FAQ ON RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING UNEMPLOYMENT

In order to claim unemployment insurance benefits, you must be able to check off these conditions:

• You need to have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for at least a year
• If full-time insured your total income must be at least 263.232 DKK (as of 2024) within the last three years
• When looking at your income as a full-time insured member we may only count max 21.936 DKK (as of 2024) a month. This means it will take at least a year to earn the unemployment insurance benefits.
• If part-time insured, your total income must be at least 175.488 DKK (as of 2024) within the last three years.
• When looking at your income as a part-time insured member we may only count max 14.624 DKK (as of 2024) a month. This means it will take at least a year to earn the unemployment insurance benefits.
• Whether you are full-time or part-time insured, only the income you have earned while being a member of an unemployment insurance fund can be counted.

Graduates

If you are newly graduated your time of education counts as work if the education is set to last 18 months/three semesters. You will be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits if you make sure to change your status from student to graduate within 14 days after you have graduated. The earliest you can be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits while under education is 18 months after you have started. If you are not already a member, you have to register within 14 days of graduation.

We pay the unemployment insurance benefits a calendar month at a time equalling 160,33 work hours regardless of the number of days and weeks in the month.

If unemployed you can claim the unemployment insurance benefits for a total of 3.848 hours within a period of three years. This translates into two years of unemployment insurance benefits with an expiration date of three years. The three years are also referred to as the period of reference. When the period of reference has expired you must have earned enough work hours or income to qualify for a new period of unemployment insurance benefits if you have not found employment.

Unemployment insurance rates

We calculate your unemployment insurance rate by looking at your income in the 12 highest paid months within the last 24 months.

You can only receive a maximum of 20.359 DKK a month before taxes in unemployment insurance benefits (2024 rates). This equates an hourly pay of 127 DKK.

If you have earned 24.600 DKK on average a month before taxes for a year for the last two years you will receive the highest unemployment insurance rate.If you have not earned enough to claim the highest rate, we will calculate your rate as such:

(Your total income the last 12 months) x0,92/12x0,90 = rate per month. With a monthly income of i.e. 20.600 DKK, the calculation will look like this:

247.200x0,92/12x0,90 = 17.057 DKK a month.

You can find your unemployment insurance rate per hour by dividing your monthly rate by 160,33. In the above example that comes to a total of (17.057/160,33) = 106,39 DKK/an hour.

There is no minimum rate. Your unemployment insurance rate completely depends on your salary in the 12 highest paid months. However, the maximum rate is 20.359 DKK a month (2024 rates).

Latest update: 01 /02-2023

When can I get my unemployment insurance benefits?

In order to receive your unemployment insurance benefits, you need to fill in your unemployment benefits card every month so we know how many hours we have to pay you for that month. When you have done that, your unemployment insurance benefits will be transferred to your bank account the last bank day of the month.

Your unemployment benefits card will be available at Tast Selv around the 24th of every month. See payment calendar here

You will be paid for a full calendar month at a time. This means 160,33 hours unless you have had activities that needs to be subtracted.

When you fill in your unemployment benefits card you have to give your best estimate of what will happen during the last period on the card. We are aware that your situation can change during that period, and because of that the payment is on account. This means that it is possible to regulate the payment if something unexpected happens.

Payments on account

Should it turn out that you are offered work, you will have to send in an update unemployment benefits card with the new information on the 1st of the following month. When we receive the updated unemployment benefits card we will calculate the amount you have received extra and counter it on your next unemployment insurance benefits payment.

Send your updated unemployment benefits card

Send your updated unemployment benefits card the 1st of the following month and you know which unexpected changes there has been. Your deadline for sending the updated card is the 10th of the following month.

Do you want to avoid estimating?

Is this the case, you can delay sending your card until the month is over. Then your unemployment insurance benefits will be transferred to your account 3-4 workdays after we have received it. Please be aware that there can be consequences for other public services if you receive two months’ worth of unemployment insurance benefits in the same calendar month.

Latest update: 01 /02-2023

When you become unemployed you are eligible for 3.848 hours of unemployment insurance benefits within a three-year-period. This amounts to two years of unemployment insurance benefits with an expiration date of three years. The three years are also called the period of reference. When the period of reference has expired you must have earned enough work hours or income for a new period of unemployment insurance benefits, if you have not secured steady employment

You spend your unemployment insurance benefits eligibility on an hourly basis. Every time you are paid an hour’s worth of benefits you spend from your total of 3.848 hours of unemployment insurance benefits.

Your monthly payment amounts to 160,33 hours’ worth of unemployment insurance benefits every month. The hours that need to be subtracted from your unemployment insurance benefits are piled and subtracted from the 160,33 hours at the end of the month. The hours subtracted can for example be holiday or work.

Latest update: 01 /02-2023

If you have a part-time job or for any other reason do not work full-time, you can apply for supplementary benefits.

Latest update: 01 /02-2023

How do I qualify for supplementary benefits?
When you receive supplementary benefits, you have to be available for the labour market in the same way as when you receive full unemployment insurance benefits. Besides this, you have to be able to accept a full-time job with a day’s notice. Remember to always send a copy of your contract or the form, ”Information regarding part time work” to us at Tast Selv no later than five weeks after starting the part-time job.

Since you have to be able to take on a full-time job with a day’s notice, you cannot be tied by a resignation period. Therefore, you must have a discharge certificate.

Read more about employment with a period of resignation and a discharge certificate below.

Don't forget that:

• Every week in which you work and receive unemployment insurance benefits counts as a week with supplementary benefits. If you, for example, work 36 hours one week you will receive one hour’s benefits and thus spend a week of supplementary benefits.
• We have to pay you a minimum of 14,8 hours for a whole month. If you have worked enough for us to pay you less than 14,8 hours of benefits, you will not receive benefits that month. That also means that none of your weeks of work count in the 30-week total for supplementary benefits.
• If your 30 weeks of supplementary benefits run out in the middle of a month you can get your supplementary benefits until the end of the month. Even though you are qualified for 30 weeks of supplementary benefits, you may in fact receive supplementary benefits for a few additional weeks.

Supplementary unemployment benefit is unemployment benefit that you can receive in weeks where you work less than 37 hours, and where we can pay you at least 14.8 hours (12 hours) of unemployment benefit in a whole month.

1. You must be entitled to unemployment benefit and be registered as unemployed at jobnet.dk

On your first day of unemployment, you must register as unemployed at Jobnet. You must also send your unemployment declaration to FTFa. You can see a guide on how to register as unemployed here.

2. Get your supplementary unemployment benefit approved

As an unemployed person, you must always be able to take up full-time work at a few days’ notice. This means that you must not be tied to part-time work with a required period of notice for your employer.

• If you have an employment contract, send it to us here.
• If you do not have an employment contract, fill in the form “Information on work with supplementary unemployment benefit” – click here.

3. Send your release certificate

If your job has a period of notice, your employer can waive the notice period in writing, which will allow you to receive supplementary unemployment benefit. Your employer can do this by:

• Filling in a release certificate, or
• Waiving the period of notice by having this written into your employment contract. You should send the form or your employment contract with the waiver no later than five weeks after you start work (or five weeks after you were registered as unemployed), otherwise you can only receive supplementary unemployment benefit from the day we receive the documentation.

Please be aware that not all employers may wish to waive the period of notice.

You can find the release certificate at Tast Selv, under ‘Ledig’ (Unemployed). You must send the release certificate to FTFa via your mailbox, here.

4. Wait for written approval and information from FTFa

• You can obtain the right to receive supplementary unemployment benefit for 30 weeks within a period of 104 weeks (2 years).
• You can receive supplementary unemployment benefit for weeks in which you work less than 37 hours, provided you are entitled to unemployment benefit for the month.
• You must still be actively job-seeking and be fully available for work.

You can read more about how long you can receive supplementary unemployment benefit, and how to extend and reactivate the period, above this text box.

5. State your working hours on your unemployment benefit card

When you have been approved for supplementary unemployment benefit, you must remember to state your working hours on your unemployment benefit card when you send in the card in at the end of the month.

Latest update: 01 /02-2023

If you, for example, are employed part-time with a month’s notice of resignation, you must have a discharge certificate from your employer in order to receive supplementary benefits.

The discharge certificate means that your employer gives up your notice period and lets you leave immediately if you find full-time employment. The certificate is necessary for you to be available for the labour market. Please be aware that your employer is not obligated to sign a discharge certificate. If you have any problems with the discharge certificate, it is important that you contact us.

You can find the certificate at Tast Selv –> Forms –> Unemployed –> Discharge certificate AR230

Click here to go to Forms

1 day without unemployment insurance benefits

Every fourth month we have to check how much work you have had in the previous four months on unemployment insurance benefits. If you have worked a total of 148 hours you will continue on unemployment insurance benefits without a waiting day.

If you have not worked that much you will experience a waiting day. This means that you will be deducted one day of your unemployment insurance benefits.

The four months’ period begins from the day you are approved for unemployment insurance benefits. The period can be extended if you have received sickness or maternity/paternity benefits.

With supplementary unemployment benefit, you can work part-time or be self-employed and top up your hours with unemployment benefit. You can receive supplementary unemployment benefit for 30 weeks within a period of 104 weeks.

If you have a part-time job in which you are required to give notice before quitting, for example of one month, you will need a release certificate from your employer in order to receive supplementary unemployment benefit.

The release certificate means that the employer waives your period of notice and allows you to quit immediately if you are offered a full-time job. This is necessary in order for you to meet the requirement of being available for work. Please note that your employer is not obliged to fill in a release certificate. If you have problems obtaining a release certificate, it is important that you contact us.

You can find the release certificate at Tast Selv under ‘Alle blanketter -> Ledig -> Frigørelsesattest AR230’. We need to receive your signed release certificate within five weeks of you starting work. If we receive it later, you can only receive supplementary unemployment benefit from the day we receive the certificate.

Click here to go to ‘Alle blanketter’

You should be aware that you cannot always do unpaid work without this being offset against your unemployment benefit. The voluntary work must be for an organisation, association or the like, and there are four criteria that the organisation or association must meet:

• It must be based on a voluntary initiative
• Its primary purpose must not be to generate profits
• The board must work voluntarily
• Membership of the organisation or association must be voluntary

This means that you cannot do voluntary unpaid work for public institutions without this being deducted from your unemployment benefit from the first hour.

The law divides voluntary work into two categories:

1) Activities: You may freely perform any tasks that would not be offered as ordinary paid work. This might include work in community centres and shelters, participation in fundraising events, association work or work as a service assistant in charity shops. This also applies to various forms of telephone counselling that do not require specific training.

2) Work: For up to 44 hours a month, you can perform unpaid tasks that require or presuppose special training and which could be offered as paid work, without this affecting your unemployment benefit. An example might be telephone counselling that requires or presupposes specific training. Please note, however, that there must be no salaried employees in the association or organisation with the relevant job category.

Contact FTFa

It is important that you contact FTFa if you wish to do voluntary unpaid work, so that we can advise you on whether the work or activity can be combined with being on unemployment benefit. As described above, it is essential that the voluntary work takes place in an organisation or enterprise that does not have a profit-making objective.

G-days are the first days of unemployment on which your employer must pay unemployment benefit to you if you are made redundant from your job or cease working in a temporary job. To qualify for G-days, you must have been employed for at least 74 hours in the four weeks before you became unemployed.

If you meet the employment requirement of 74 hours of work within 4 weeks, you are entitled to 2 G-days.

If your employer forgets the G-days

Employers are often not aware that they have to pay G-days. We therefore encourage you to contact FTFa if you have any doubts as to whether you are entitled to G-days. We can also help you to get payment for G-days from your employer.

Your former employer must pay for G days as quickly as possible. This must be done no later than the second wage payment after you stop working, or after you have made a solemn declaration.

Payment of half and full G-days for part-time work

If you are employed as a day-to-day temporary worker, you are considered to be dismissed each day at the end of your work. The employer must therefore pay for G-days if you do not have full employment on these days.

If you have worked less than 3.7 hours on the last working day, this triggers a full G-day. If you have worked more than 3.7 hours on your last working day, this triggers a half G-day. If you are working on permanently reduced hours or a rota scheme, your employer does not have to pay G-days until your employment ends.

Example of a working week in which the member works as a substitute/replacement:

Monday: 8 hours

Tuesday: 7 hours (triggers ½ G-day)

Wednesday: 0 hours (triggers 1 G-day)

Thursday: 0 hours (triggers 1 G-day)

Friday: 6 hours (triggers ½ G-day)

Monday: 8 hours

In this example, the employer has to pay for half a G-day on Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday, when the member is fully unemployed, the employer must pay for two full G-days. It does not matter which days you work.

Every 4 months, we must check how much you have worked in the previous 4 months during which you have received unemployment benefit.

If you have worked more than 148 hours in total, you will continue to receive unemployment benefit without a waiting day.

If you have not worked that much, you will have one day of waiting time. This means that there will be one day when you will not receive your unemployment benefit.
The four-month period starts when you have been approved for unemployment benefit. The period can be extended if, for example, you have been on sickness benefit or maternal/paternal benefit.

There are several situations in which you may be at risk of being quarantined:

You resign from your job

You will be quarantined if you refuse an offer of work or activation without a legally valid reason. You will also be quarantined if you quit your job without a legally valid reason.

The quarantine period is a period of three weeks (equivalent to 111 hours) during which you will not receive unemployment benefit. The quarantine is effective – which in concrete terms means that it is applied only on days when you are already entitled to unemployment benefit. If for example you take four days of holiday during the three weeks of quarantine, the four days will be added after the three weeks have passed. This is because you are not entitled to unemployment benefit while you are on holiday. If three months go by without your quarantine being settled, it will expire.

It is very important that you always contact FTFa before refusing a job offer or quitting your job, so that we can help you to find a good solution. In general, it is not a legal reason for you to quit your job because of a bad boss, high pressure of work or being transferred to other tasks or workplaces, etc.

Your employer fires you

If you are dismissed by your employer, you will be quarantined if the reason for the dismissal is primarily your own fault – for example, if you have stolen money, or sexually harassed someone, etc. The quarantine period is three weeks (equivalent to 111 hours) during which time you will not receive unemployment benefit. The quarantine is effective – which in concrete terms means that it is applied only on days when you are already entitled to unemployment benefit.

If the dismissal is not primarily due to circumstances resulting from you as an employee, you will not be quarantined. It is up to us, as an unemployment insurance fund, to assess each individual termination.

You fail to turn up to meetings

If you fail to attend mandatory meetings at the job centre or unemployment insurance fund without a legally valid reason, you cannot receive unemployment benefit. Your unemployment benefit payments can be resumed once you have contacted the meeting convener about your absence.

You say no to a job offer because of child-minding problems

When you are unemployed, it may happen that your job centre finds a job for you, or a programme for you to join. You must say yes to this. If you do not accept the offer, you risk being quarantined (effective quarantine period of three weeks, during which time you will not receive unemployment benefit). It may be that the job centre’s offer lies outside normal working hours. If you have problems having your child minded outside the opening hours of the creche or kindergarten, the job centre should only provide you with jobs or offers that are within normal working hours. That’s why it’s important to make sure you let the job centre know if you have child-minding difficulties. It is your responsibility to be proactive and contact your job centre to make sure they are aware of your child-minding problems.

You become unemployed twice in one year through your own fault

Have you quit your job and not turned up to meetings? If you experience any of the above situations and become unemployed twice within 12 months through your own fault, you will be affected by the so-called recurrence effect. This means that you lose your right to unemployment benefit. However, you can get your unemployment benefit back if you work 300 hours within a three-month period. The three-month period starts from the day you are quarantined.