FTF-A is an unemployment insurance fund for 135.000 members - employed and self employed. Our services are tailored to your requirements and provide you with access to relevant services and products. Furthermore you get it all at a very competitive price.

FTF-A is one of the cheapest unemployment funds in Denmark with a monthly fee of only 419 DKK before taxes.

Advantages of FTF-A membership

You could compare FTF-A to an insurance company; by paying an annual premium, you get an insurance against economic loss if you become unemployed.

We also provide a wide range of services to help you keep a foothold in the job market. As a member of FTF-A you are entitled to:

• DKK 14.235 per month in benefit rate as a full time employed graduate
• A maximum of DKK 17.355 per month
• Help and personal coaching in your job search

Joining as a student

By joining FTF-A one year before you graduate, you will be entitled to receive benefit rate from the day you graduate.

As a student you can obtain a free membership depending on your age at the time of your application for membership. If you are not entitled to free membership, you can join a year ahead on normal conditions and obtain the right to benefit rate from the first day after your graduation.

Free membership for students - the conditions

• To be a free member you must be under 30 years old and studying. The education must justify for admission as a graduate at an unemployment fund. Free membership is given for one year at a time, for a maksimum of 5 years all together - but only until the education is finished. You can only get a free membership if the total income, for example from SU and work, does not exceed the maximum benefit rate or trainee wage.
• If you are over 30 years old it is also possible to become a free member. You must be studying and the education must justify for admission as a graduate at an unemployment fund. Free membership is given for one year at a time, for a maximum of 5 years all together - but only until the education is finished. The conditions for a free membership is furthermore that:
• your total income, for examle from SU and work, does not exceed the maximum benefit rate or trainee wage.
• you at the beginning of the education meet the requirements of working hours. You must have been working 1.924 hours within the last three years or have received a benefit rate and still have the right to benefit rates.
• you pay retirement contributions (efterlønsbidrag). It is not possible to avoid if you want to be at free member.

Joining as a graduate - IMPORTANT

If you do not join FTF-A a year before graduation, you must join at the latest 2 weeks after your graduation.

If so, you will receive the graduate privileges, which entitle you to unemployment benefits a month after completing your education.

Joining FTF-A later than 2 weeks after graduation

If we have not received your application at the latest 2 weeks after ending education, you will only be able to get a membership of FTF-A if you are employed or self-employed.

In such instances you will first be entitled to receive unemployment compensation after 12 months of membership and after having worked for a period equivalent to 52 weeks of unsubsidized full-time employment within a 3-year period of membership.

Ending your education

Your education is considered ended: When student activities have stopped, you have received your final grade and passed your exams.

If your certificate is issued after the student activities have ended, then the date of sending the degree certificate will be considered the date of ending education

If your education ends with a thesis, the education can be considered ended already at the time when an advance approval is received from your examiner or counsellor.

It is required that all grades have been awarded and all student activities have stopped. Student activities include participating in tutorials, exams or defending a thesis etc.

General conditions for joining FTF-A

It is a condition for admission to FTF-A that you have had residency in Denmark before starting your education, and that you maintain residency in Denmark at the time of application.

If you are not a Danish citizen, you must have a valid Danish residence and work permit in order to get unemployment benefits from FTF-A. The permit must be valid through the whole period for which you seek benefits, and also give you the right to work full-time.

For more information on residence and work permits:　

Udlændingeservice - The Danish Immigration Service, Ryesgade 53, 2100 København Ø, Tel.: 35 36 66 00, www.nyidanmark.dk

Unemployment benefits

For 2013 the benefit rate for a full time employed graduate is DKK 14.235 per month.

As a new graduate, you can get a new calculation of your benefits after a period of 7 months, if you have been working for at least 3 months. The highest benefit rate for 2013 is DKK 17.355 per month.

If you have a student job

If you resign your position, you will be subject to 3 weeks suspension, in which time you do not have the right to claim unemployment benefits. This rule also applies if you have a student job. In order to avoid a suspension period, you should not only have resigned but also left the place of employment before you can get a benefit rate from FTF-A.

If you choose to continue your student job after ending your education, it is possible that you could claim partial benefits.

Contact FTF-A for further information.

If you become unemployed

It is very important that you report to your local jobcentre (Jobcenteret - government employment agency) immediately if you loose your job.

Registration at jobcentret can also be done electronically at www.jobnet.dk

You can at the earliest receive unemployment benefits from the date you have registered at jobcenteret. You also have to enter your CV into jobcentret’s CV-bank, www.jobnet.dk, at the latest 3 weeks after registering as unemployed at jobcentret.

During your first month of unemployment we will invite you to a meeting at FTF-A. We will tell you about rights and rules, which you have to pay particularly attention to.

Furthermore we will give you inspiration in your active job search and good advice regarding your CV. After that you will be given a short individual meeting with a consultant who will approve your CV on www.jobnet.dk and look at jobs you shall apply for.

How to join

The easiest and quickest way to become a member of FTF-A is by signing up here.

You can also fill out an application form and send it to our address:

FTF-A, Postboks 220, 0900 København.

Or you can call our membership service on phone: 70 13 13 12.