Pension guarantee
Pension Guaantee is a guaranteed minimum retirement benefit from The National Insurance, granted to those who have low or no earnings toward their income pension.
Members of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme born after 1954 are entitled to a pension, based on the new pension guarantee scheme. (The old scheme based on minimum pension will gradually be replace by the new pension guarantee for members born between 1954 and 1962.)
Who is eligible for a pension guarantee?
You are required to have been a member of the scheme for at least five years to be entitled to a pension guarantee. The pension guarantee is paid in full to members who have participated in the scheme for 40 years or more. The amount of the pension guarantee is reduced proportionately depending on the number of years you have participated in the system.
If you are a refugee, you may be entitled to a full pension guarantee even if you do not have full earnings in Norway, if these points apply to you:
- You were born before 1960.
- Before 1 January 2021, you have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for at least 20 years. Membership is calculated from the age of 16.
If you have earned the right to an income pension, the amount of your pension guarantee will be reduced by part of your income pension. The pension guarantee is reduced by 80 percent of your earned pension balance. Your pension balance forms the basis for your income pension (text in Norwegian).
You may start collecting on your retirement pension before reaching the age of 67 if you have earned a pension that is equal to or greater than the pension guarantee level at 67 years of age. The right to collect an early retirement pension prior to reaching the age of 67 is based on a deduction of one's pension and on the pension guarantee level at the age of 67.
What can you receive?
See Pension guarantee rates (text in Norwegian)
The amount of the guaranteed pension that you are entitled to depends on your marital status. If you are married or have a cohabitant partner, your pension guarantee level will also depend on your spouse's or cohabitant's income and pension.
You are entitled to the guaranteed pension based on the ordinary rate if you live together with a spouse, partner or cohabitant who is receiving:
- a disability pension, a retirement pension, a contractual pension from the public sector or an older contractual pension from the private sector
- have an annual income (including investment income) which is greater than twice the basic amount of the National insurance scheme (so-called "G", or grunnbeløpet).
You are considered a cohabitant partner if you and your partner have lived together twelve of the last 18 months. The same rules apply as for spouses if you have common children with a cohabitant partner that you were previously married to.
You are entitled to the highest guaranteed pension if you are single or if you are married/cohabitant and not covered by the provisions stated above (applicable if your spouse/cohabitant partner has an income below twice the basic amount and is not receiving a pension from one of the schemes listed above).
Pension guarantee rates are established every year at the same time as annual adjustments are made on retirement pensions. The new rates for the guaranteed pension commence for the first time on 1 January 2016
Notify NAV about changes
Issues such as changes to income, family situation and/or job situation (or if you plan to spend time abroad) may be of significance to the amount you receive from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV). You are obligated to notify the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) as soon as you are aware of any of these changes or situations.
Disbursements
Retirement payments normally enter your bank account on the 20th of each month; more information on pension disbursements is available here: utbetalingsinformasjon. Some benefits were previously paid in December.
You can check disbursements at this link: Dine utbetalinger.
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, som of this information is only available in Norwegian.