KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Denmark in October 2022?
Energy cash relief for selected students and retirees, the end of NemID moves closer and will a general election be called? Here are some of the things you can expect to see in Denmark in October.
Energy compensation begins for selected students and retirees
From Friday October 1st, people who receive the ældrecheck supplement to the Danish state pension will see an extra 2,500 kroner arrive in their bank accounts.
The amount represents the first half of a 5,000 kroner compensation agreed by parliament in September for pensioners likely to be worst affected by the energy crisis. The second 2,500 kroner will be paid out at the beginning of next year.
Most eligible people will receive the cash on Friday, but it could take up to five days to come through, the Ministry of Employment said in a press statement on September 23rd.
Later in the month, students who receive the state student grant, SU will be given a 2,000 kroner one-off compensation if they receive a disability or single-parent supplement to their regular monthly grant (termed SU-handicaptillæg and SU-forsørgertillæg in Danish, respectively).
The extra compensation for students will be paid out around the middle of the month.
READ ALSO: SU: Can foreigners receive Denmark’s state student grant?
Clarity over general election?
August saw a lot of speculation that a general election would be announced imminently. That did not happen in September (at the time of writing, with one day to go), but a key date is coming up in October.
The Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party earlier this year demanded Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen call an early election. The demand was issued in response to the conclusions of an inquiry into the government’s 2020 mink scandal, which resulted in Frederiksen receiving a rebuke.
The Social Liberals have threatened to bring down the government through a vote of no confidence if an election is not called by October 4th, the date parliament reopens for the autumn season.
Although the government could wait until June 4th, 2023 to hold a general election – the last one was in 2019 –Frederiksen is therefore under pressure to hold the vote this autumn. The government is yet to give any indication of when it might do so, with Frederiksen skirting the issue when asked.
READ ALSO: Could Baltic Sea gas pipe leaks affect Denmark’s election timeline?
Deadline for switching to MitID arrives
A key deadline to switch from Denmark’s NemID secure online ID system to its replacement, MitID, comes at the end of this month.
NemID will be turned off for secure platforms like banking and public services on October 31st. After this date, only MitID can be used to log on.
Other platforms, like online shopping, will still accept NemID for now. The old system will be fully decommissioned on June 30th, 2023.
READ ALSO: MitID: New digital ID could keep some Danish shoppers out of online stores
Some foreign residents need to visit the Borgerservice citizens’ service desk in their local municipality in order to change from NemID to MitID. This is because the change requires users to confirm their identities. This can be done online if you have a Danish passport – but of course, not everyone who lives in Denmark has one of these.
This doesn’t mean all foreign residents need to go to Borgerservice to set up MitID. If you have recently confirmed your identity with authorities in person (for example, if you set up NemID at Borgerservice not too long ago) then your details will be on record and you should be able to switch online.
For others, an appointment might need to be made, which will require a bit of planning ahead – hence the logic in getting things arranged before October rolls around.
READ ALSO: How non-Danish passport holders can switch from NemID to MitID
Many SAS flights remain cancelled
Scandinavian airline SAS has cancelled 1,700 flights in September and October as a result of continuing staffing problems.
The cancellations were first reported in August, affecting around 500 planned departures for October.
Domestic flights in the Scandinavian region and international flights within Europe are both affected, with the airline blaming the after effects of the 15-day pilot strike it suffered in July.
READ ALSO: SAS cancels 1,700 flights in September and October
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Energy compensation begins for selected students and retirees
From Friday October 1st, people who receive the ældrecheck supplement to the Danish state pension will see an extra 2,500 kroner arrive in their bank accounts.
The amount represents the first half of a 5,000 kroner compensation agreed by parliament in September for pensioners likely to be worst affected by the energy crisis. The second 2,500 kroner will be paid out at the beginning of next year.
Most eligible people will receive the cash on Friday, but it could take up to five days to come through, the Ministry of Employment said in a press statement on September 23rd.
Later in the month, students who receive the state student grant, SU will be given a 2,000 kroner one-off compensation if they receive a disability or single-parent supplement to their regular monthly grant (termed SU-handicaptillæg and SU-forsørgertillæg in Danish, respectively).
The extra compensation for students will be paid out around the middle of the month.
READ ALSO: SU: Can foreigners receive Denmark’s state student grant?
Clarity over general election?
August saw a lot of speculation that a general election would be announced imminently. That did not happen in September (at the time of writing, with one day to go), but a key date is coming up in October.
The Social Liberal (Radikale Venstre) party earlier this year demanded Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen call an early election. The demand was issued in response to the conclusions of an inquiry into the government’s 2020 mink scandal, which resulted in Frederiksen receiving a rebuke.
The Social Liberals have threatened to bring down the government through a vote of no confidence if an election is not called by October 4th, the date parliament reopens for the autumn season.
Although the government could wait until June 4th, 2023 to hold a general election – the last one was in 2019 –Frederiksen is therefore under pressure to hold the vote this autumn. The government is yet to give any indication of when it might do so, with Frederiksen skirting the issue when asked.
READ ALSO: Could Baltic Sea gas pipe leaks affect Denmark’s election timeline?
Deadline for switching to MitID arrives
A key deadline to switch from Denmark’s NemID secure online ID system to its replacement, MitID, comes at the end of this month.
NemID will be turned off for secure platforms like banking and public services on October 31st. After this date, only MitID can be used to log on.
Other platforms, like online shopping, will still accept NemID for now. The old system will be fully decommissioned on June 30th, 2023.
READ ALSO: MitID: New digital ID could keep some Danish shoppers out of online stores
Some foreign residents need to visit the Borgerservice citizens’ service desk in their local municipality in order to change from NemID to MitID. This is because the change requires users to confirm their identities. This can be done online if you have a Danish passport – but of course, not everyone who lives in Denmark has one of these.
This doesn’t mean all foreign residents need to go to Borgerservice to set up MitID. If you have recently confirmed your identity with authorities in person (for example, if you set up NemID at Borgerservice not too long ago) then your details will be on record and you should be able to switch online.
For others, an appointment might need to be made, which will require a bit of planning ahead – hence the logic in getting things arranged before October rolls around.
READ ALSO: How non-Danish passport holders can switch from NemID to MitID
Many SAS flights remain cancelled
Scandinavian airline SAS has cancelled 1,700 flights in September and October as a result of continuing staffing problems.
The cancellations were first reported in August, affecting around 500 planned departures for October.
Domestic flights in the Scandinavian region and international flights within Europe are both affected, with the airline blaming the after effects of the 15-day pilot strike it suffered in July.
READ ALSO: SAS cancels 1,700 flights in September and October
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