Social assistance, 2009

From 1993 to 2008, the number of recipients of social assistance administered by the municipalities went down year by year, from 165 000 to 109 000. In 2009, that number went up by 7.5 per cent, while total payments were up by 4.4 per cent to NOK 4.64 billion.

A total of 2.4 per cent of the Norwegian population received social assistance during 2009. The number of recipients per inhabitant was about twice as high in the northern county of Finnmark compared to the western county of Sogn og Fjordane. Payments per recipient in larger cities are twice as high as payments in rural areas.

Of the recipients, four out of ten were single men and two out of ten were single women. In this group of single persons, men received on average higher payments per month than women. One explanation is that more women recipients also had a salary, while more men depended on social assistance as their main source of income.

A total of 50 000 recipients or 42 per cent were dependent on social assistance as their main source of income. Only 10 per cent had a salary as their main source of income. Seventy per cent were unemployed or not in the labour force.

Tables:

• Table 1 Number of cases on social assistance, by age, county and size of municipality. 1987-2009
• Table 2 Expenditure on social assistance, by nature of assistance, county and size of municipality. 1986-2009. 2009-kroner
• Table 3 Recipients of social assistance by number of municipalities from which they have received payments and age. 2009
• Table 4 Recipients of social assistance with or without immigrant background by age. 2009
• Table 5 Man-years in social services per 31 December by county. 2009
• Table 6 Average payments of social assistance per month on assistance. Figures of duration of benefit and family cycle phase. 2009. NOK
• Table 7 Recipients of social assistance by duration of benefit and family cycle phase. 2009
• Table 8 Recipients of social assistance by main source of income and family cycle phase. 2009
• Table 9 Recipients of social assistance by labour force status and family cycle phase. 2009
• Table 10 Recipients of social assistance by type of allowance and family cycle phase. 2009