Caregiving support

If you have particularly burdensome caregiving duties, you can apply for caregiving support. Caregiving support will provide you with some financial compensation for the caregiving duties you perform. The municipality decides whether you can receive caregiving support and the level of pay to be given.

You must have particularly burdensome caregiving duties. Factors that may be taken into consideration include:

• Whether you work many hours each month providing care
• Whether your job of caregiving is more physically or mentally straining than normal 
• Whether your job of caregiving entails frequent night work or interruptions to your night’s sleep
• Whether your job of caregiving leads to social isolation and lack of leisure time.

Hjelpetilbud i kommunen
Omsorgslønn (rundskriv)

The municipality is obligated to ensure that this service is provided. This means that the municipality must allocate funds for caregiving support in its budget. On the other hand, individual caregivers are not automatically entitled to caregiving support. See Section 3-6 Care benefits of the Health Care Act.

Forvaltningsloven
Helse- og omsorgstjenesteloven

You can contact the municipality for assistance with applying for caregiving support. The care provider and the individual in need of assistance can both apply for caregiving support.

The municipality will obtain the information necessary for making a decision on the case. We will then come to a decision. You will normally receive an explanation together with the notification of the decision. You will always receive an explanation if there is a possibility that you will be dissatisfied with the decision. If an explanation is not included, you can obtain one by enquiring with the municipality within the deadline for appeals to the decision.

The municipality will process the case as soon as possible. If the case cannot be processed within one month, you will receive a written message stating the reason as to why. You will also be informed of when the decision is expected to be made.

The care provider and the individual in need of assistance can both appeal the decision. Your appeal must be submitted within a deadline of three weeks from the date on which you received the decision. Explain what you are dissatisfied with and why you believe the decision should be changed. If you need guidance, you can enquire with the municipality. If the municipality upholds its decision, the case will be passed on to the county governor, who will determine whether the appeal should be sustained.