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Transitional benefit for single mothers or fathers

Translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

Income security when you have sole care of a child. Rules change for new cases from 1 July 2026, so read this carefully.

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 26 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

Transitional benefit (overgangsstønad) is a time-limited income support meant to secure income when you have sole care of a child.

Important: new rules for new cases from 1 July 2026

NAV states that transitional benefit and other benefits for single mothers or fathers are being phased down for the main group of recipients. The changes only apply to new cases from 1 July 2026. According to NAV, no one loses what they have already been granted. Until 30 June 2031, two sets of rules apply in parallel.

Under the new rules (new cases from 1 July 2026), the benefit is in principle given until the youngest child is 14 months old, with a possible extension for special supervision needs.
Under the previous rules, the benefit could be given for up to three years, with the possibility of extension.

Which rules apply to you depends on when your case was approved and where you stand. Read NAV's site and ask NAV if you are unsure.

Who can get the benefit?

According to NAV, you must, among other things:

be single, meaning unmarried, separated, divorced, or have applied for separation or divorce,
have at least 60 percent of the daily care of the child alone,
live in Norway together with the child,
meet conditions for membership of the National Insurance Scheme.

How much?

According to NAV, full transitional benefit is NOK 307,235 a year, or NOK 25,603 a month before tax. If you earn more than NOK 5,689 a month, the benefit is reduced by 45 øre for every krone above that. If your annual income is above NOK 751,000, you get no benefit. The amounts are adjusted every 1 May.

Not everyone is granted the benefit

Even if you are alone with a child, many people are refused or get nothing paid out. Common reasons:

You receive disability benefit. Disability benefit is deducted from the transitional benefit krone for krone, so most single parents on disability benefit get nothing. The child supplement in the disability benefit is not counted. Income from work is only partly deducted. Kontaktpunkt24 has raised this difference with the ministry and the Storting: Why don't single parents on disability benefit get transitional benefit?
Your income is too high, see the amounts above.
You do not have at least 60 percent of the daily care, or you do not count as single, for example because you live with a partner.
The child is too old under the rules that apply to you. For new cases from 1 July 2026, the limit is in principle until the youngest child is 14 months old.

If you do not get transitional benefit, you may still be entitled to extended child benefit and child support or advance child support.

How to apply

You apply digitally or on paper. NAV stated on 21 September 2026 a processing time of 7 weeks.

If you are refused

You can complain within the deadline stated in the decision. Read Complain about a NAV decision.

NAV's page on transitional benefit (Norwegian) →

Sources

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.