It can be difficult to decipher the rules around benefits for students who are soon to be parents. That is why we have comprised a list of the different possibilities below. If in doubt, you are always welcome to contact us.
Extra grant portions when becoming a parent
Are you to be a mother while attending a further education, you can receive 12 extra grant portions. Hence, you are not to apply for leave of absence from your studies when going on maternity leave, as you will lose your rights in the SU system.
Are you to be a father while attending a further education, you can receive six extra grant portions, regardless of the mother being enrolled in education.
If you are both students attending a further education, the mother can transfer up to six of her extra grant portions to the father. You must apply for extra grant portions at Min-SU.dk.
SU-loans
Providers can apply for a supplementary student loan alongside SU, student loans and ‘slutlån’ (a loan you can take out, if you have used up all your grant portions 12-24 months before completing your studies). The additional student loan cannot be disbursed concurrent with the extra grant portions when becoming a parent.
Additional grants
Are you a lone provider or cohabiting parents who both receive SU, you are able to apply for an extra grant in addition to your SU.
Note, the additional grants cannot be disbursed concurrent with the extra grant portions when becoming a parent.
Maternity pay
You have the right to maternity pay in one of the following cases:
- You must be employed on the first day of or the day before your leave of absence. You must have worked at least 160 hours within four full months prior to your leave. You must have worked at least 40 hours a month in at least three of the four months.
- You would have been entitled to unemployment benefits, if you were not on maternity leave.
- You have completed an occupational education of at least 18 months, within the month of giving birth. Here, joining an unemployment insurance fund is not required.
- You will complete an occupational education of at least 18 months, after giving birth but within the regular maternity leave (46 weeks post birth).
In this case, you have the right to maternity pay from the moment you would have been entitled to unemployment benefits from an unemployment insurance fund, if you had not had a child.
- You are an intern in a payed internship enrolled in an education that has been regulated with reference to the law.
Note that, if you receive maternity pay on the basis of a payed internship, you will still be entitled to maternity pay once the internship is completed.
Please note that it is possible to receive SU and maternity pay simultaneously. There is however an exception, if you have obtained the right to maternity pay based on the payment from an internship.
Regardless, be aware of your tax-free amount, which nonetheless will increase when becoming a provider.
Graduates
If you go on maternity leave more than a month after you have graduated, you are only entitled to maternity pay, if you are a member of an unemployment insurance fund.
Remember to join an unemployment insurance fund no later than 14 days after completing your education.
If you become a student member no later than 12 months before completing your education, you are able to receive your insurance benefits immediately instead of having to wait five weeks. Remember, even though you are already a member as a student, you must contact the unemployment insurance fund after graduating to change your status as ‘graduate’.
Despite being able to receive maternity pay, if your maternity leave begins within a month of completing your education, you must be a member of an unemployment insurance fund, as mentioned above, to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits after your maternity leave ends.
In case you do not meet the requirements for maternity pay, you can apply for social security during your maternity leave at the municipality. However, in order to be considered for it, you must be without a fortune or a spouse to support you financially.
Child support
It is a parent’s duty to support their children. If a parent does not live with the child, they must pay child support to the person supporting the child.
If a payment is termed overdue by the Agency of Family Law, and you have been unsuccessful in your own attempts to get it disbursed, you can apply for ‘Udbetaling Danmark’ to disburse it in advance.
This arrangement is called ’child support in advance’ (forskudsvist udbetalt børnebidrag).
Child and youth benefit
Child and youth benefits (also called ‘børnechecken’ which translates to ‘children’s cheque’) is automatically paid to families with children.
The benefit’s amount depends on the child’s age. You will receive a fixed amount for each child and it will generally be paid to the mother.
Child benefit for studying parents
During some periods of internship and school, it is possible to apply for additional child and youth support. In some cases, as a student, you may be granted a special child benefit.
The benefit depends on your income and is only granted insofar as you apply for it through ‘Udbetaling Danmark’.
Child benefit for sole providers
You can apply for ordinary child benefit, if you are the genuine sole provider. This means that you are not to live in a relationship similar to a marriage.
The benefit is paid each quarter and only insofar as you apply for it through ‘Udbetaling Danmark’
Additional child benefit
You can receive an additional child benefit, when you have custody of one or more children and receive ordinary child benefit as the sole provider.
Only one additional child benefit can be payed, regardless of the number of children. The benefit is payed each quarter and only by applying for it.