Under the proposal from the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, qualifying early retirees will receive a lifelong annual supplement on top of their standard National Insurance pension (folketrygd), occupational pension, and any private AFP (a union-negotiated early pension scheme).
“The retirement supplement is – as the name suggests – intended to ensure that you can retire earlier if you have had a long working life, are tired, and will not be working anymore,” Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Kjersti Stenseng said in a press release.
The history of the hardship allowance traces back to the Storting’s pension settlement in 2024, which agreed on a system rewarding those who stay in work longer while creating a safety net for those unable to do so.
Stenseng explained that those with long careers behind them should gain financial security by retiring five years before standard retirement age, which currently allows for retirement from age 62.
How much is the supplement?
People who qualify and retire five years before the standard retirement age can get an annual supplement of about 34,000 kroner, which equals 0.25 basic amounts (G).
The G is a benchmark the Norwegian state uses to calculate pensions and social benefits. Currently, 1G stands at 136,549 kroner.
This supplement goes down by 1/36th for each month you retire closer to the standard retirement age.
Another important point is that, unlike private sector options that usually stop at age 80, the National Insurance hardship supplement will be paid for life, as long as the person does not have extra income from work.
READ MORE: What you need to know about the different types of pension in Norway
Who would qualify
Labour Minister Stenseng said that strict rules are needed to make sure people still have reasons to keep working, while making sure the scheme reaches those who genuinely need it.
To focus support on low- and middle-income workers who have spent decades in the workforce, the government has set specific eligibility criteria.
Applicants need to have at least 35 years of pensionable income in Norway, earning at least 2.5 G per year (about 340,000 kroner).
This 35-year requirement will exclude many foreign residents who moved to Norway later in their careers, though international workers who arrived in their early 20s and remained in the Norwegian workforce could still be eligible.
Applicants also need to have earned at least 2 G in each of the 10 years before retiring (around 273,000 kroner), and their average pensionable income over the last three years cannot be more than 7.1 G (about 970,000 kroner today). This upper limit makes sure high earners do not get the benefit.
The Ministry of Labour plans to send the full proposal for formal public consultation later this autumn. If it is approved, the new measure could take effect from 2027.
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