From 1 October 2026, the exemption limit in disability pension increases from 0.4 G to 1 G. NAV (The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) calculates 1 G as 130,160 kroner for 2026. The change applies retroactively to 1 January 2026, and you do not need to apply.
What is the exemption limit and basic deduction in 2026?
The basic deduction is the amount you can earn in a year without your disability pension being reduced. The basic deduction consists of two parts: the income you are expected to have after becoming disabled, plus an exemption limit. If you are 100 percent disabled, the expected income is zero, and then the basic deduction is the same as the exemption limit. For 2026, the exemption limit is 1 G, which is 130,160 kroner.
G stands for grunnbeløpet (the basic amount) in the national insurance system. It is adjusted on 1 May every year.
Note one thing: the basic amount from 1 May 2026 is 136,549 kroner, but NAV uses 130,160 kroner as 1 G when calculating the basic deduction for the entire year 2026. The basic deduction is set once per year, and therefore a lower amount appears here than the current basic amount.
The Parliament approved the change on 28 May 2026 (Parliamentary Resolution 45).
Can you work a little without losing your disability pension?
Yes. Your disability pension does not disappear because you take a part-time job. If you earn more than the basic deduction, the payment is reduced by a fixed percentage of the kroner above the basic deduction.
From 1 July 2026, your reduction percentage cannot be higher than 70 percent. For every extra krone you earn, you keep at least 30 øre up to the income ceiling. However, if you earn more than 80 percent of the income you had before becoming disabled, the payment stops for the entire year. If you are approaching that limit, you should calculate it or ask NAV first.
Your disability degree is not reduced. You keep the right to disability pension and receive payment again when your income falls. More information is available in our overview of disability pension in Norway: conditions, rates and application.
Who gets the higher exemption limit?
The higher exemption limit applies to you who have had disability pension for a long time. NAV changes the basic deduction automatically and sends you a new decision.
- If you have had disability pension for 24 months or more, you get 1 G in exemption limit.
- If you were approved for disability pension before 1 January 2024, you get 1 G for the entire 2026.
- If you have had disability pension for less than 24 months, the exemption limit is still 0.4 G.
- If you have partial disability pension, your basic deduction consists of the exemption limit plus the income you were expected to have alongside the pension. Your basic deduction will therefore be higher than 1 G.
Do you get money back in October 2026?
No. If NAV has deducted too much from your disability pension early in 2026, you get the difference back in the settlement statement for 2026. It comes in autumn 2027, not in October 2026.
The settlement statement that NAV sends out from October 2026 applies to the income year 2025 and the old rules. You receive a notification on SMS and email to log in at nav.no. If the amount is correct, you get no message.
If you have received too little, NAV pays out the amount within 7 business days from the date on the decision letter, without interest. If you have received too much, you get a payment slip from the Tax Authority after 4 weeks.
What other rules in disability pension have changed?
Three other changes apply from summer and autumn 2026.
| Change | Applies from |
|---|---|
| Exemption limit up from 0.4 G to 1 G (130,160 kroner) | 1 October 2026, effective from 1 January 2026 |
| Reduction percentage cannot exceed 70 percent | 1 July 2026 |
| Minimum income before disability is 3.5 G, regardless of marital status | 1 July 2026 |
| Minimum rate for the 2015 group back to 2.379 G (324,850 kroner, calculated with the basic amount of 136,549 kroner) | 1 October 2026, effective from 1 July 2026 |
More about 3.5 G can be found in the article about new NAV rules from 1 July 2026.
What should you do now?
Read the new decision from NAV, and check that the exemption limit is shown as 1 G. Tell NAV if you expect to earn more than before. This way you avoid a large claim in the settlement statement.
SamfunnPrep has a guide to how NAV works for immigrants. Social security rights are part of the curriculum for the civic knowledge test, and at SamfunnPrep you can practice in several languages.
