Support schemes for low-income families in Norway cover many areas at once: child allowance each month, cheaper childcare and SFO, housing support, social assistance and free health services for children. Here you get the 2026 figures for each scheme, who qualifies, and where you apply.
The schemes are rights you have under Norwegian rules — not charity. It is free to apply, and most schemes can be combined. This overview from SamfunnPrep gives you one updated figure per scheme and links to separate guides.
Money each month: child allowance
Child allowance is 2 012 kr per child per month from 1 February 2026 and applies to all children under 18 years of age. Single parents can additionally get extended child allowance at 2 572 kr per month — but you must apply for it at NAV (The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration).
If the child is born in Norway, the mother gets child allowance automatically. If you move to Norway, you must apply yourself. The main rule is that your residence must last more than 12 months, but EEA workers may have rights earlier. Read everything about child allowance in 2026 — there you will also find the small child supplement at 712 kr and the Finnmark supplement at 512 kr.
Cheaper childcare: three schemes
No one should pay more than the maximum price for childcare, and families with low income have the right to an even lower price — or partially free placement. You apply to the municipality where the child lives, usually once per childcare year.
- Maximum price: 1 200 kr per month from 1 August 2025. You pay for 11 months, that is 13 200 kr per year. In the least central municipalities the price is 700 kr per month, and in the action zone in Finnmark and North Troms childcare is free.
- Reduced parental payment: no household should pay more than 6 % of total income for one childcare place. For childcare year 2025/2026, an income of 220 000 kr or less (in 2024) gives the right to a lower price.
- Free core hours: 20 hours free per week for all 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in households with income below 669 050 kr (from 1 August 2025). The limit is already set to 692 465 kr from 1 August 2026.
How you document income and apply is explained in the guide on reduced parental payment in childcare.
Free SFO hours and lower SFO price
SFO (school leisure scheme, called AKS in Oslo) gives all pupils in grades 1–3 12 free hours per week. From 1 August 2026 this becomes a legal right in the Education Act.
In addition, the 6 % rule also applies here: pupils in grades 1–4 should not pay more than 6 % of the household's total income for the placement. The two schemes can be combined, but reduced price must be applied for at the municipality. More in the guide SFO and AKS: price and free hours.
Who can get housing support?
Housing support from Husbanken (the State Housing Bank) is for you if you have low income and high housing costs — and applies to both those who rent and those who own a home. For homeowners, interest on the home loan counts in the calculation, but not repayments.
You must be over 18 years old; the exception is if you are under 18 and have your own children. Students without children usually fall outside. There is no national income limit — the limit depends on your municipality and how many people live in the household, so use Husbanken's calculator. The application deadline is the 25th of each month, and response and payment come around the 20th of the following month. An approved application is transferred automatically to the next month, so you do not need to apply again. Read more in our guide to housing support.
When money does not stretch: economic social assistance
Economic social assistance is the last safety net and is applied for at the NAV office in your municipality. The state's guiding rates from 1 January 2026 are 8 300 kr per month for singles, 13 800 kr for married couples or cohabitants, and 4 050–5 400 kr per child, depending on age.
The rates cover food, clothes and hygiene. Housing costs, electricity, internet and children's regular leisure activities come in addition and are assessed individually. Child allowance is excluded from the calculation — this has been law since 1 September 2022 and gave families with children on average around 1 200 kr more per month, according to NAV. Remember that the rates are guiding: the municipality always makes an individual assessment. See the guide on economic social assistance from NAV.
Free and cheap health care for children and young people
Health care for children is in practice free, and most of it happens automatically. Dental treatment in the public dental health service is free until and including the year the child turns 18 — orthodontics are not covered — and children are called in without application. Young adults from 19 to 28 years pay only 25 % of the public rates; the rule was enacted into law on 1 July 2025. If you have a temporary residence permit, there is a 5-year residence requirement for this discount.
Children under 16 years pay no out-of-pocket costs for health services. For adults the out-of-pocket cap is 3 278 kr in 2026. When you reach the cap, you get a free card automatically within three weeks — the rest of the year you pay no out-of-pocket costs.
Leisure without big expenses
At BUA, a national network with over 170 lending libraries, everyone can borrow sports and leisure equipment for free: skis, skates, bicycles and tents, usually for up to 7 days. The service is available in all counties and has no income limit.
No national leisure card exists in 2026 — support for leisure activities varies from municipality to municipality. In Oslo you can apply from 17 August 2026 and get up to 2 450 kr per year for children 6–19 years, graded according to the household's income. Trondheim gives up to 2 000 kr per year. Check your municipality's website.
For refugees: stipend from Lånekassen
Refugees taking primary or secondary education can get a refugee stipend from Lånekassen (The State Educational Loan Fund): the loan you would otherwise have received is given as a stipend. You can get it for up to 3 years within 6 years after you received protection — and up to 8 years if you have or are expecting a child. Important: the stipend cannot be combined with introduction support, so you must choose one or the other.
All schemes in one table
The table summarizes each scheme with 2026 figures and shows where you apply.
| Scheme | What you get (2026) | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| Child allowance | 2 012 kr per child per month | Automatically at birth in Norway, otherwise NAV |
| Extended child allowance | 2 572 kr per month | NAV — must be applied for |
| Reduced childcare price | max 6 % of income | The municipality |
| Free core hours | 20 hours per week | The municipality |
| Free SFO hours | 12 hours per week, grades 1–3 | The municipality |
| Reduced SFO price | max 6 %, grades 1–4 | The municipality |
| Housing support | calculated month for month | Husbanken, deadline the 25th |
| Economic social assistance | guiding 8 300 kr for singles | Municipal NAV office |
| Dental care 0–18 years | free treatment | Automatically |
| Free card | cap at 3 278 kr | Automatically |
| BUA | free equipment loan | No application needed |
| Leisure card | varies per municipality | The municipality |
| Refugee stipend | loan becomes stipend | Lånekassen |
Can the schemes be combined?
Yes, most schemes can be used at the same time. Free core hours are combined with reduced parental payment, SFO free hours with reduced SFO price, and you keep your full child allowance alongside social assistance. Apply therefore for everything you may be entitled to, not just one scheme.
Welfare schemes are also part of the syllabus for the civics exam. If you want to understand the system better, you can practise for free with the tools on SamfunnPrep.
