FAQ about benefits

In order to claim unemployment insurance benefits, you must fulfil these conditions:

• You must have been a member of an unemployment insurance fund for at least a year.
• If you are full-time insured, your total annual income must have been at least 263,232 DKK (as of 2024) over the past three years

When we look at your income as a full-time insured member, we may only count a maximum of 21,936 DKK per month (as of 2024). That means it will take at least a year to earn the right to unemployment insurance benefits.

If you are part-time insured, your total annual income must have been at least 175,488 DKK over the past three years (as of 2024).

When we look at your income as a part-time insured member we may only count a maximum of 14,624 DKK per month (as of 2024). That means it will take at least a year to earn the right to unemployment insurance benefits.

Whether you are full-time or part-time insured, only the income you have earned while you are a member of an unemployment insurance fund can be counted.

For more information, please see Ftfa.dk.

We calculate your unemployment insurance rate by looking at your income in the 12 highest paid months within the last 24 months.

You can only receive a maximum of 20,359 DKK a month before taxes in unemployment insurance benefits (2024 rates).

See the current rates on FTFa – also for part-time jobs and if you are a recent graduate.

You can apply for holiday allowance through Tast Selv, whether you are employed or unemployed.

We recommend that you apply no later than one month before your holiday.

You must notify 'Konstruktørforeningen's unemployment insurance fund – a part of FTFa', about maternity leave.

Usually you can start your maternity leave four weeks before you expect to give birth.

If you are unemployed, then you must contact your unemployment insurance fund four weeks before your due date at the latest.

You must also contact your job centre four weeks before your due date at the latest. Your job centre will assess whether you can stop coming to appointments until your maternity leave starts.

Konstruktørforeningen's unemployment insurance fund – a part of FTFa’ will then inform Udbetaling Danmark that you should receive maternity benefits, and they will then contact you.

For more information, please see Lifeindenmark.borger.dk.

You are allowed to work and have voluntary early retirement too. The hours that you work will be deducted from your voluntary early retirement benefit.

You can also do voluntary work without this impacting on your voluntary early retirement. NB: You must contact us if you are doing voluntary work or considering it.

Konstruktørforeningen's unemployment insurance fund is part of FTFa.

When you reach your voluntary early retirement age, ‘Konstruktørforeningen's unemployment insurance fund – a part of FTFa’, will send you a ‘voluntary early retirement certificate’. If you wish to enter voluntary early retirement (efterløn), please contact us.

You must apply for voluntary early retirement  no later than the day on which you wish to begin voluntary early retirement. We do, however, recommend sending the application a few weeks in advance. After that, we will gather information about your salary/wages and pension from Denmark’s e-income register (e-indkomstregistret). Once approved, you will receive a letter confirming this, with details of your voluntary early retirement rate and other practical information.

If you are a member of an unemployment insurance fund during your studies, you will enjoy a broad range of student benefits and offers:

1. You will be entitled to unemployment benefits from the date that you finish your studies.
2. When you apply for a traineeship or internship, you can discuss your situation with our career advisors.
3. You can obtain feedback on your CV and applications within 24 hours
4. You will have access to specific tools on our student portal to help you with your learning techniques. See Ftfa.dk/studieliv (in Danish).
5. You can participate in inspiration meetings to discuss LinkedIn, personal branding and the importance of your own network, among others.

Read more about how you can use your unemployment insurance fund while studying on Ftfa.dk/din-situation/studerende (in Danish).

Free membership if you are below 30 years old
You can obtain free membership of ‘KF’s unemployment insurance fund’ if you are aged less than 30 and enrolled to study in a course of at least 18 months’ duration.

If you are aged over 30, you must, in addition to being a member, also pay contributions to the early retirement scheme (efterlønsbidrag) and be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits at the beginning of your studies.

Although you may not be able to be a member entirely free of charge, FTFa has decided that in this situation you will not have to pay the administration fee to FTFa during that period. You will therefore only have to pay the part of the membership fee that is required by law.

See more about membership fees.