Background information

Several pregnant self-employed women have due to closure related to COVID-19 restrictions not been able to meet the employment-requirement in order to receive maternity benefits. As a result, a majority in Parliament has decided to temporarily ease the employment-requirements for maternity benefits for the self-employed.

Content of measure

The period from 1 December 2020 to 30 April 2021 can now be disregarded in the assessment of employment-requirements in relation to receive maternity benefits. Instead the activity of the company before 1 December 2020 can be used to meet the requirement. In order to facilitate administration in the municipalities and the Danish Public Benefit Administration (Udbetaling Denmark) the measure applies to all self-employed people.

The change will work retroactively and apply to self-employed who have gone on maternity leave on or after 1 December. The municipalities and the Danish Public Benefit Administration (Udbetaling Denmark) will have to reopen the cases where maternity benefits have been refused during the period. The law was approved on 23 March 2021.

Use of measure

No numbers are available yet, but the government estimates with considerable uncertainty that the change will affect about 40 self-employed people.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Self-employed	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement.

Views and reactions

No views.

Sources

• 12 March 2021: Gravide selvstændige i corona-klemme kan få barselsdagpenge med tilbagevirkende kraft (bm.dk) (bm.dk)
• 23 March 2021: L 192 Draft law amending the Law on Sickness Benefits and the Maternity Act. (www.ft.dk)