Cash allowances

• Basic allowance
• Supplementary allowance
• Caregiver allowance for first and second child
• Reduced caregiver allowance for third and fourth child

Basic allowance

The basic allowance covers expenses for food, personal hygiene items, etc. This is paid to all asylum seekers over the age of 18 who do not receive free food at their accommodation centre.

Supplementary allowance

Asylum seekers over the age of 18 who are not placed on the 'food allowance' programme can receive a supplementary allowance if they comply with the contract they enter into with the accommodation centre, regarding completing necessary tasks and participating in job activation or courses. Read more about conditions for asylum seekers.

Caregiver allowance

Asylum seekers with dependent children under the age of 18 receive a caregiver allowance to support their children. Only one allowance per child is given. The caregiver allowance is paid for a maximum of two children. If a family has more children, they will receive a reduced caregiver allowance for the third and fourth child. It is not possible to receive allowances for more than four children.

Groups who cannot receive the supplementary allowance

Asylum seekers placed on the 'food allowance' programme or whose cases are being handled according to the expedited version of the 'manifestly unfounded' procedure cannot receive a supplementary allowance, only the basic allowance and a reduced caregiver allowance, if applicable. However, applicants who have been placed on the 'food allowance' programme or whose cases are being handled according to the expedited version of the 'manifestly unfounded' procedure, who are living at an accommodation centre where free meals are served, cannot receive any cash allowances.

Current amounts

Below is a list of 2011 allowance amounts. (Amounts are adjusted annually.)

The basic allowance is DKK 50.03 per day per adult. Applicants living with a spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner will receive DKK 39.61 per day per adult. The basic allowance is paid in advance every other Thursday.

While an application is in its initial phase - when it has yet to be determined whether the application will be processed in Denmark or elsewhere - the supplementary allowance is DKK 8.35 per day. If it is decided that the application is to be processed in Denmark, the supplementary allowance will be increased to DKK 29.19 per day. The supplementary allowance is paid every other Thursday, at the end of each fourteen-day period.

The caregiver allowance for the first and second child, during the initial phase, is DKK 58.38 per child per day. If it is decided that the application is to be processed in Denmark, the caregiver allowance will be increased to DKK 79.22 per child per day. There is a reduced caregiver allowance for the third and fourth child of DKK 41,70 per child per day.

For asylum seekers who live at an accommodation centre where free meals are served and who are in the initial phase, the caregiver allowance is DKK 8.35 per child per day for the first two children. For asylum seekers who live at an accommodation centre where free meals are served and who are in the case processing phase, or who have been denied asylum by the final instance and are collaborating with the Danish authorities to leave Denmark, the caregiver allowance is DKK 29,19 per child per day. For asylum seekers living at centres where free meals are served, there is no caregiver supplement for the third or fourth child.

Caregiver allowances are paid in advance every other Thursday.

Examples of cash allowances

Examples of cash allowances for asylum seekers in the initial phase of case processing and who are given the supplementary allowance:

Example 1: Family of two adults and two children:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 2977.52 every 14 days.

Example 2: Single adult without children:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 817,32 every 14 days.

Examples of cash allowances for asylum seekers whose applications are being processed according to the normal procedure and asylum seekers who have been denied asylum by the final instance and are collaborating with the Danish authorities to leave Denmark, who are given the supplementary allowance:

Example 3: Family of two adults and two children:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 4144.56 every 14 days.

Example 4: Single adult without children:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 1109.08 every 14 days.

Examples of cash allowances for asylum seekers on the 'food allowance' programme:

Example 5: Family of two adults and two children on the food allowance programme:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 2509.92 every 14 days.

Example 6: Single adult without children on the food allowance programme:
Living at a normal accommodation centre with no free meals: DKK 700.42 every 14 days.