Accumulation of pension rights for care work
If you provide care for children under the age of six, you may be entitled to pension rights for care work. The same applies if you care for sick, disabled or elderly people.
Accumulated pension rights for care work are not a national insurance benefit, but will help you receive a higher pension when you retire. To be entitled to pension rights for care work you must have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme in the period you provided care.
The possibility to accumulate pension rights for care work was introduced from 1992. You will not usually accumulate pension rights for care work prior to this time, but there is an exception as regards care for children.
Care for small children
Accumulated pension rights for care work will ensure that you earn some pension rights in periods when you have a low or no income. If you are receiving child benefit you will automatically accumulate pension rights for care work for the years when you
- cared for children under the age of six
- are between the age of 17 and 69
Accumulated pension rights for care work are equivalent to the pension rights you would have earned from an income of 4.5 times the National Insurance basic amount (G). If you earn more than this, your pension rights will be based on your wage income instead. Only one of the parents may accumulate pension rights for care work, but it is possible to transfer these pension rights to the other parent if this is more beneficial.
If you cared for children before 2010, you will have accumulated pension rights for care work up to and including the year the child turned 6. This is equivalent to the pension rights you would have earned from an income of 4 (G).
Accumulated pension rights for care for young children before 1992
If you cared for children under the age of six in the period 1967-1991, there are separate rules for accumulation of rights to retirement pension and contractual private sector pension.
Acquired rights for care work for people born between 1948 and 1953 inclusive
For people born between 1948 and 1953, acquired rights for care work for years before 1992 can only be used to calculate a private-sector contractual pension (text in Norwegian).
Acquired rights for care work for people born in or after 1954
For people born in or after 1954, acquired rights for care work for years before 1992 can be used to calculate both your private-sector contractual pension and your national insurance retirement pension calculated in full or in part according to the new rules that will come into use in 2016. Read more about retirement pension.
How to find out pension rights you have accumulated for unpaid care work
Din pensjon shows the pension rights you have accumulated for unpaid care work. You can also transfer accumulated pension right for unpaid care work to the other parent in Din pensjon. If you believe you are entitled to pension rights for unpaid care work, but these have not been ascribed to you automatically, you may submit an application form. If you for example have lived abroad but has a membership of the National Insurance scheme, you may be entitled to pension rights for care work.
If you have any questions regarding accumulated pension rights for unpaid care work, you may call Nav on +47 55 55 33 34.
Care for sick, disabled or elderly people
You may accumulate pension rights for unpaid care work if you care for sick, disabled or elderly people. Certain criteria must be met in order to accumulate pension rights for unpaid care work:
- The care work must last for at least 22 hours a week.
- You must carry out care work that lasts for at least six months per calendar year. Travel time of up to 30 minutes per visit may be included.
- In principle, the care work must be unpaid.
- The person you are caring for must be a member of the National Insurance Scheme.
Sometimes the local authorities may grant care pay to persons who nurse and care for family members. In such cases, you may also accumulate pension rights for care work.
It is possible to accumulate pension rights for care work even if the period of care has been shorter than six months. This applies if the person receiving the care dies or is admitted to an institution. The requirement is that you have accumulated pension rights for care work in the last three years.
How do you apply to accumulate pension rights for unpaid care work?
If you would like to apply to have pension rights for care work for sick, disabled or elderly people ascribed, you must submit an application form.
Application for points for care work
You must apply yourself to earn compensation for care work for the sick, elderly or people with disabilities.
You can apply when half a calendar year has passed, i.e. at the earliest in July.
The application must be submitted no later than the second year after you performed the care work. This means that it is only possible to apply for care accrual for the two previous calendar years.
You may apply to have pension rights for care work ascribed after the period of care has lasted for six months. The application must be submitted no later than two years after the year in which you cared for sick, disabled or elderly people.
If you have cared for a sick or disabled child, you may accumulate pension rights for care work after the child has turned six. You must apply for this. If the child is receiving Higher rate assistance allowance level 3 or 4, pension rights will always be ascribed and Nav does this automatically.
Application for points for care work
There is no deadline for when you can apply for earned pension (pensjonsopptjening) for caring for young children under the age of 6 or when the child receives assistance allowance rate 3 or 4.
Transfer of point for care work for children
If you have earned points for care work for a child under the age of 7 and wish to transfer this to the other parent, you can do so.
Most of the main information about your entitlements and duties is available here in English. There are also links to other more detailed information; however, some of this information is only available in Norwegian.