Question

Hi,

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!

Answer 1

1

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

Comments

Hi Anders,

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!

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If you don't meet the 8 weeks requirement (not starting a job of at least 296 hours here in Denmark within 8 weeks after you stopped being insured against unemployment in Ireland) then it means that you can not transfer your membership periods from the Irish Unemployment Insurance.

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