Changes to the unemployment benefit rules

Employed or self employed

The maximum benefit rate will be raised to DKK 23.449 during the first 3 months of unemployment, provided you have been fully employed for 2 of the last 3 years and have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund (a-kasse) for the last 4 years. The unemployment benefit rate can however only amount to 90 percent of your former income.

Graduates

• The benefit rate for a graduate under the age of 30 who is not a sole provider (ikke-forsørger) will after 3 months unemployment be reduced from DKK 14.106 to DKK 9.700.
  
  The benefit rate for a graduate aged 30 or over who is not a sole provider (ikke-forsørger) will after 3 months unemployment be reduced DKK 14.106 to DKK 12.253.
  
  The benefit rate for a graduate who is a sole provider (forsørger) will not be changed.

• The maximum period of benefits for graduates will change from two to one year. This applies to graduates who become eligible for unemployment benefits from May 1^st 2023.

Language requirement for graduates

• All graduates must possess a level of Danish equal to Dansk 2 in order to receive unemployment benefits. You have met the language requirement if you have completed a degree taught in Danish.

  See the list of how to meet the language requirement

  If this is not the case, you can also meet the requirements by having at least 600 hours of employment before applying for unemployment benefits.

  The 600 hours have to be distributed over 12 months within the last 24 months before you register as unemployed. It does not have to be in 12 consecutive months.

  You can include paid hours that are outside your membership period, but the hours must be reported to SKAT. You can use working hours from another EEA country, but at least 150 of the paid hours must come from subsequent work in Denmark. The requirement of 600 hours (tilknytningskravet) must be met again in the event of a new right to unemployment benefit as a graduate.