The Danish government said on December 17th 2025 that it is to reevaluate the claims of up to 5,000 people who receive disability pensions, førtidpensionister in Danish. The benefit is given to people who leave the labour market on health grounds before they reach retirement age.
The new measure will specifically target persons of 'non-Western' origin who live in underprivileged housing areas.
READ ALSO: Danish government targets foreign nationals for reassessment of disability pensions
Data shows a record number of people now receive the social benefit, news wire Ritzau reported in September 2025.
Some 265,000 people currently receive state pensions in Denmark before the retirement age because they are deemed medically unable to work.
The total number of people under 40 receiving the early retirement benefits – førtidspension in Danish – is at an all-time high, 2024 data shows.
The number of people under 40 granted early retirement rose year after year between 2015 and 2024, although new cases fell slightly in 2024.
Legislation passed in 2012 introduced a reform of the førtidspension system, significantly changing the criteria for approval of the early retirement benefits for younger individuals. The objective of the reform was to make it more difficult for people under 40 to qualify for early retirement.
READ ALSO: Denmark sees first decline in disability pensions for a decade
Who qualifies?
In general, people over the age of 40 whose ability to work is “permanently and significantly” reduced by a health condition, to the extent that they cannot hold down a regular job or one with flexible hours, can apply for the disability pension.
People under the age of 40 can only be approved for the benefit in special circumstances.
Some circumstances in which you lose the ability to work do not make you eligible for the retirement disability pension. These include a loss of working function for a limited period of time, or if you are able to rehab your way back to work through treatment or a work-specific course of action.
For international residents of Denmark, it’s important to know that there are specific criteria relating to your citizenship which must be fulfilled, as well as relating to prior residency.
READ ALSO: Danish government plans crackdown on foreigners who claim disability pensions
Citizenship and residence
In principle, you need to be a Danish citizen to qualify for the førtidspension, but EU and certain other nationals can also qualify. You also need to reside permanently in Denmark and have lived in the country for at least three years between the age of 15 and the regular retirement age.
It’s worth noting that you may be able to claim another country’s state pension in Denmark if you have lived and worked in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the UK or another country with which Denmark has an agreement.
READ ALSO: What foreign residents need to know about Denmark's pension rules
Under certain circumstances, you can still qualify for the Danish disability pension if you are not a Danish citizen. For this to be the case, you must fulfil one of the following three criteria:
- You are a citizen of an EU or EEA country, or Switzerland.
- You have lived in Denmark for at least ten years between the age of 15 and the state pension (retirement) age, including the five years immediately prior to the approval of your pension.
- You are a refugee granted residency under section 7 or section 8 of the Danish Aliens Act (Udlændingeloven). However, different rules apply if you arrived in Denmark after September 1st 2015.
What are the special rules for under-40s?
Anyone who claims a disability pension must first be approved following assessment of their ability to work, but more stringent criteria apply if you are younger than 40. The local authority (municipality) where you live has jurisdiction over the approval process.
The municipality must determine that all possibilities for job training (a so-called resourceforløb), supported employment (flexjob) or other assistance have been explored and deemed insufficient to help the individual in question regain work capacity.
For people under 40, there is increased emphasis on rehabilitation or other forms of support to help them re-enter the workforce. However, if their condition is so severe that further efforts are deemed futile, they may still qualify for the disability pension.
In other words, your condition must curtail your ability to provide for yourself and your family in the long term, with all other options for helping you return to work having been exhausted.
Source: Borger.dk, Sundhed.dk
Comments