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Various types of benefits are available in Denmark, which are tailored to the specific needs and situations of citizens. Among the most common applications are:
- Social allowance (kontanthjælp), which supports those in financial distress.
- Unemployment benefit (dagpenge), granted to those who have lost their jobs and are in the process of seeking new employment.
- Sickness benefit (sygedagpenge), offered to those unable to work due to illness.
- Family allowance (børnecheck), aimed at families with children.
- Maternity benefit, providing financial support during maternity leave.
Each of these allowances is designed to meet different demands and life situations.
To apply for social benefit, make sure you meet the basic requirements:
- Have a CPR number that corresponds to the Polish PESEL.
- Be employed under an employment contract.
- Obtain a residence permit if your planned stay in Denmark exceeds 6 months.
Temporary employees hired for up to 3 months do not have to comply with the same formalities as employees hired for a longer period. For seasonal or short-term employment, additional requirements to register or obtain a residence permit are not necessary.
In order to receive social benefit, you must also have legal residence and permanent residency in Denmark. Social allowance is not granted to people who reside in a country other than Denmark.
The first step to obtaining social benefit in Denmark is to contact your local municipality, or Socialcenter. There you will get information on the application procedure and a list of required documents.
The most commonly required documents include:
- Income and employment information.
- Documents proving your financial situation.
- Proof of identity.
- Other documents that may be required depending on your situation.
During the visit, an assessment of your needs will be conducted and an application for social benefits will be submitted. The office staff will also help you fill out the application.
If you apply for temporary financial assistance through Borger.dk, simply proving your low income is not enough. You must present specific plans to improve your financial situation, which are aimed at implementing this plan or surviving a difficult period. Borger.dk treats this assistance as a last option, granted only when other options have already been exhausted.
Keep in mind that sample forms and procedures may vary from municipality to municipality, so it is advisable to consult your local authorities for accurate information.
We invite you to use our services to make the process of applying for social benefit in Denmark easier for you. We offer comprehensive assistance in preparing the necessary documents and support at every stage of your application. Contact us to ensure that you receive professional assistance and that all paperwork is completed.
In Denmark, you can apply for unemployment benefits after losing your job. To qualify for this support, you must immediately register with the labor office after losing your job. However, it should be borne in mind that not every person who has taken a job in Denmark in the past has an automatic right to this benefit. It is necessary to meet several conditions at the same time in order to be eligible for its payment.
Unemployment benefit in Denmark is available to those who meet the following conditions:
- Being a member of the unemployment fund (A-kasse) for at least one year and paying regular contributions of 8% of salary, which are paid by the employer.
- Working a minimum of 52 weeks in the past 3 years for full insurance or 32 weeks for partial insurance.
- Being a resident of Denmark and having a CPR number.
The amount of the allowance depends on your last salary and can be up to 90% of that amount. The average daily allowance is about DKK 600-700, which is equivalent to about PLN 359-419. The possibility of receiving the allowance lasts for a maximum of 4 years, but it is usually granted for a maximum of 2 years with the possibility of extension.
After suddenly losing your job, register as soon as possible with your local labor office (Arbejdsformidlingen) or use their online platform. Registration is key to being able to apply for benefits.
Then prepare all the necessary documents, such as:
- CPR number.
- Proof of registration with the labor office.
- Employment contracts and other documents proving your previous employment and its duration.
Once you have your documents ready, you can move on to filling out the application form for unemployment benefit. Make sure that the information you provide about your financial situation and employment is accurate and truthful. Attach the required documents to the form, such as employment contracts and labor certificates. Submit the completed form and all attached documents to the labor office. You can do this in person or through the online official platform. After submitting your application, be prepared for a waiting period, which can take up to several weeks. During this time, check the status of your application regularly to ensure that it has been processed and that no additional documents are required.
If your application is approved, unemployment benefits will be transferred to your bank account or other designated form.
There is a voluntary unemployment insurance option available in Denmark through insurance funds, which are often run by unions. To take advantage of this option, you must be between 18 and 63 years old, live in Denmark and be employed and paid in the country. To do so, you will need to fill out a form with the appropriate insurance company, tailored to your profession or level of education.
Exact information and forms can be found on the websites of local labor offices and unemployment insurance organizations.
You can apply for sickness benefit in Denmark if you meet the following criteria:
- You must be employed and have worked for a minimum of three months in a company that has a collective bargaining agreement with Danish labor unions. Otherwise, or if you have worked less than three months, the benefit will be paid by the municipality.
- In the last six full months before your first day of illness, you should have worked at least 240 hours, with a minimum of 40 hours per month for five months. In the case of an accident at work, these requirements do not apply, and you are entitled to benefit from the first day of illness, as long as the accident is recognized by the Labor Market Insurance (Arbejdsmarkedets Erhvervssikring).
If you have suffered an injury in the course of your duties at work, the previously mentioned criteria are not mandatory. It is crucial that the incident be recognized by the Labor Market Insurance (Arbejdsmarkedets Erhvervssikring), but this process can sometimes be quite lengthy. In such a situation, you will be entitled to sickness benefits from the first day of illness if the accident occurred at work, regardless of whether all the conditions specified above are met.
However, if you did not suffer an accident at work and want to claim sickness benefits for another reason, prepare all the necessary documents:
- A medical certificate confirming your inability to work.
- CPR number (Danish identification number).
- Information regarding your employment, such as your employment contract and other documents proving your employment status.
Contact your local labor office (Arbejdsformidlingen) or other relevant institution. You can submit your application in person, by phone or through the online platform. Complete the application form with details of your employment and current health status. Attach the required documents to the application, such as the medical diagnosis and proof of employment, as detailed above.
After submitting your application, await processing. This process may take time, but it is important that you check the status of your application regularly, as you may need to provide additional documents if requested by the institution. Once your application is successful, sickness benefits will be paid to your bank account or using another pre-designated form.
In the event of an illness that prevents you from performing your duties at work, you must immediately communicate this to your employer. If you have worked a minimum of 74 hours in the past 8 weeks, he is obligated to pay sickness benefits for the first 30 days in which the benefit is granted. If this requirement is not met, the municipality will assume responsibility for paying the benefit. In addition to this, information regarding your illness must be sent electronically by your employer. Once you receive the digital correspondence on the e-box, you must respond to it and send it to the municipality within 8 days.
The amount of sickness benefits paid depends on your company's collective bargaining agreements. Contact your labor union for details. Alternatively, if your workplace has not signed a collective bargaining agreement, or if you have worked for less than three months, sickness benefits will be paid by the municipality, which may entail a lower amount than standard sick pay.
To get child benefit in Denmark, known as børnecheck, you must meet several conditions and go through the entire procedure. Anyone who is legally employed in Denmark has the right to claim this benefit regardless of whether their children live in Denmark or outside of Denmark. This applies to both permanent and seasonal workers. The benefit is payable for any child under the age of 18, and for children born in Denmark, the benefit is paid automatically, without the need for additional applications. In some cases, a visit to the Udbetaling Danmark office may also be necessary - this is especially true for European Union citizens working in Denmark whose children are not registered and do not live permanently in Denmark.
The amount of the allowance depends on the age of the child, the length of employment in Denmark and the rates set annually. For example:
- Children aged 0-2 years: DKK 5,124 per quarter.
- Children aged 3-6: DKK 4,056 per quarter.
- Children ages 7-14: DKK 3,192 per quarter.
- Adolescents aged 15-17: DKK 1,064 per month.
The benefit is also retroactive to 3 years, provided the person was employed in Denmark during that time. It is worth remembering that the 800+ benefit granted in Poland is deducted from the Danish family allowance.
The benefit is paid quarterly for children up to 14 years of age, and monthly for young people from 15 to 17 years of age. Quarterly payments are made on the 20th of January, April, July and October. Monthly benefits are paid every 20th of the month.
To begin the process of applying for benefits, you must go to the local municipality office, called Socialcenter, according to where you live. There you can obtain E 401 and E 411 forms and a return address, which are necessary to continue the procedure.
To apply for benefits in Denmark, you must prepare the following documents:
- E 401 and E 411 forms.
- Work and residence permits (Opholds- og arbejdstilladelse).
- Abbreviated copies of the child/children's birth certificate and marriage certificate.
- Information about the children's registration in Poland and any other benefits.
- Copies of the employment contract and the last three pay statements.
- CPR number (the Danish equivalent of a PESEL number).
- Tax card.
- Yellow card for health care eligibility.
If your children live outside of Denmark, such as in Poland, you will need to send the forms E 401 and E 411 from the Socialcenter to your spouse residing in Poland after collecting them. At a later stage, it is the responsibility of the spouse residing in Poland to handle most of the paperwork at the Regional Social Policy Center. The documents delivered to the Regional Social Policy Center are verified and then sent to the appropriate Socialcenter in Denmark. There you must go with your employment contract and pay statements.
In Poland, you will need to provide certificates from the municipality confirming the registration of your spouse and children, abbreviated copies of your children's birth certificates and marriage certificate, as well as information on your spouse's income and any child benefit you receive.
You can also apply for benefits online through the Udbetaling Danmark website by logging in with your NemID. The required documents must be translated into Danish or English. Alternatively, you can apply through borger.dk, but then you will need to sign and scan an additional form.
It can take between 6 and 12 months to process a child benefit application in Denmark, with the average waiting time being around 33 weeks. The process can be prolonged, as it often requires verification of information by the relevant offices in Poland.
When a woman with Polish citizenship wants to apply for Danish maternity benefit, she must first meet several important conditions. First and foremost, you must have resided in Denmark for at least six weeks prior to the start of your maternity leave and have legal employment in Denmark. In Denmark, the collection of this benefit begins when there is one month left until the scheduled date of childbirth, so at around the 8th month of pregnancy. The Danish maternity benefit is payable for another 24 weeks after the birth of the child.
The amount of maternity benefit is determined individually based on your current income. The maximum possible amount you can receive in maternity benefit in Denmark is currently 3113 kroner per week, which is equivalent to about 1,900 zlotys.
First of all, inform your employer of the situation, that is, your planned maternity leave and your intention to apply for benefits. Not only will your employer provide you with the documents proving your employment that will be necessary for your application, but they can also share relevant information with you as to exactly how the process works.
Next, make sure you have all the required documents. You'll need your CPR number (the equivalent of a Polish PESEL number in Denmark), an employment contract or other document proving your employment, and details of your expected delivery date. Once you have the documents gathered, apply for maternity benefits at your local labor office (Arbejdsforhold). You can submit the application in person, send it by mail, or use the online option. Remember to fill out the form accurately and include all required documents to avoid possible delays.
Once your application is submitted, you must wait for it to be processed. Waiting for a decision to be made can take up to several weeks. The office may additionally ask you to provide additional documents or clarifications in the meantime, if necessary to make a final decision, so it is worth constantly monitoring the status of your application. Once your application is successfully approved, the maternity benefit will be paid to your designated bank account or sent in the form of a postal check.