The Conservative Party will spend NOK 100 million on the new benefit already from 1 January. Henrik Asheim from Høyre points out that over the past year there have been 5,000 more disabled people.
– For the first time since 2017, the proportion of young people who drop out of work and education is increasing. It is very serious, says Asheim to Aftenposten.
Figures from Nav show that the proportion of young people under the age of 30 outside work and school fell from 18.7 per cent in 2018 to 15.3 per cent in 2022. But in 2023 the proportion increased to 15.8 per cent, which corresponds to 111,000 people.
Høyre wants the new benefit to apply to young people under the age of 30 who enter the Nav system. Today, there must be health-related reasons for these to receive help from Nav, according to Asheim.
Rather, he wants what he calls an activity-oriented model.
– They will first receive financial help, and then we will use our efforts to help them return to work. Far too many of them today end up on unemployment benefits and then on disability benefits.
Labor Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) says that she “registers that the Conservative Party is copying the government’s policy on a work-oriented youth programme, where health is not an entry requirement”.
– We want young people to use their energy to get a job rather than documenting illness. I therefore welcome the Conservative Party afterwards, says Brenna.