreldrepenger – parental benefit

Foreldrepenger

Parental benefits

Parental benefit is intended to replace income while staying at home with a child.

1.Award criteria

1.1 Requirements

There are 3 requirements you must meet to receive benefits:

• have worked in Norway in 6 of the last 10 months
• achieve a minimum income of at least 0,5 G, i.e. NOK 59
• live in Norway (or be a member of the Norwegian social security system)

1.2 What counts as income?

Income also includes income from the following benefits:

• sykepenger (sickness)
• pleiepenger (care)
• arbeidsavklaringspenger (rehabilitation)
• svangerskapspenger (pregnancy)
• dagpenger (for the unemployed)
• opplæringspenger (training)
• as well as previously granted foreldrepenger

And also income from:

• work from another EEA country
• remuneration for officials and civil servants who are dismissed due to resignation or loss of job (ventelønn)
• severance pay (sluttpakke)
• remuneration from the employer during further or continuing education

1.3 Who is a member of the Norwegian social security system? 

We have been paying contributions for 1 month while working, so after this period of work in Norway we are entitled to the benefit because we become a member of the Norwegian social security system.

It is worth noting that working in Norway does not always mean meeting this rule. If we are, for example, employees delegated to work in Norway, and our employer settles his/her tax in Poland, then we are automatically members of the Polish system and are entitled to only Polish benefits.

1.4 Foreldrepenger, a engangsstønad

Downloading the barrel (engangsstønad) excludes subsequent downloading of foreldrepenger.

2. Length of the benefit

2.1 General rules

When applying for parental benefit, you decide on the length of the benefit period. The choice made in the mother's application also applies to the father or partner and cannot be changed later. The duration of the benefit depends on whether both parents are entitled to parental benefit. The following combinations are possible:

• both father and mother are entitled to benefits
• only the mother is entitled to benefits
• only the father is entitled to benefits
• single parent (can be either mother or father)
• homosexual couples (mother with partner / father with partner)

In some cases, the mother is required to be active by meeting one of the following conditions:

• work at least 75% of the time
• take up full-time education
• combine education with work that together becomes full-time
• be completely dependent on help to care for your child due to illness
• participate in the qualification program
• attend a full-time induction program for newly arrived immigrants

The period of parental benefit consists of maternity benefit (mødrekvoten), paternity benefit (fedrekvoten) and a common period that can be divided (fellesperioden). The benefit can be collected in the form of 80% (the period is then extended) or 100% of the rate (the period is then shorter). You can also plan the entire period freely, sticking only to general deadlines. However, any planned change must be reported to NAV in advance.

2.2 Both father and mother are entitled to benefits

Mother – 3 weeks (before giving birth) +15 weeks at 100% of the rate or 19 weeks at 80% of the rate
The first 6 weeks must be used immediately after delivery, the remaining 9 weeks can be used later.

+ Father – 15 weeks 100% of the rate or 19 weeks 80% of the rate
it doesn't matter what the mother is doing at that time

+ Shared period – 16 weeks 100% of the rate or 18 weeks 80% of the rate (can be divided between parents at their discretion)
requirement for the mother to be active if the father is to receive the benefit

In some cases it also exists you can start receiving benefits 12 weeks before giving birth, but then the common period will be reduced.

2.3 Only the mother is entitled to benefits

3 weeks (before giving birth) +46 weeks at 100% of the rate or 56 weeks at 80% of the rate

2.4 Only the father is entitled to benefits

Only the father is entitled to benefits
A common situation among Poles in Norway. Receiving the benefit is also possible when the mother stays with the child in Poland.

40 weeks at 100% of the rate or 50 weeks at 80% of the rate
On the first day of the 7th week after the birth of the child, the period begins when the father can receive paternity benefit. However, if the mother is entitled to maternity leave, she must use at least 14 weeks (due to ZUS requirements), so the father can use his Norwegian period only after this time at the earliest.

If the mother is not entitled to maternity leave in Poland, she must meet the activity requirement.

2.5 Single parent 

It can be either the mother or the father

– single mother – 3 weeks (before giving birth) +46 weeks with 100% of the rate (49 weeks in total)
and/ or 3 weeks (before birth) +56 weeks at 80% of the rate (total 59 weeks)

– single father – 46 weeks at 100% of the rate or 56 weeks at 80% of the rate

2.6 Homosexual couples 

mother with partner / father with partner

Mother + Mother

Mother – 3 weeks (before giving birth) +15 weeks at 100% of the rate or 19 weeks at 80% of the rate
The first 6 weeks must be used immediately after delivery, the remaining 9 weeks can be used later.

+ co-mother – 15 weeks at 100% of the rate or 19 weeks at 80% of the rate (you can start collecting benefits 7 weeks after giving birth or later, but you must apply no later than just before the end of the joint period or apply for a deferral)
it doesn't matter what the mother is doing at that time

+ Shared period – 16 weeks 100% of the rate or 18 weeks 80% of the rate (can be divided between parents at their discretion)
requirement for the mother to be active if the father is to receive the benefit

Father + father

Father 1 – 15 weeks at 100% of the rate or 19 weeks at 80% of the rate
it doesn't matter what the father does 2

Father 2 -15 weeks at 100% of the rate or 19 weeks at 80% of the rate
it doesn't matter what the father does 1

Common period – 16 weeks 100% of the rate or 18 weeks 80% of the rate
requirement for father's activity (on the same principle as mother's activity)

The child's biological father receives all period of parental benefit as a father 1. The second father can receive parental benefit if he adopts a stepchild. Paternity as a biological father must be confirmed in Norway in order to receive parental benefits. If the child is adopted and neither of the fathers is the biological father, you can choose which father will be the father 1.

After 6 weeks, you can suspend benefit receipt (after submitting the appropriate application). application) and use them at any time within 3 years. In some cases, you can suspend your benefit immediately  7. Working and receiving benefits at the same time

3.Atypical situations

3.1 Gemini

In the event of the birth of twins, you receive additional ones 17 weeks at 100% of the rate or 21 weeks at 80% of the rate.

3.2 Multiples

In the case of multiples, you receive additional ones 46 weeks at 100% of the rate or 56 weeks at 80% of the rate

3.3 Premature babies

If the baby is born before the 33rd week of pregnancy, the period of parental benefit is extended by the same number of weeks for the normal length of pregnancy. The length of the extended period is independent of the number of children. The rule applies whether you receive 80% or 100% of the benefit.

3.4 Stillbirth 

Mothers who have given birth to a stillborn child will be entitled to 30 days of foreldrepenger or, if they have not earned the right to this benefit, to engangsstønad if the birth occurs in the 22nd week of pregnancy or later.

4.Amount of benefit 

4.1 General rules

The parental allowance is intended to cover your usual income up to NOK 638 (six times the basic amount G). 

Parental benefit is usually calculated on the basis of your average income in the last 3 calendar months before the start of the period of parental benefit. This applies to both permanently employed people and people with different periods of work or income. If there is a difference of more than 25% between your annual income and your income over the last 3 months, consideration will be given to which income is most representative in your situation.

• if the employment lasted less than 3 months, parental benefit should be calculated based on the income you earned during the period in which you were employed. The income is then converted into a monthly average.
• in the event of a holiday or a short period of unpaid leave income is set at the level you would normally have if you worked normally.
• if the employment is terminated before the parental benefit period begins and no other job has been taken up, parental benefit is calculated on the basis of income in the last 3 months before the termination of the employment relationship.
• in the case of a full-time employee, with simultaneous income from being a freelancer, the income should be calculated separately and summed into one amount. If the total income exceeds six times the basic amount, the employee's income is used as the basis for the calculation.
• If you are both an employee and a business person self-employed, parental benefit is calculated on the basis of both incomes. Income from full-time employment is used first.
• If your average income in the last three completed years is higher than your earnings and the earned income does not exceed six times the basic amount, the difference is paid as business income. After withdrawal, the income is always covered up to six times the basic amount.

4.2 Revenues included in rate calculations

• salary and benefit income equal to salary income
• bonuses/additions resulting from own workload
• benefits received in a form other than money if they are lost during parental leave, e.g. free company car, telephone, internet

4.3 Receipts not included in rate calculation

• overtime pay
• holidayspenger
• allowances covering work-related expenses, such as dietary allowance, car allowance, tool allowance

5.When should I submit my application?

5.1 NAV Recommendation

Due to the time it takes for NAV to process your application, it is recommended to apply 4-6 weeks before you plan to start receiving benefits. 

We can receive a response to the application no sooner than 4 weeks before the planned benefit collection.

5.2 Mother

You must submit your application no later than 3 months after the beginning of your parental benefit period, because submitting an application after 3 months from that moment means that you will start losing the days you are entitled to.

5.3 Father or partner

They can apply for parental benefits at the earliest when the child is born. The exception is when the mother is sick, hospitalized or in a health care facility.

The application must be submitted no later than the day on which the mother has her last day of parental benefit. If you apply later, you will receive correspondingly fewer days of benefit.

6. Vacation/holidays

The employee is entitled to holiday pay while receiving parental benefit. If the employer pays wages during the holiday, the holiday pay is paid to the employer. Holiday pay is 10,2% of the amount paid in the first 12 or 15 weeks of the benefit period, before tax.

7. Working and receiving benefits at the same time

7.1 General rules

You can combine receiving benefits and working. You can choose between:

• full-time work and postpone the period of parental benefit
• part-time work and thus extend the period of parental benefit

In this case, the rate decreases depending on how much you work, and at the same time the duration of the benefit payment increases accordingly. 

I.e. working 80% of the time we receive 20% of the benefit. This means that benefit payments take longer because we have used fewer weeks from the pool. 

Importantly, the number of hours worked per month must correspond to the declared percentage. This means that there can be neither fewer nor more hours. If for various reasons the number of hours is different, you may need to sign a new contract or draw up an annex to the contract. This is very important because NAV is mainly based on the information in the contract, not on actual operating times.

ATTENTION!!! – in the case of Poles, it is very common that only a father working in Norway is entitled to benefits. Therefore, if the benefit is deferred, the mother must fulfill the obligation to be active (work/study, etc.). 

If we want to postpone the benefit and the mother is not active, the application will most likely be rejected. 

7.2 Both parents staying at home

You can share your time at home and at work from the 7th week after giving birth. The first 6 weeks are always reserved for the mother for medical reasons.

You can combine staying at home with work for some time, you can combine working part-time. For example, the father works part-time and receives 1% of the benefit, the mother also works part-time and receives 2% of the benefit. In this way, the mother simultaneously fulfills the obligation to be active and receives benefits together with the father half of the time.

You can also take paid or unpaid leave and be at home together at the same time. However, unpaid leave is something that is agreed directly with your employer and is not part of your NAV parental benefit period. Unpaid leave may affect your entitlement to other NAV benefits and your entitlement to parental benefits.

According to labor law, a father or "co-mother" is entitled to 2 weeks of leave after the birth of a child. However, this should be agreed with the employer (this leave is not NAV leave, but strictly employee leave).

8. Illness of one of the parents

If one of the parents is ill and cannot care for the child or is admitted to a hospital or health care facility, it is possible to:

• The other parent may take over the period of parental benefit for a sick or hospitalized person
• Anyone who is sick or hospitalized can postpone the period of parental benefit.

You can defer or take over parental benefit due to illness at any time after the birth of your child. During this time, the sick parent may receive sickness benefit.

9. Documentation required 

9.1 Basic documentation

• Before birth - pregnancy card - after the 22nd week of pregnancy, if the pregnancy takes place outside Norway, the card translated into Norwegian or English
• After birth - the child's birth certificate - if the child was born outside Norway and is not present in the Norwegian census, on an EU form or a certificate translated into Norwegian or English
• registration of residence in Norway (registeringbevis) or residence permit (oppholdstillatelse)
• salary slips for the last 6 months worked

9.2 Additional documentation

Depending on the situation: 

• documentation confirming the other parent's return to work or study (if applicable)
• mother's identity document
• other – depending on the applicant's situation (e.g. combining full-time work with business activity, etc.)

10. What next after submitting the application?

After submitting the application, we receive confirmation of the application from NAV. The document must be handed over to the employer, who must then send it to NAV "inntektsmelding", in which he provides information about our earnings. Based on this information, NAV calculates the benefit rate.

After accepting and approving the application, we receive decisions and a benefit payment plan from NAV, which will include all periods. They can be changed or, for example, suspended while receiving the benefit, but each change must be reported to NAV.

11. What does the service include?

The service includes:

• sending the application to NAV along with the necessary documentation (if sent by post, we are not responsible for shipping),
• attaching additional documentation (up to 2 times), further sending of documents/messages regarding the case is subject to a fee (Changing the parental benefit date is subject to an additional fee).

WARNING: The decision to grant the benefit rests with NAV in Norway. The service only covers mediation between you and the office.