Harstad Reduces Christmas Bonus for Social Assistance Recipients
Harstad municipality has decided to reduce the Christmas bonus for social assistance recipients, with cuts ranging from 15% to 43%. For single recipients and couples, the bonus will be reduced by approximately 15%, while children under 18 years will face cuts of between 29% and 43%. The leader of ‘Fra sjel til hånd’, Rune Strand, expresses concern that many will struggle this Christmas as a result of these cuts. However, Harstad’s mayor, Kari-Anne Opsal (Ap), defends the reduction and argues that the municipality must find savings in both small and large areas to save 200 million Krone annually in operational expenses.
In August, Opsal and the Norwegian Labour Party voted against the H Venice Party’s proposal to reduce the bonus for the leaders of the municipal council.
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Although the municipality states that the reduction is "not a cut, but a change in administrative practice", Rune Stensstrøm of Harstad Høyre fears that recipientsshould have to document their additional expenses instead of receiving a fixed sum. The changes were brought to the political agenda in the autumn.
"It is not approved that those who are already struggling are hit again," says Stensstrøm.
Ordfører
gemeente Kari-Anne Opsal (Ap) supports the reduction and believes that the municipality must both reduce and streamline its operations to save 200 million Krone per year. She also points out that the total amount provided to recipients has increased by 3.8% on average since last year. However, Opsal acknowledges that "it can be questioned whether it is worth it when the cut is so small."
In August, the ruling Labour Party voted against the Høyre party’s proposal to cut the allowance paid to committee leaders and their substitutes.
In comparison, several municipalities offer the following Christmas bonuses in 2024:
- Trondheim kommune
- Moss kommune
- Drammen kommune
- Bergen kommune
- Harstad kommune
In addition, the municipality has decided to reduce the number of automatic bonuses.
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