Can I transfer unemployment rights from Ireland?
I just moved from Ireland to Denmark would like to know if there’s any benefits that I can claim while I look for work. Because I am new to the country, I have not been a member with an A-kasse for a year, as required. However, I have been been making unemployment insurance payments in Ireland for the last 5 years.
Is it possible to somehow transfer these rights and receive something here in Denmark as I search for work? I have been here for 5 weeks, but only stopped working for my employer in Ireland this week. (Actually I was here for a week, then went on vacation for 2 weeks, so now have only been officially living here for 2.5 weeks)
I also see that I should have registered with the Danish Jobcenter within 7 days, but I was unaware if I could do this without a CPR number. Does the fact that I still had a job in Ireland until this week have any significance?
Thanks so much for any help!
1 Answer
Hi,
yes, as an EU-citizen it is possible to transfer working periods/income and member/insurance periods from Ireland to the danish A-kasse.
However in Denmark we have a special condition for being able to transfer rights:
You must within 8 weeks after you ceased to be insured in Ireland, start a work here for at least 296 hours over 12 weeks / 3 months.
I don't know how payments to unemployment insurance work in Ireland. If you have stopped paying to the irish insurance, then you must start a job in Denmark within 8 weeks after you stopped payments, for being able to transfer your earned rights from the irish unemployment insurance.
According to EU law you can only be member of one A-kasse/unemployment Insurance at a time, and that must be in the EU-country where you work.
For transfering rights you need a PD U1 document from the Irish Unemployment Insurance. This docuement tells the danish A-kasse about your earned rights.
Read more here: https://www.a-kasser.dk/transfering-periods-of-work-and-insurance-from-another-eea-country/
Best regards,
Anders Weber, www.a-kasser.dk
Thank you very much for your response. I’m going to get in touch with the Irish insurance and see what I can do.
In terms of looking for work - if I don’t find something within the 8 weeks, then I am entitled to nothing? I’m just a bit confused, as I wouldn’t be looking to claim benefits if I had a job.
However, I just started doing freelance writing for a company based in Denmark, but don’t think I have a way of proving how
many hours I will work, as it is not fixed and varies day by day. Would this be of any use? Thanks for your help!
This means that you need to be a member in a danish A-kasse for 1 year before you can apply for unemployment benefits ("dagpenge").
However working periods/income you have had in ireland (while being paying to unemployment Insurance in ireland) can still be used to meet the income-requirement in a danish A-kasse, even if you don't meet the 8-weeks requirement. So if you will have difficulty to meet the income-requirement in 1 year (you must earn at least DKK 233,376), then you will be able to include some income earned in Ireland.
For being able to count income in the income-requirement it must be reported by your employer to the income-register. But any kind of income that is registered can be used, regardless of how many hours. The hours is not important, it is the registered income that the A-kasse will use to find out if you meet the income-requirement.
For income eraned in Ireland, you must prove it by showing payment notes or other.
Best regards,
Anders, www.a-kasser.dk