SU

[dona]

Hi,

I'm an Australian citizen who has been living in Denmark under the EU family reunification laws since 16-11-2010. I'm not working at the moment and I'm currently studying Danish.

My question is, is there any way I can receive any type of financial help from the kommune like SU or anything? We are receiving Boligstøtte at the moment but it's going to be more of a struggle with funds as my husband (who is the sole income earner) will be receiving a lower wage from January 2012.

I feel like there's not much help from the Kommune as I've been there and all they can advise me is to get Boligstøtte.

Does anyone know if there is any other type of financial help that I can qualify for?

Additional information: I'm not working at the moment due to back problems and I'm getting treatment for it but even before having back problems, I find that employers don't usually hire people who don't speak Danish. I also find that the only way a non-danish speaker can get work is through family or friend connections which I don't really have.

If there is anyone that knows anything or who are or have been in a similar situation, please reply to this thread.

Kind Regards

Dona Meyer

[fundiver199]

SU is not a possibility, unless you enroll at a full-time education like nurse, engineer etc. A language course is not an education.

Social benefit (kontanthjælp) is a possibility, if the income of your husband is low enough and you have no money in the bank and also no assets, that you can sell. Be aware however, that unless your husband lived in another EU-country as a worker, before you moved to Denmark, your right to stay here under EU-rules are solely under the condition, that the two of you do not become a burden for the social benefit system. So unless your husband was a worker in the other EU-country, before you moved to Denmark, receiving kontanthjælp could result in you losing your right to stay here under EU-rules.

To be considered a worker in the other EU-country, your husband must have worked in that country, where you lived, and not in Denmark, as most of the danish people living in Sweden or Germany do.

[dona]

Thanks for your response. And yes, my husband was working in Copenhagen while we were living in Sweden which makes it not possible for me to receive kontantjælp.

Also, I've been told that I cannot get SU once I've enrolled in a full-time education unless I've been in Denmark under the EU family reunification rules for at least 2 years. Is that true? I've been here under the EU family reunification laws since 16-11-2010 so do I have to wait until 16-11-2012 before I qualify for SU even if I enroll in university in June 2012?