How Denmark treats
handicapped people”
How Denmark treats
handicapped people”
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HELPER SYSTEM
PENSION
ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES
ACCOMMODATION
HELPING DEVICES
MEANS OF TRANSPORT
REHABILITATION
OTHER
HELPER SYSTEM
My name is Jens DalsgaardJensen. I am 69 years old and
have been married to Lilly for 43
years. We have three children
and five grandchildren.
HELPER SYSTEM
I have been diagnosed with ALS in nine
years, but my ALS was slowly advanced.
By the date of diagnosis the doctor set life
expectancy at three years, but they were
wrong in my case, which has meant that I
have taking care of myself with the help
from Lilly, as well as family and friends, but
now my needs have increased, and I
therefore seek the public sector for
additional help in daily life.
HELPER SYSTEM
The day I was diagnosed by with ALS Lilly
and I went into a restaurant and got
something good to eat and we talked
about the diagnosis and agreed that now
we have lived well for 60 years and that it
was important to get most of the time
together we had left. I was not sick, I just
had ALS. We still have a wonderful life
together with family and friends and we
now plan for a further nine years.
HELPER SYSTEM
The Danish public sector shall provide full
financial assistance for the disabled to
cover any need for assistance both in and
outside the home.
It appears clear to Arne and Jens and I
would not have been able to participate
here if we didn’t have paid helpers.
Transportation to treatment, doctor visits,
etc. you can get paid by the public sector.
HELPER SYSTEM
Both Jens and Arne going a week to
Poland and I two weeks in
rehabilitation sanatorium and get the
cost of helpers covered. Both Jens’s
got their wives as assistants, who will
then have a free holiday in Poland.
PENSION
Early retirement pension in Denmark applies to persons
between 18 and 65.
As of 01-01-2010
Retirement Pension Yearly - Single
€ 26 056
(DKK
195,420)
Retirement Pension Monthly - Single
€ 2 171
(DKK
16,285)
If you are single, you may have additional income of up to €
8 867 (DKK 66 500) per year (2010), without affecting
your retirement pension.
Your retirement will be reduced with € 4 (DKK 30) down for
every 13 € (DKK 100) your total income is higher than €
8 867 (DKK 66 500) (2010).
You are not eligible for early retirement pension if your
overall revenues are higher than € 95,720 (£ 717,900)
(2010
PENSION
Retirement Pension Yearly - Married
€ 22 147
(DKK
166,104)
Retirement Pension Monthly - Married € 1 798
(DKK
13 842)
Is your partner not retired, the public sector shall ignore the
first € 22 147 (DKK 166 104) (2010), your partner earns.
Then you can have a total additional income of up to €
14 067 (DKK 105 500) per year (2010) before it affects
your pension.
Your retirement will be reduced by 4 € (DKK 30) for every
13 € (DKK 100) your total income is higher than € 14 067
(DKK 105 500) (2010).
This should be enough to live a good life assuming your
wife has a good income and you will recover additional
expenses related to his disability.
PENSION
State pension start from 65 years
Rates as of 01-01-2010
Pension for single basic rate per month
€ 727 (DKK
5 448)
Pension for single extra rate per month with income
below € 8 133 (DKK 61 300 / year)
€ 755 (DKK
5 658)
Maximum income per month
€ 1 482
(DKK 11 106)
Pension for married basic rate per month
€ 727 (DKK
5 448)
Pension for married extra rate per month with income
below €16 400 (DKK 123 000 / year)
€ 365 (DKK
2 735)
Maximum income per month
€ 1 092
(DKK 8 183)
PENSION
Here are the financial difficulties quite
different. After 65 years stop any additional
financial support, so you only have this
pension available.
The saying is that when you reach the age
of 65 the public sector will announce you
healed. There is not the same need of
assistance, which is nice. One must of
course hope the disabled person has a
good private pension in addition.
ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES
In Denmark additional costs is covered for adults aged 1865 years.
The purpose to grant cover of additional expenses:
Its purpose is to contribute to a person with permanently
impaired physical or mental function and his family can
live a normal life like other non-disabled people with
same age and same life situation.
Additional cost allowance to ensure that a person with
permanently impaired physically or mentally disability to
recover the additional costs required as a prerequisite for
everyday work.
The aim of grants for additional expenses generally is to
enable the recipient to organize how his or her needs
best can be met.
Additional cost allowance must also ensure that persons
with permanent disabilities which make a special effort to
maintain a link to the labor market can remain on the job
market.
ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES
The main rules:
The local authority provides assistance to cover
the documented necessary additional expenses
at the daily life of people between 18 and 65
years with permanently impaired physical or
mental disability when the additional cost is a
consequence of reduced functional capacity and
can not be covered under other legislation or
other provisions of law on social services.
With permanent disability means a prolonged
illness, the consequences for the individual is
the intrusive nature of everyday life which means
that there must be deployed with significant
remedial measures.
ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES
TABLE Monthly Rates as per Social
Services Law §100.
Estimated add. Expenses
Additional
allowance
500 – 1 749 DKK
€ 200 (DKK 1 500)
1 750 – 2 249 DKK
€ 267 (DKK 2 000)
2 250 – 2 749 DKK
€ 333 (DKK 2 500)
2 750 – 3 249 DKK
€ 400 (DKK 3 000)
3 250 – 3 749 DKK
€ 467 (DKK 3 500)
Etc.. Etc.
ACCOMMODATION
Danish public sector are required to the
extent the disabled person has a need that
cover the economic cost of changes at
home, so the disabled can freely move in
the rooms, toilet and bath, kitchen, living
room, hall, room, entrance and approach
to the home after the cheapest appropriate
improvements.
ACCOMMODATION
In many situations, people living in inaccessible
housing as for example in blocks of flats without
lift or dwellings with doorways through which
wheelchairs can not pass or you can not get out
on too small a toilet. Nor is it practical to be
supplied with a wheelchair when you can not
come down from the 3rd floor of the property
and use it
If housing is not suitable for alterations for disabled
people's movements, the municipality shall help
to find and pay both relocation and eventual
more expensive housing.
HELPING DEVICES
For disabled people are helping devices as ceiling
lift, manual lift, wheelchair, electric wheelchair,
eating utensils provided by the public sector
after the disabled person's current needs. In
addition, you get assigned personal custom
devices. I have been awarded the coating bag
for legs and jacket for winter use as a tool.
My experience is to contact the public sector in
good time of the devices, since the release and
delivery can take a long time so that you can not
come into the situation to be supplied with
wheelchair when the funeral is conducted.
TRANSPORT
Danish public sector supports the disability car, but
this doesn’t mean that the car is free. There will
always be a user charge. By appropriation
provided support for the cheapest suitable car
as an interest free loan of up to € 21 333 (DKK
160 000) incl. delivery cost, though not higher
than to the car's purchase price.
The car must be registered in the disabled own
name, whether or not it's another to drive the car
TRANSPORT
If the applicant has an income below € 25 467
(DKK 191 000), half of the loan is to be repaid. If
income exceed € 25 467 (DKK 191,000),
increases the portion of the loan to be repaid
with 20% of the additional income.
The loan is repayable over six years, equivalent to
72 months. The portion of the loan not be repaid
is deducted by 1/72 per month.
An exemption from the green owner tax (formerly
ACT) in cars with white license plates and road
tax on cars with yellow license plates.
TRANSPORT
Disabilities needed devices mounted in disability
car is purely public sector costs.
We have municipalities with waiting times over 18
months to disability cars. I got my current car 5
years ago. My application was sent to the
municipality on the 1st June and got it approved
on 1st July, after which the county approved the
application 1st August. The car was purchased
and prepared for the 28th August, as it should
bring me and my helpers to Poland on
rehabilitation sanatorium the same day.
REHABILITATION
There is free help for physical therapy
two times per week paid by the public
sector for the disabled. Furthermore
rehabilitation to the extent the public
sector and physicians in association
deems appropriate. All alternative
treatments is the disabled own
expense.
REHABILITATION
However, I have personally been able to
obtain warm water swimming in six years
paid by the public sector. Since the public
sector cut me this opportunity, I have the
last 2 years participated in warm water
swimming through membership of the
Danish Handicap Sports Association.
Jens gets as an example his fitness training
paid.
REHABILITATION
I have previously applied the
municipality for accompaniment for
physiotherapy, where the municipality
responded that it was better to
physiotherapist came to me at home,
which meant that the county and not
the municipality would cover the cost.
OTHER
In Denmark are medical and
hospital services free of charge to
all residents and provides
subsidies for medicines. When
disabled got breathing problems
respirator is provided for.