Kontantstøtte – care allowance

Kontantstøtte 

Cash support – care allowance

Support for parents who have a child aged 1 to 2 years* who does not attend nursery, or attends a nursery without state funding, or attends a publicly funded nursery part-time.

In the latter case, the benefit is reduced accordingly according to the percentage of hours worked. 

*from the month in which the child turns 13 months old, until the month in which he or she turns 23 months old.

1. Award criteria

1.1 Requirements

To be entitled to the benefit you must have:

• income in Norway resulting from work, running your own business or receiving other benefits (e.g. sickness benefits) and thus be a member of the social security system in Norway
• membership in the social security system in Norway or another EEA country for 5 years. If a child lives with both parents, both parents must have been members of the social security system for 5 years. (it is also possible to combine periods, e.g. one year in Norway, 4 years in Poland)*
• joint registration with a child aged 1 to 2 years (both Norwegian and Polish addresses are recognized)
• a child who does not have a place in a publicly funded nursery or has one in a limited form

*the combination is any; it is important to document at least 5 years

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

While working, we have been paying contributions for 1 month, so after this period of work in Norway, we are 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.

1.3 Social insurance periods

For this benefit, we must document at least 5 years of contributions in Norway or another EEA (European Economic Area) country. 

List of EEA countries: 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Hungary, Italy.

What qualifies as periods of social security varies from country to country. This could be, for example, where you live, your working periods or both. Please note that only EEA nationals or third-country nationals who are related to an EEA national can add social security time from other EEA countries to their Norwegian social security time. 

1.4 Who can receive benefits?

The child's mother or father:

• if the parents live together, one of them applies
• if the parents live separately, the application is submitted by the parent who permanently lives with the child
• if a written agreement has been concluded to share the child's place of residence, the benefit may be divided between the parents

2.Amount of benefit

2.1 Current amount

The amount of benefit paid depends on the situation - the full rate is DKK 7500 per child.

Depending on the number of hours the child attends a publicly subsidized nursery, the amount of the benefit paid decreases.

The benefit is tax-free.

2.2 Grading of the allowance depending on the number of hours in kindergarten

2.3 Reporting changes

In case of any changes in the number of hours in kindergarten, they must be reported to NAV immediately.

3. How long can you receive the benefit?

You can get the benefit for a maximum of 11 months.

If a child starts a state-subsidized nursery for at least 33 hours a week, the benefit is paid up to and including the month in which the child was assigned (for this number of hours).

The benefit can be repaid up to 3 months back.

The earliest the application can be submitted is in the month in which the child turns one year old.

4. Documentation required 

4.1 Basic documentation

• the child's birth certificate (if he or she was born outside Norway and is not included in the Norwegian population register) on an EU or regular form (in this case we must attach a translation into English or Norwegian)
• applicant's identity document
• registration of the applicant's stay in Norway (registreringsbevis) or residence permit (oppholdstillatelse)
• employment contracts for the period for which we are submitting the application (or other documentation confirming employment in Norway)
• payslips – Lønnsslipp for the entire period for which we are applying for the benefit and an annual income statement from the employer – Lønns og trekkoppgave
• confirmation from another EEA country, e.g. Poland, that we have been covered by the social security system for at least 5 years (if this condition has been met in Norway, confirmation is not needed)

if applicable

• confirmation specifying how many hours a week the child can stay at the kindergarten
• Marriage certificate (if any) on an EU or regular form (in this case we must attach a translation into English or Norwegian)
• identification numbers and home country address for the applicant, child and other parent

4.2 Running their own business

• printout from the Brønnøysund register for your company
• a balance sheet from an accountant for the entire period for which we are applying for the benefit

5.Kontantstøtte and going abroad

If we intend to stay abroad for longer than 3 months, the benefit usually ends one month after leaving Norway.

If your stay takes place within the EEA, you may be entitled to benefits for stays longer than 3 months. This is possible when one of the parents is a seconded employee from Norway for a period of up to 24 months or one of the parents receives a pension from Norway.

We also retain the benefit when we and our family stay abroad for up to 3 months. However, the requirement is that you cannot work during this period.

You must inform NAV which country you intend to travel to and how long your stay will last. If your stay lasts longer than planned, you must also notify the office.

6.Issuing a decision

The speed at which NAV will process your application depends on the country and municipality that the office must contact to obtain the necessary information. 

Therefore, the process is often extended. In order to speed up and facilitate the office's work, it is important to provide the full address (commune, voivodeship) of the family members to whom the requested benefit applies when submitting the application. 

The waiting time is usually several months.

7. 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), subsequent sending of documents/messages regarding the case are subject to a fee.

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