Pension scheme for civil servants

Employment as a civil servant is limited to certain positions in the Danish central government. The appointing authority will inform the applicant if the employment is established as a civil servants’ position.

Civil servants are entitled to a pension in connection with their termination due to:

• age,
• infirmity,
• or any other cause that is not attributable to the civil servant.

The civil servant’s spouse and children under the age of 21 are also secured a pension if the civil servant dies.

Civil servants will only be entitled to civil servant pension after earning at least 1 year of pensionable service. 

The appointing authority is in general responsible for the registration of the right to a civil servant pension. When the civil servant resigns, the appointing authority initiates the retirement proceedings. 

Civil servant pensions are financed by the State Budget as a pay-as-you-go system. The pension is calculated based on the civil servant’s pensionable salary on the date of dismissal and the accumulated pensionable service of the civil servant. The maximum pensionable service is 37 years.

Civil servants employed 1 January 2018 or later are entitled to retirement pension (“aktuel pension”) in connection with their retirement by their earliest possible retirement age, which is 3 years before the state pension age. 

Civil servants employed before 1 January 2018 are entitled to retirement pension from the age of 60 or 5 years before the state pension age, depending on the time of employment.

In connection with retirement before the state pension age, a permanent deduction will be made in the civil servant’s pension. The size of the deduction depends on the age of the civil servant on the date of retirement. In connection with retirement less than two years after the earliest possible retirement age, the pension will furthermore be reduced by an amount corresponding to 50 percent of the supplement granted to pensioners below the state pension age.

The Danish authority Udbetaling Danmark calculates and pays the civil servant pension. 

During the civil servant’s employment, the civil servant can make a preliminary calculation of the civil servant pension at tjenestemandspension.dk, where the civil servant must log on by using MitID. If the civil servant does not have MitID,  the civil servant can apply for MitID.

Prior to retirement or dismissal, the appointing authority will initiate a digitized process in which the civil servant must log on at www.tjenestemandspension.dk and approve the information on which the pension will be calculated. Afterwards, the appointing authority will transfer the information to Udbetaling Danmark for calculation.

• Read more about MitID
• Tjenestemandspension (in Danish)

Civil servants are under certain circumstances entitled to infirmity pension ('svagelighedspension') and qualified infirmity pension ('kvalificeret svagelighedspension') in connection with retirement before they have reached earliest possible retirement age (the age of 60 or more). 

Qualified infirmity pension will be calculated based on the pensionable service that would have been accumulated by retirement at the age of 70.

Civil servants who have performed at least 10 years’ service and who are dismissed for another reason than age or infirmity and which is not attributable to any fault of their own will have their pension ('aktuel pension') calculated on the basis of the pensionable service accumulated on the date of dismissal.

If a civil servant leaves the position before having attained the age of which being entitled to current pension, the person in question will receive a deferred pension ('opsat pension'), which is calculated on the basis of the pensionable service accumulated on the date of resignation.

If a civil servant or retired civil servant dies, the surviving spouse will receive a pension, which normally totals 71 per cent of the deceased’s pension. In order to be entitled to a spouse's pension, the marriage must have been established:

• before the civil servant has retired with a current pension
• before the civil servant has reached the age of 65
• at least 3 months before the civil servant’s death.

Children below the age of 21 of a civil servant with a current pension are entitled to a child pension supplement ('børnepensionstillæg') until they have reached the age of 21. Children below the age of 21 of a deceased civil servant or retired civil servant are entitled to a child pension until they have reached the age of 21. Orphaned children are entitled to twice the amount.

Different conditions apply concerning spouse’s pension and child pension for children of a former civil servant with a deferred pension ('opsat pension').

If you are not satisfied with how Udbetaling Danmark has dealt with your case, you are welcome to contact Udbetaling Danmark, Tjenestemandspension. Sometimes misunderstandings can occur and can easily be resolved with a verbal explanation.

If you disagree with a decision

You may file a complaint about a decision from Udbetaling Danmark if you disagree with it. A decision can for example be classified as the amount you receive in tjenestemandspension – or any other decision that Udbetaling Denmark makes in your case. You will always receive a letter from Udbetaling Denmark, in which the decision will be stated along with a complaint guide.

There is no fixed time limit for filing the complaint, but Udbetaling Danmark must receive your complaint within reasonable time after your receipt of the decision. They will then assess the matter again.

If Udbetaling Danmark reject your complaint, they will forward it to the Danish Employee and Competence Agency. The Danish Employee and Competence Agency is the highest administrative complaint board for Udbetaling Danmark, tjenestemandspension. If the Danish Employee and Competence Agency reject your complaint, you can bring the case before a Danish district court.

Complaints about other matters

Udbetaling Danmark will also consider complaints received about other matters in your case and investigate whether there is anything that should have been done differently. You will always receive an answer to your complaint.

How to file a complaint

You can file a complaint by calling Udbetaling Danmark or sending your complaint to Udbetaling Danmark, Tjenestemandspension, preferably marked ‘Klage over tjenestemandspension’.

During employment the appointing authority can answer questions about the civil servant pension scheme.

During employment, civil servants may also address questions to the Danish Employee and Competence Agency concerning the pension scheme for civil servants.

After retirement, former civil servants may address questions concerning the calculation of the civil servant pension to the Danish authority Udbetaling Danmark.

• Danish Employee and Competence Agency (in Danish)
• Kontakt Udbetaling Danmark, Tjenestemandspension (in Danish)

• The Civil Servant Pension Act. LBK nr. 510 af 18/05/2017 (Bekendtgørelse af lov om tjenestemandspension) (in Danish)
• Lov om Social Pension (in Danish)