Transitional allowance

Transitional allowance is a financial allowance intended to ensure single parents an income for up to 3 years. In some cases, the period can be extended by up to 3 years. The benefit usually applies to single parents with children under the age of 8, but if you have children who need special supervision, you can receive the benefit until the child turns 18.

To be considered a single parent, you must

• have at least 60 percent of the daily care for children alone 
• be a biological parent, adoptive parent or have legally assumed parental responsibility for the child
• be unmarried, separated, divorced or have applied for separation or divorce with the State Administrator or the court
• live alone with children or share a home with another adult with whom you are not in a relationship
• do not live very close to the other parent. This means, for example, the same house, block, nearest residence in the same street or around the same farm yard. 
• not have a written agreement on shared residence for the child/children
• stay in Norway with the child/children
• have been a member of the National Insurance Scheme for the last 5 years before you apply for transitional allowance. In 2022, the social security court concluded that social security time in other EEA countries can be included in the assessment.  

You will find more information and an application form here.

You are not considered a single parent if

• you have a cohabitant, regardless of whether this is the other parent or not
• you or the other parent receives or has previously received transitional allowance and has a new child with the same partner
• you are the foster parent of the child of whom you are a single mother or father
• you are with the other of the child's parents so much that you are not considered a single mother or father.

If you apply for care allowance while you are pregnant, you can get this from the month before your due date, this is in addition to the 3 years of allowance you can get after giving birth. You must attach confirmation of the due date if you apply before the child is born. 

As long as your child is under 1 year old, there is no activity obligation linked to the benefit. From the child's 1st birthday, you must be in at least 50% work, be registered as a job seeker with NAV, set up your own business or study in order to receive the benefit. The study must be approved by NAV as necessary for you to be able to get a job after completing your studies. You can also establish your own business. 

In some cases, you can receive the benefit after the child turns 1, even if you do not fulfill the activity obligation. This applies if you are ill and cannot work or study, if you have applied for kindergarten/AKS/SFO, but have been refused or have been put on a waiting list and therefore lack childcare or if you have children who require special supervision due to illness or functional variation. In the latter case, a doctor must document the child's physical or mental condition and the extent to which this affects your opportunities to work. If you are going to start work or study within 3 months, you can receive transitional allowance pending this.

You can usually receive transitional allowance for up to 3 years, i.e. 36 months. This does not have to be a continuous period, but can be divided into several periods until the child is 8 years old. In some cases, you can extend the main period. If you are in education and NAV considers it appropriate and necessary, you can have the period extended by up to 2 years. If you have sole care for 3 or more children or were left alone with the care of the child before you yourself turned 18, you can have the period extended by up to 3 years. If you cannot work because your child has an illness or functional variation that means the child needs special supervision, the period can be extended by up to 3 years, in these cases the general rule that the child must be younger than 8 years and you can receive transitional allowance until the child turns 18. 

Your income determines how much you will be paid. 

Here you can see how much you can be paid (this is regulated on 1 May each year).

Everything you earn is included in NAV's calculation, it can be:

• payment
• daily allowance
• sick pay
• care allowance, care allowance, education allowance 
• work clearance allowance
• parental allowance 
• care allowance

NAV uses income information your employer has entered in public registers. You can find information about this on the tax authority's website. Transitional allowance is taxed and considered pensionable income. You do not receive holiday pay from the transitional allowance.

Remember to report to NAV about changes in working conditions, education, if you enter into a cohabitation, partnership, get married or live with the other parent again. You must also report if you are expecting a new child, will be staying abroad, are moving or if the visitation arrangements for the child change.