The qualification programme (“KVP”) is for you who need some extra support to be able to find work. It is important that the content of your programme will make it easier for you to find work.

You must meet a number of requirements to be eligible for the programme. You must

• be of working age
• have a significantly reduced ability to work and earn income
• need close follow-up
• not be receiving or be receiving only very limited financial support from Nav
• have undergone a work ability assessment (in Norwegian)
• have legal residence in Norway and a permanent place to live in Norway (permanent address)

Your programme will be individually tailored to you and your particular challenges. What support and assistance do you need to be able to find work? Together, you and your counsellor draw up a programme that includes work-oriented measures, training activities, individual follow-up and guidance.

The programme may also include other activities that will help prepare you for work, such as motivation training, Norwegian language courses, housing follow-up, and financial advice and planning. You can also have time allocated in the programme for necessary health assistance.

You will be responsible for following the programme in cooperation with counsellors at the Nav office.

The qualification programme takes 37.5 hours a week.

You will receive qualification benefit while you are participating in the programme. Qualification benefit amounts to 2,041 times the national insurance basic amount (“G”), which currently corresponds to NOK 265,657. You will earn pension points on this benefit.

If you are under the age of 25, you will receive 2/3 of the full benefit, i.e. NOK 177,104.

Other relevant benefits

If you have children, you can receive a child supplement of NOK 38 per day, 5 days a week, for each child.

Nav may cover all or some of your expenses in connection with work-oriented assessments or an activity.

You may be entitled to financial assistance if your qualification benefit does not cover your necessary housing and living expenses.

If you have your own home, you may be entitled to housing support from the Norwegian State Housing Bank.

You can receive child maintenance, child benefit and cash-for-care benefit alongside qualification benefit.

The qualification programme runs for up to 1 year at a time.

The programme may be extended by 1 year if you and your counsellor decide that it is necessary. In some cases, the programme may be extended by yet another year.

Contact your local Nav office to find out if the programme might be suitable for you.

You have the right to a letter of decision, and you also have the right to complain.

Have you received a decision on your application and disagree with the outcome? You may complain. The complaint must be signed.

You must send the complaint to the Nav office that processed your application. The deadline for submitting a complaint is three weeks from the date you received the decision. If you need more information about how to complain, you can contact your local Nav office.

What happens when you complain?

Your complaint will be reviewed again by the Nav office that processed your application. What happens next depends on the outcome of this new assessment.

Complaining the assessment of your need for follow-up – decision under the Nav Act § 14 a

To be eligible for the Qualification Programme, Nav must assess your employment opportunities and what type of assistance and support may be relevant for you.

You will receive a decision on your need for follow-up under the Nav Act § 14 a. This decision describes the type of follow-up you have a right to from Nav.

If you receive a refusal denial for the Qualification Programme based on the assessment made in the follow-up decision, you may complain to the Nav office that issued the decision. They will reassess your case. If they do not agree with your complaint, they will forward it to the Nav Appeals Management Unit (Nav klageinstans). Read more about the complaint prosess.

You can complain about service

If you have been treated poorly or had a negative experience in your interaction with Nav, you may submit a service complaint.

You can send or deliver the service complaint to your local Nav office.

The benefit will be reduced if you

• are absent without a valid reason
• have income from work or pay as an apprentice
• are entitled to unemployment benefit, sickness benefit or parental benefit

If you drop out of the programme, you will lose your entitlement to qualification benefit.

Payment dates vary from municipality to municipality. You will find information about payments in the letter you have received regarding our decision. If the payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, you will normally receive your payment on the day before.

Tax deductions

You have to pay tax on this benefit.

No tax is deducted in June. In December tax is deducted at half your normal rate.

If you pay Svalbard tax or withholding tax, there is an ordinary tax deduction in June and December.

More about tax deductions on payments from Nav (in Norwegian).

You are entitled to up to 25 days of holiday (i.e. annual leave) per calendar year. If you are over the age of 60, you are entitled to 5 extra days of annual leave per year.

You will continue to receive qualification benefit during your time off.

You must arrange when you will take your annual leave (holiday days) in consultation with your advisor and your workplace or the organiser of your labour market scheme.

Holiday pay

There is no holiday pay on this benefit.