FTF-A is an unemployment insurance fund for 130.000 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 394 DKK.

Advantages of FTF-A membership

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

We also offer 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 13.368 per month in benefit rate as a full time employed graduate
• A maximum of DKK 16.923 per month
• help and personal coaching on preparing for job search
• 3 weeks holiday on benefit rate

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 your 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

If you are under 29:

- you must have a job.

- your yearly income must not exceed 195.520 DKK. If so, your must pay the normal membership fee.

If you are between 29 and 30: you also have to:

- sign up for the redundancy pay

- be entitled to unemployment benefit, meaning that you should have 1.924 hours of payed work within the last 3 years and you must not have used your right to unemployment benefit.

If you are 30 or more: in addition to the above you must be member of an unemployment fund already.

Joining as a graduate - IMPORTANT

If 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 for 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 2010, the benefit rate for a full time employed graduate is DKK 13.368 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 2010 is DKK 16.293 per month.

Holiday unemployment benefits

As a graduate you are entitled to up to 15 days with holiday unemployment compensation benefits for both the first and second holiday-year after you have completed your education. You can apply online.

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 seeking admission to 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) at once if you become unemployed.

Registration at Jobcenteret can also be done electronically via 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 Jobcenteret’s　CV bank, www.jobnet.dk, at the latest 1 month after registering as unemployed at Jobcenteret.

During your first month of unemployment we will invite you to a CV and guidance meeting at FTF-A. We will tell you about rules, which you have to pay particular 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 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 70 13 13 12.