Basic allowance

Basic allowance is a benefit from NAV that is supposed to cover extra expenses you have due to illness, injury or other functional variation that healthy people do not have. There must be current expenses, i.e. expenses you have every month, and the need must be permanent.

It can be due to diet (e.g. if you have celiac disease and have to follow a strict medical diet), wear and tear on clothes, shoes, bedding etc., operation of technical aids, service dogs, prostheses, support bandages, and something for transport .

Requirements for basic allowance

• Illness, injury, functional variation that entails additional costs
• The need must be permanent, at least 2-3 years
• The expenses must correspond to at least rate 1
• There must be ongoing expenses in everyday life
• There is no age limit for receiving basic allowance
• The basic allowance does not cover expenses for medicines
• Documentation of additional expenses

Expenses that are covered by Helfo and travel expenses that are covered Patient travel cannot be included in an application for basic allowance. Time you e.g. spending on shopping and preparing special food cannot be included either, as this is lost assistance allowance.

Periodic extra expenses are also considered permanent if they are constantly recurring over a longer period of time or if the person is expected to die within 2 years.

The difference between basic benefit and supplementary benefit:

Basic benefit = extra money you spend compared to being able-bodied

Assistance allowance = extra time spent compared to able-bodied

For many, it is more difficult to be granted basic allowance than auxiliary allowance, even though the rates for basic allowance are much lower. This is due to the strict documentation requirement. To apply for basic allowance, you must document extra expenses with receipts for 3 months back in time. It is also possible to create a table (e.g. in Excel) where you estimate the extra expenses, if you do not have receipts. Separate forms are required for transport (NAV 06-03.12) and wear on clothes (NAV 06-03.11).

There are 6 rates for basic allowance:

Here you will find an overview of what the various rates are.

Wear and tear on cloth and clothing

If wear and tear on all clothing is necessary for you to be covered, this will mean that you must collect receipts for what you must buy new within 3 months. In addition, we would like to advise you that it is a good idea to take pictures of the soiled/damaged clothes, as well as spend some time setting up a comparison of how much is worn and washed beyond the normal for the child's age and expected functional level. Hyperkinetic disorders such as ADHD with hyperactivity automatically gives the right to basic allowance and does not require documentation of extra expenses.

Technical tools

You can get benefit for electricity costs for electrical aids, such as beds and wheelchairs, batteries for hearing aids, costs for cochlear implants and security alarms.

Transport expenses

The additional transport costs must be necessary due to illness/injury, i.e. expenses you would not have incurred if you were functionally fit. The extra expenses can be in the form of taxi expenses, private driving which, for example, is paid for by family and friends, operating your own car or, exceptionally, increased use of public transport. 

Basic allowance can be granted both for travel related to school/work, training, action and for improving the child's function.

Overpriced diet

In all cases concerning an overpriced diet due to diet, it is an absolute requirement that the diagnosis is determined by the relevant specialist. In cases concerning food intolerance/allergy, it is an absolute condition that the diagnosis is established by a specialist department/outpatient clinic or by a practicing specialist with allergological expertise.

People with celiac disease are automatically entitled to basic allowance and do not need to document the costs of an overpriced diet.

Other diagnoses that give automatic entitlement to basic allowance due to additional expenses for diet are cystic fibrosis, non-celiac gluten intolerance, as well as phenylketonuria (PKU/Følling's disease), tyrosinemia and other congenital metabolic diseases that are treated with protein-reduced diets.

Which automatic rate is given varies based on diagnosis and age.

Epilepsy and the need for a ketogenic diet can trigger the right to basic benefit, but requires documentation from a doctor and nutritionist. This is described in more detail in the circular.

Lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy alone do not entitle you to basic benefit.

SIFO

NAV is based on SIFO's reference budget. This budget is based on average consumption for people of different ages, including children and young people. E.g. the average food consumption of a 4-year-old will be lower than the consumption of a 16-year-old, and there are also differences between the sexes. At the same time, it will also be more normal for a 4-year-old to struggle more with clothes than a 17-year-old. All of this plays a role in the measurement and assessment of basic allowance.

We recommend that you use SIFO's calculator before you apply. That way you can see if the difference is big enough to receive basic benefit, precisely because it is the amount above the average cost that can be covered.

Documentation

The application is both digital and on paper.

Guardians apply on behalf of the child. They do not need to send a doctor's certificate, but must only state the doctor's name and treatment location/office in the application, and NAV will contact the relevant doctor directly if it becomes necessary to obtain documentation.

It is important to attach documentation of extra expenses if the diagnosis does not automatically entitle you to basic allowance.

Worth to notice

• Some diagnoses automatically give you the right to basic benefit, such as e.g. cystic fibrosis, ADHD hyperkinetic diagnosis, and keep a service dog (must be approved by the service dog committee). Which diagnoses this applies to are described in more detail in the circular on basic and auxiliary benefits.
• The benefit is tax-free.
• When it comes to technical aids, this will often concern electricity for the operation of electrical aids such as walkers, beds, respirators, oxygen concentrators, sensory-stimulating lights and similar devices, as well as washing machines and dryers for frequent washing of clothes and laundry. As a rule, you do not reach rate 1 on electricity alone, but together with other extra expenses you will be able to reach it.
• Before 2019, you rarely received basic benefit on the basis of skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and ichthyosis, whereas it is now possible to a greater extent. Documentation that is required in addition to extra expenses and a doctor's certificate is information from the doctor about how the skin disorder is characterized, how large areas of the body are affected and where on the body, how the skin disorder is treated and whether there are seasonal variations. For coverage of expenses for non-prescription ointments, creams and oils, see the contribution scheme at Hello.
• Additional expenses for ink cartridges, sheets and laminating sheets can also provide a basis for basic allowance.
• The right to basic benefit is lost when you stay in an institution (children's home, respite care home, hospitalized etc.) for more than 3 months. You can still receive basic allowance during your stay if you have special personal extra expenses that fall outside the obligations of the institution/housing.
• Always complain about rejections you think are incorrect! If you can't bear to write a long complaint, we still recommend complaining and referring to the information already provided in the application.

Relevant information and legislation

Rates for basic allowance

The National Insurance Act

More about basic allowance

Circular on basic allowance

Excerpt from the circular:

About technical aids

"Treatment aids granted under Chapter 10 of the National Insurance Act can be covered by the term "technical aids", and will therefore fall within the basic allowance scheme. Reference is made to TRR-2017-2616, where the Social Security Court states that a concrete assessment must be made of whether the aids in question are to be regarded as "technical aids", regardless of whether these also contribute to the treatment of the disease state.

About the ketogenic diet

"There must be documentation and a description from a specialist about the following:

• drug treatment has been thoroughly tested without sufficient effect or that drug treatment cannot be used due to side effects
• The ketogenic diet has significantly reduced seizure frequency
• investigation and treatment trials have been carried out in a specialist hospital/special ward
• regular control/follow-up takes place with the help of personnel with special expertise.

There must also be a description of the diet from a nutritionist.

When applying for basic allowance, expenditure on food must be documented. Expenses for necessary dietary supplements are included.”

General regarding diet

"Extra expenses due to an overpriced diet due to a diet, like other expenses, only give the right to basic allowance if they are necessary. When assessing which extra expenses are necessary, decisive emphasis is placed on whether the diet is scientifically documented and generally recognized in medical practice. If it is difficult to determine whether the diet is generally recognized in medical practice, an assessment must be made that takes into account the severity of the disease in question, the risk of complications that impair nutrition, together with the likelihood that the diet alleviates the symptoms. The assessment must be based on a statement from a specialist department/outpatient clinic or a practicing specialist with allergological expertise."

Operation of own car

"Basic allowance for operating one's own car is only granted if today it is actually an additional expense, compared to earlier or healthy people in the same situation and only where the disorder means that it is not reasonable to expect that he can walk the relevant route, use public transport ( where such exist) or use other means of transport. Even if the member uses his own car, the costs of running the car can only be used as a basis if a car is actually the cheapest relevant transport option. If, for example, If it turns out that a taxi is a cheaper - and at the same time appropriate - transport alternative, the car expenses must be disregarded and the expenses the member would have had if using a taxi be used as a basis."