Earlier this week, Dagbladet told of Elisabeth, who came out strongly against Nav’s rules on cash gifts to financial social assistance recipients.
His 20-year-old daughter, Cecily, is one of the many to receive this kind of help. If she gets money for a Christmas present or to buy takeout pizza, Now will have to deduct that amount next month.
– I think it’s too bad that you can’t treat people who are struggling with a little extra Christmas or birthday gift, Elisabeth told Dagbladet.
Now he gets full support from Rødt politician Mímir Kristjánsson. He is very tired of Na’s practice and wants new rules for social assistance recipients.
– In my view, this is an incredibly heartbreaking case where you steal gifts from people’s pockets. It’s like the Grinch created the system, he tells Talkblade.
Warnings Now: – Gifts will run out
– Very backward
In 2022, around 131,000 people in Norway will receive financial social assistance – an increase of almost ten percent from the previous year. What they have in common is that they are unable to cover the necessary expenses.
So Kristjansson reacts to the fact that the group is at risk of getting back the small amount of money they’ve been gifted, and believes it shows that the system is built around the fear that some people will get more than that. Many will receive much less.
– A person on social assistance says getting a thousand pounds from their aunt is not a social problem.
While Nav should exercise discretion and make assessments in individual cases, Kristjansson believes it is time to change the rules regarding cash gifts and small jobs for social assistance recipients.
– We need to get a guarantee that you can get a thousand kroner without a problem. It is dangerous that the limit should be zero, because people are afraid to take on a small task, give gifts or ask for favors.
Mímir Kristjánsson says he has received many inquiries about this practice, so he has no doubt it will happen.
– There must be an end to this illusion held by the authorities that there are some who enrich themselves greatly on social assistance. You get it because you’re poor – not because you’re sick or old.
Ripper effects: The road politician hopes the tongue training will lead to more people coming to the Salvation Army’s food center – where fewer questions are asked. Photo: John D. Pedersen / Dogbladet
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Want free money
So Kristjánsson says Rødt wants to make it possible for social assistance recipients to receive gifts without being cut off.
– We need free money. A small sum, up to NOK 1,000 or 1,500, he says.
So far, the party has not got traction for this.
On November 21, Rødt arrived with a Representative proposal “Ensuring decent social assistance for all in need”. In the plan, the party asked the Storting to introduce an indicative deduction for income without reducing social assistance.
The plan was not adopted, but received support from the Socialist Liberal Party and the Green Party.
– Nav’s reduced support for social assistance recipients who receive a small cash gift from family or friends shows that pure cynicism is set in the current arrangement, MDG party leader Arild Hermstad writes for Dagbladet.
He points out that it’s not the staff’s fault, but that politicians have set Now up this way, and believes it’s time for trust reform.
– As it appears, social assistance becomes almost an economic prison for people who need it.
The MDG has proposed a minimum monthly income of NOK 12,000 for social assistance recipients, which they believe will give recipients security in life.
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