Social benefits and unemployment

If you want to apply for cash benefits, you must first register as unemployed at the Jobcentre.

You must send the digital application as soon as possible and no later than within 2 days of the inquiry in the Job Center. If the application is received later than 2 days after the first inquiry, this may mean that you are only entitled to cash benefits from the time the application is received.

Security incident in the Municipalities' Performance System:
Have you received a public benefit in the period 1 March 2021 to 9 February 2024, and has the benefit been paid to someone other than yourself, e.g. housing or utility company or other company, then you may be covered by the data breach.
 
The reason is that personal data has been identified in some payment notices, which are automatically generated in the Municipalities' Performance System. The data breach occurred in payment notifications that are sent to people other than citizens. This information only includes the legal basis for the payment, but should not be available to companies such as housing and utility companies etc.
 
The citizens who may be covered have received 'Help in special cases', also called 'individual benefits' in accordance with §§ 81-85 of the Act on Assets and §§ 35-39 of the Act on Integration.
Furthermore, in the period 1 October 2023 to 9 February 2024, it has also happened in a few cases where wage subsidy refunds have been paid to companies in connection with employment in jobs with wage subsidy.
 
If you have any questions about the above and would like clarification as to whether you, in particular, are covered by the data breach, you are always welcome to call us on tel. , then we will call you as soon as possible.”
 

Who can apply for cash benefits?

You can apply for cash benefits if there are changes in your circumstances so that you can no longer support yourself or your family. This can be, for example, due to unemployment, separation, divorce, death in the family, and in some cases during pregnancy or childbirth.

It is also a condition:

• that your maintenance needs cannot be covered by unemployment benefits or other income
• that the need for maintenance cannot be covered by wealth
• that both your, and any spouse's, job opportunities have been utilized

You can therefore not get help if you reject a reasonable offer of work, activation or other employment-promoting measures. In general, you need to take advantage of your work opportunities to get cash benefits.

If you apply for cash benefits due to unemployment, you must be registered as unemployed on Jobnet.dk, and you must participate in activation.

What documents do I need to apply for cash assistance?

In the electronic application form, it is finally stated which types of documentation you must send with.

For example, you may be asked to send documentation for:

• Housing costs
• Balance information on all accounts in banks
• Pay slips for the last 3 months or documentation for other income eg SU
• Possibly payment statement and receipts
• Termination from work or education (Termination from employer or eg the reason why you have resigned yourself)

You also have a duty to provide information about any matters that may affect the size of the assistance. Eg. changes in connection with residence, housing benefit, wage income, holiday pay, SU, interest income, inheritance, wealth, excess tax, etc.

If you are married, your spouse must also complete part of the application form. Your application is not complete and will not be sent to the municipality until your spouse has completed his or her part of the form. 

If you need to send or resend documentation in connection with your case, it must be done via The municipalities' performance system (KY).

Can I get cash benefits if I have a fortune?

If you have income or wealth that can cover your financial needs, you cannot receive cash benefits. In addition, spouses have a mutual maintenance obligation. This means that if your spouse has income or wealth, you may not be able to get cash benefits.

One will, however, disregard smaller fortunes: 

• property limit for single people: DKK 10.000.
• wealth limit for married couples: DKK 20.000.

In addition, a small fortune that is necessary to maintain or achieve a necessary housing standard can be disregarded, or which should be preserved for the sake of your or your family's business and educational opportunities.

Wealth can be, for example, cash, deposits in banks, securities, rental property, owner-occupied housing and holiday homes, cars, motorcycles, boats, caravans and the like, as well as capital pensions (which can, however, be disregarded for six months). In addition, amounts of DKK 50.000 or less are disregarded.

What income is important for cash benefits?

As a general rule, all income, both own and that of the spouse, is deducted from the cash benefit. When calculating the cash benefit, however, DKK 15,23 (2013 rate) per hours worked before tax, however, for a maximum of 160 hours per. month. This applies regardless of whether it is income from employment or income as part of activation.

Persons, including spouses who receive or wish to receive cash benefits solely due to unemployment, and who also have part-time work, must from day to day be able to cease part-time employment in order to take over employment to a greater extent. If, according to the employment contract, there is no right to termination from day to day, or the employer does not wish to issue a release certificate in connection with part-time work, cash benefits will not be payable.

There are certain exceptions to the release certificate, depending on the size of the part-time work income. Information about these rules can be obtained by contacting the service case officer.

The following income does not result in a deduction in cash benefits:

• Disability benefit and disability amount
• Income for children under 18 years of age
• Compensation for loss of earning capacity paid as a result of personal injury 

If you receive integration benefit, education benefit or cash benefit, there is a limit to how much you can receive in benefits monthly in total. That limit is called ’kontanthjælpsloftet’.

When and how is the cash benefit paid?

You will be paid the cash benefit via your bank. The cash benefit is paid monthly in arrears. You will therefore usually not be paid the money until one month after your first application for cash benefits.

Therefore, it is important that you immediately apply for cash benefits when your livelihoods lapse. For example, in the event of unemployment, you must, via Jobnet, apply for cash benefits on the first day of unemployment, sign up for Jobnet and participate in the offered activation from this time.

If you do not have a maintenance basis until the first payment of cash benefits, you can apply for up to one month of one-off benefits.

From the time a grant is granted, it will normally take four banking days before the benefit is credited to your bank account.

See instructions and read more about payment via NemKonto at Nemkonto.dk

Do I have to pay back my cash benefits?

Cash benefits and individual expenses must be reimbursed in the following situations:

• if assistance is provided for housing deposits and the like
• if the assistance has been received unlawfully and / or against better knowledge
• in the case of assistance for forward expenses
• if you are subject to a sanction under the Unemployment Insurance Act

The municipality can demand that the cash benefit be repaid in the following situations:

• if the assistance is provided due to unsound finances, unreasonable abandonment or refusal of work or activation offers
• if you or your spouse are participating in a strike or are subject to a lock-out
• if you are able to repay the assistance in a shorter period of time
• if you later receive a benefit that covers the same purpose and the same period
• in the case of fraud and the duty to provide information has been breached
• if you lose another public benefit due to lack of information about changes in circumstances
• if you stop working for no reasonable reason
• if you refuse a job offer without reasonable cause
• if you without reasonable cause cease and / or reject offers under the Employment Act

What obligations do I have on cash benefits?

When you receive cash benefits, you must meet a number of obligations. Failure to do so may result in a reduction or complete loss of your cash benefit.

When you are on cash benefits, you have a duty to accept any reasonable offer of activation in a workplace, training offers and courses, etc. that can improve your future business opportunities. In addition, you and your potential spouse have a duty to accept any reasonable offer of employment.

In the activation / work offer, it will be fully stated whether you will attend as agreed

• If you fail to receive your offer without reasonable cause, the municipality must set off against the cash benefit. If you are partially absent from your offer / activation, a full day's benefit will be deducted from your cash benefit, regardless of the number of hours you have actually been absent.
• If, in connection with illness, you have been asked to show medical documentation for the absence, and you have not submitted the documentation in time, your absence due to illness will be regarded as absence without reasonable cause. Ie. the municipality offsets in the cash benefit.
• If you reject an activation offer without reasonable cause or you are absent from the activation to such an extent that the absence is equated with an actual rejection, your cash benefit will cease.

You can read more in general about cash benefits here

What is the 225-hour rule?

You (and your potential spouse) must meet a work requirement of 225 hours of ordinary and unsupported work if you (and your spouse) are to continue to be able to receive full integration benefit, full educational assistance or full cash assistance.

The rule means that the assistance to you (or your spouse) lapses or is reduced if you have received assistance for a total of at least one year within three years and you have not had at least 225 hours of ordinary and unsupported work before for the last 12 calendar months.

Read more about the 225-hour rule for married couples on borger.dk or read more about the 225-hour rule for unmarried people on borger.dk

Can I get a subsidy for individual expenses?

If you are applying for help with individual expenses, an individual assessment will be made. The assessment emphasizes, among other things, which expense it is, whether the expense is reasonable and absolutely necessary, your ability to pay yourself, possibly by depositing in a bank or taking out a loan, and whether the expense can be borne by other legislation. Assistance for individual expenses is tax-free, and you must in principle have applied for the assistance before you have assumed the expense.

Individual expenses for medical treatment and medicine
Assistance can be provided to cover expenses for medical treatment, including dental treatment, medication or the like, if the expense is medically well-founded and you are not able to bear the expense yourself.

No assistance can be provided if the expense can be covered by a private insurance scheme.

Individual expenses for contact with own children
Assistance can be provided for incurring expenses in connection with maintaining access rights with children under the age of 18, if you do not have the opportunity to pay the expenses yourself.

Individual relocation costs
Relocation assistance can be provided if this leads to a housing improvement or an improvement in the opportunities to get to work and you are not able to pay the cost yourself.

There are special rules regarding moving abroad.

Other single expenses
When applying for other reasonable individual expenses, the following are emphasized:

• there must have been a change in your relationship
• there must normally be a situation which could not have been foreseen

Apply for single expenses or special support electronically here

Can I get unemployment benefits during the holidays?

Apply for unemployment benefits during holidays here.

Where can I find case processing times?

See all case processing times here.