Fredrikstad mayor demands social welfare rule changes

Fredrikstad’s mayor Arne Sekkelsten (Conservative Party) is calling for national rule changes after local calculations showed a single provider with seven children can receive over 823,000 tax-free kroner annually in combined social benefits, reports Dagbladet.

Social welfare spending in Fredrikstad has surged from 96.9 million kroner in 2015 to 240 million in 2025, a 37.6 percentage point increase above the national average, according to Statistics Norway (SSB) figures.

Sekkelsten highlights that a single provider with seven children can receive 655,200 kroner in social assistance, child support, and housing benefits, plus 168,000 kroner in child allowance—totaling 823,200 kroner tax-free, with electricity costs also covered. For a single provider with four children, the figure is 492,000 kroner tax-free, or 588,000 kroner including child allowance.

“When you have benefits that allow a net income of over 800,000 kroner with that many children, do you really have any incentive to work?” Sekkelsten asked.

He argues the system lacks caps on emergency aid and sanctions for misuse, and that long-term recipients face weak incentives to seek employment. He also points to secondary migration of refugees—originally settled elsewhere—moving to Østfold cities like Fredrikstad, straining local budgets.

Sekkelsten demands immediate national action, including caps on child-dependent benefits, stricter rules for long-term recipients, and requirements for Nav to track benefit spending. He urges Labour Minister Kjersti Stenseng to issue directives to tighten rules without waiting for broader reforms.

Stenseng told Dagbladet she shares the concern, stating high combined benefits can undermine work motivation. She emphasized that work provides income, participation, and integration for both adults and children.