Stop pay for A-kasse, if not qualified under new law?

Question

I am a EU citizen, but I lived in EU(working in Denmark) just last 2 years. I have paid A-kasse more then one year. So, It was not point for me to pay this, if next year will ask for unemployed benefits? If I will apply till the end of this year, I will get this benefits after 2019?

Answer 1

Hi,

If you apply for benefits after 1. of January 2019, you must have stayed in Denmark or another EU/EEA country for 5 out of the last 12 years. This will be 6/12 in 2020 and 7/12 in 2021 and beyond.

As you tell us, you have only stayed in DK/EU for the last 2 years. So we assume that before that you were living in a non EU/EEA country.

Periods with study in a non EU/EEA country can be counted in the 5/6/7 years. However this exception can only be used if you were staying in Denmark immediately before the education was begun.

If you apply for unemployment before 1. of January 2019, you will not have to meet this requirement. If you meet the other requirements you will be granted a 2-year period with unemployment benefits. And you can receive them also in 2019 and 2010 even if you dont meet the requirement of stay. It is the rules on the time you apply for benefits that is crusial for your rights.

Best regards,

Anders Weber, www.a-kasser.dk

Comments

No, I was not studying. I have double citizenship EU and non EU country. I have lived in UE just 2 years. This mean that I paid A-kasse more then one year and I will lose the right to apply for benefits?

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Hi,
if you have not stayed in Denmark or another EU-country for at least 5 out of the last 12 years (2019), then it dosen't matter if you have double citizenship or not.
But if you had been staying in another EU-country you could have included the period, because you have EU-citizenship.

As I write if you apply for benefits before 1. of January 2019 you will not be affected by the new requirement.
But after that date, you will not be able to get Unemployment benefits, even if you have been member of an A-kasse for more than 1 year.
So it seems for me it will not be relevant for you to stay as member in the A-kasse.
Only if you decide to stay in Denmark for some years, it could be relevant again to Sign Up with A-kasse at a later time.

Also be aware that for qualifying for benefits you must not only have been member for 1 year, but also have earned a minimum income during the last 3 years. And here only income earned during membership periods in A-kasse, can be included. Read more about the other requiremetns here:
https://a-kasser.dk/benefits.html
So I agree it seems to be waist of money to pay for membership until maybe 1 year before you have stayed 7 years in DK, depending on how much you earn. If you earn less than DKK 228,348 per year before taxes, then you must be member of an A-kasse for more than 1 year to meet the income-requirement (have earned DKK 228,348 during the last 3 years).

Best,
Anders