By Dorthe Korfitzen, labour market consultant at Dansk Artist Forbund.

For artists, it's not always easy to secure the right to parental benefits during the leave period. That's why it's important to get guidance well in advance, preferably six months before your parental leave is due to begin


Artists have individual options

Artists' opportunities and rights in the parental leave system are very individual and depend on how you have organised your working life and how you actually work right up to the day your parental leave is due to begin. That's why our counselling always starts there, even though it can be difficult for artists to know exactly what their working life will look like in six months' time.

Here you'll find answers to the three most common questions in DAF's maternity counselling:


Har jeg ret til barselsorlov med barselsdagpenge?

Maybe you are. All new parents are entitled to leave, but the right to leave does not automatically entitle you to parental benefit. The right to parental benefit during leave depends on whether you fulfil certain requirements prior to the start of the leave. If you are an employee, you may be entitled to salary during parental leave.

You can start by reading more on this maternity overview


Jeg er ikke i a-kasse, har jeg så ikke ret til barselsdagpenge?

Unemployment benefit, which you can receive if you are unemployed, is different from parental benefit. Therefore, you may be entitled to parental benefit as a self-employed or salaried employee, even if you are not a member of an unemployment insurance fund. But if you are unemployed, a member of an unemployment insurance fund and receiving unemployment benefits, the path to parental benefits is straightforward. On the other hand, there is less flexibility when you are on parental leave as an unemployed person. For example, you cannot postpone leave.

I've heard that artists and musicians can find it difficult to qualify for maternity pay. What can I do myself?

It's true that it can be difficult, but fortunately, most people succeed. It's usually most difficult for those who combine self-employment with salaried work or who only have short-term fee-paying jobs. The best thing to do is to seek information and advice in good time. "Good time" is six months before the leave is due to begin, i.e. when the pregnancy is new.

Some may need to adapt a little differently, or it may be necessary to take out insurance.

It is Udbetaling Danmark that decides whether you fulfil the requirements to receive parental benefit and how much - and they can only do this when the leave is due to begin. Our recommendations therefore depend on the individual artist's situation, i.e. what they can do to fulfil the requirements at the start of their leave.

Start well in advance - get guidance from Dansk Artist Forbund

Contact us, we counsel all members who have questions or need help with maternity matters. The counselling is available to all parents - fathers, mothers, co-fathers and co-mothers.

Send your questions directly to labour market consultant Dorthe Korfitzen at dk@artisten.dk

You can also contact the relevant authority: Udbetaling Danmark. They answer questions on tel: 7012 8064