This section provides information about who is entitled to disability benefit (uføretrygd), and what conditions apply to the benefit. Disability benefit replaced the disability pension on 1 January 2015.

Regarding the UK the EEA/EFTA-UK Separation Agreement or the Convention on Social Security between Norway and the UK is applied.

In what situation can I claim?

If you are aged between 18 and 67, and your earning capacity has been reduced because of an injury, illness or defect by at least 50%.

For anyone who is receiving work assessment allowance at the time of the claim, it is sufficient that their earning capacity has been reduced by 40%.

What conditions do I need to meet?

You must be aged between 18 and 67.

You must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for the last 5 years up to the contingency. If you are an EEA citizen and have been in active work and a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 1 year, your earnings in or membership of another EEA country can count towards this assessment.

Your earning capacity must have been reduced by at least 50% because of an injury, illness or defect. For anyone who is receiving work assessment allowance at the time of the claim, it is sufficient that their earning capacity has been reduced by 40%.

You must have undergone both medical treatment and vocational rehabilitation. This is in order to document that it is not possible for you to work full-time in another suitable job, and that treatment cannot change the situation.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

You can receive disability benefit until you are 67 years old. After the age of 67, anyone receiving disability benefit will receive retirement pension instead.

On 1 January 2015, the new disability benefit was introduced. Disability benefit is calculated on the basis of the average of the best 3 years out of the last 5 income years before you became disabled. The benefit is equivalent to 66% of this figure. Any income greater than 6 G, i.e. NOK 638 394 at the current Basic Amount, is not counted. The minimum annual benefit is 2.28 G for married persons/cohabitees, 2.33 G if the person receives a disability benefit which is a recalculated disability pension and 2.48 G for others.

Persons who became disabled before the age of 26 due to a serious and long-term illness that has been clearly documented are entitled to a minimum annual benefit of 2.66 G and 2.91 G respectively.

If a person has not lost their entire earning capacity, the disability benefit is graded. For example, if you have an earning capacity of 30%, you will receive 70% disability benefit.

If your period of national insurance cover is less than 40 years, the disability benefit is reduced proportionally. Your period of national insurance cover means any period during which you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme (resident in or worked in Norway), after the age of 16. Any future period of national insurance cover is also counted, up to and including the year in which you will reach the age of 66.

Disability benefit is taxed as normal income.

A means-tested child supplement may also be paid in addition to the disability benefit. No spouse supplement is available.

If you are receiving income above the income threshold, your disability benefit will be proportionally reduced. However, your degree of disability remains fixed. The income threshold is the total of any income you receive after you became disabled (in the case of graduated benefit) in excess of 40% of the Basic Amount (G).

You must submit a claim for disability benefit to NAV

Jargon busters

• G: Abbreviation for National Insurance Basic Amount (see Basic Amount below). 1 G = 1 x Basic Amount, 2 G = 2 x Basic Amount, etc.;
• Basic Amount: A standard amount that is used to calculate benefits and pensions, and which is set on 1 May each year. As of 1 May 2021, the Basic Amount is NOK 106 399, or about EUR 10 672;
• Minimum pension/minimum annual disability benefit: The absolute minimum that you can receive in disability pension/disability benefit if you have earned full entitlement (40 years in Norway), regardless of what was calculated on the basis of your previous earnings.

Know your rights

The links below direct you to websites that describe your legal rights, but they are not part of the European Commission's websites. The Commission is therefore not responsible for the content.

• EEA citizens' entitlements in relation to disability pension (in Norwegian only)
• Your rights as a member of the National Insurance Scheme

The Commission's publications and websites:

• http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/retire-abroad/index_en.htm

Who do you need to contact?

NAV: Via NAV's website https://www.nav.no/en/Home, or at your local NAV office.