I receive housing benefits and have applied for social assistance (kontanthjælp). Will I be impacted by the cap on social assistance?
Yes. If you are entitled to receive social assistance, you will receive a letter from your municipality about what your cap on social assistance is.
Udbetaling Danmark will automatically receive the information and calculate if your housing benefits and special help for high housing costs need to be reduced.
If you already know what your cap on social assistance is, you can make an initial calculation based on how much you receive in housing benefits and special help for high housing costs.
I live together with someone who receives housing benefits
If you live with someone who receives housing benefits, your cap on social assistance might cause a reduction of his/her housing benefits. When Udbetaling Danmark calculates how much you receive in total benefits, part of that person’s housing benefits will be designated as your housing benefits.
This is because the housing benefits are divided equally between the number of adults in the household. If your total benefits, including your share of the housing benefits, is higher than your cap on social assistance, the person you are living with will receive a reduced housing benefit.
The housing benefits will be divided between the number of adults living in the household. For example, if you are two adults living in the home, and the person you are living with receives DKK 2,000 in housing benefits, DKK 1,000 of that will be included in the calculation of your total benefits. If three adults are living in the home, DKK 666 will be included in the calculation.
Can I avoid the cap on social assistance?
As a general rule, you cannot avoid the cap on social assistance. However, there are situations where your housing benefits and your special help for high housing costs will not be reduced due to the cap on social assistance.
This applies if you or a person you are living with:
- receive housing benefits based on the rules for those who are very mobility impaired
- receive housing benefits based on the rules for constant care
- have been approved for and assigned a public senior housing or similar type of home due to a physical or mental impairment
- are an old-age pensioner or disability pensioner based on the old rules and have been assigned a public senior housing or similar type of home by the municipality.