Questions about job change insurance

What is job change insurance?

Job change insurance provides financial protection against involuntary unemployment in your new job. The insurance allows you to carry over your existing notice period to your new employment.

During the months in which you extend the notice period accrued in your new job with the notice period from your previous job, you will receive 90% of your former gross salary. The 90% includes unemployment benefits, any enhanced employment supplement, sickness benefits, and payments from other similar insurance schemes.

How does job change insurance provide cover?

Duration of the insurance

• Job change insurance is a short‑term insurance policy. You can use it once, and it ends automatically after 6 or 12 months from the date you take it out. The duration depends on the notice period from your current job before your job change.

Notice period and cover

• You can change jobs without losing your notice period if you become involuntarily unemployed from your new job.
• The insurance can cover a previous notice period of 3 to 12 months.
• The insurance covers the first 6 months if your notice period before changing jobs was 3 months. This coverage is because, under the Danish Salaried Employees Act, you accumulate a 3‑month notice period after 6 months of employment in your new job.
• The insurance covers the first 12 months if your notice period before the job change was 4 months or longer.
• You receive cover from your first day in the new job.

Gross salary cover

• The gross salary covers supplements to your unemployment benefits. If you qualify for an employment supplement while receiving unemployment benefits, job change insurance pays a supplement to your unemployment benefits and employment supplement, up to a maximum of 90% of your gross salary, excluding pension contributions and holiday allowance.

No excess or waiting period

• The insurance has no waiting period and no excess period. If you become involuntarily unemployed from your new job, job change insurance provides coverage from the first day you qualify for unemployment benefits after your involuntary unemployment.

Example of payment (monthly salary DKK 40,000)

• DKK 40,000: Gross salary excluding pension and holiday allowance
• DKK 36,800: 8% AM contribution deducted (AM contribution is not payable during unemployment)
• DKK 33,120: Payout ceiling of 90% of gross salary excluding AM contribution
• DKK 22,041: Unemployment benefits deducted (2026)
• DKK 11,079: Potential payout from job change insurance

What are the requirements for taking out job change insurance?

You must:

• Be a member of IDA.
• Be employed but have not yet started your new job. There must be no working days between your old and new job during which you are unemployed.
• Be between 18 and 67 years old. You must not have turned 67 at the time of acceptance.
• Live and work in Denmark for at least 16 hours per week.
• Be a member of a Danish state‑approved unemployment insurance fund (a‑kasse) and qualify for unemployment benefits.
• Be an employee with a minimum 3‑month notice period in your current job.
• Do not have Supplemental Unemployment Insurance or another similar insurance policy.
• Hold either a permanent position or a fixed‑term contract with a minimum duration of 12 months.
• Have a gross monthly salary of at least DKK 27,889 (2026). If you qualify for an employment supplement from your a‑kasse, your gross salary must exceed DKK 32,704 (2026) to receive payouts from job change insurance during the first three months of unemployment.
• Take out the insurance from the day you sign your new employment contract and no later than the day before your first working day.

What obligations do you have as the policyholder?

You must inform Topdanmark if you:

• Change status from employee to self‑employed.
• Start a fixed‑term position or part‑time employment while receiving payouts from job change insurance.
• No longer live in Denmark or take up work outside Denmark.
• Cease to be a member of a Danish state‑approved a‑kasse.
• Are granted a fleksjob, early retirement pension, or similar public benefit.
• Permanently withdraw from the labour market, including early retirement (efterløn).

If you do not notify Topdanmark of the above, you risk losing your right to payment, having your benefit reduced, or having your job change insurance terminated.

What does involuntary unemployment mean?

Involuntary unemployment must result from dismissal due to:

• Reorganisation, lack of work, full or partial closure of the employer's business, or other circumstances beyond your control as an employee.
• Illness or accident.

In exceptional cases, the insurance may also provide cover in certain cases of voluntary unemployment. Please see the insurance terms and conditions.

When does the insurance not provide cover?

The insurance does not provide cover if:

• You are self‑employed.
• Your fixed‑term contract is shorter than 12 months.
• You started your new job before taking out the insurance.
• You start your first‑ever job.
• You have turned 67.
• You knew or should reasonably have known about the upcoming unemployment at the time of purchase.
• Your a‑kasse imposes a penalty period due to self‑inflicted unemployment (see exceptions for voluntary unemployment in the policy terms).
• You become unemployed due to summary dismissal, misconduct, fraud, dishonesty, or similar breaches of your employment contract.
• You resign voluntarily (see the policy terms for exceptions).
• Your contract ends naturally.
• You perform seasonal work.
• You have Supplemental Unemployment Insurance.
• You initiate a voluntary severance agreement.

How much can I receive?

• Job change insurance can cover up to 90% of your gross salary, excluding pension contributions and holiday allowance from your job before the job change.
• The 90% includes unemployment benefits, any enhanced employment supplement, sickness benefits, and payouts from similar insurance schemes.
• The maximum gross salary covered is DKK 40,000 per month, excluding pension contributions and holiday allowance.

Example of payment (monthly salary DKK 40,000)

• DKK 40,000: Gross salary excluding pension and holiday allowance
• DKK 36,800: 8% AM contribution deducted (AM contribution is not payable during unemployment)
• DKK 33,120: Payout ceiling of 90% of gross salary excluding AM contribution
• DKK 22,041: Unemployment benefits deducted (2026)
• DKK 11,079: Potential payout from job change insurance

If you qualify for an employment supplement, we deduct this amount before paying up to 90%.

Should I base the calculation on my salary before or after the job change?

You must use your gross salary before the job change to calculate the price of your job change insurance.

The insurance equates you to the salary you would have lost if you had become involuntarily unemployed from your previous job with the same notice period.

What if my salary is higher or lower in my new job?

The insurance covers you for the gross salary you would have lost in your job before the job change in the event of involuntary unemployment.
Whether your salary is higher or lower in your new job does not affect the payout from the job change insurance, as the insurance covers what you would have lost if you had become involuntarily unemployed while still in your job before the job change.

Can my spouse take out the insurance?

No. Only IDA members can take out job change insurance.

Does the insurance apply if I have Supplemental Unemployment Insurance?

No. If you already have Supplemental Unemployment Insurance, you should not take out job change insurance.

However, you may benefit from taking out Supplemental Unemployment Insurance once your job change insurance ends. You can use the number of months you held job change insurance to reduce the initial waiting period when your Supplemental Unemployment Insurance takes effect.

Am I covered during strikes or lockouts?

No, the insurance does not cover strikes or lockouts.

Will the price change if I amend the policy or receive payouts?

No. Job change insurance covers the gross salary and notice period from your current job before the job change. You cannot amend the insurance once you have purchased and paid for it.

Is job change insurance tax‑deductible?

Yes, job change insurance is tax‑deductible.

Can I pay using anything other than MobilePay?

No. Job change insurance requires a one‑off payment and must therefore be paid via MobilePay, not via payment services such as Betalingsservice.

Do I need to be a member of an a‑kasse?

Yes. You must be a member of a Danish state‑approved a‑kasse (unemployment fund) and qualify for unemployment benefits to receive payouts.

Can I cover secondary employment?

Job change insurance covers your main occupation as an employee.

Can I receive payouts as an employee while working as self‑employed on the side?

Yes, but any income from self‑employment or part‑time work will offset your unemployment benefits and the payout from job change insurance.

Can I take out job change insurance if I live or work abroad?

No. You must live in Denmark, work in Denmark under a Danish employment contract, and be a member of a Danish state‑approved a‑kasse.

Can I transfer job change insurance between insurers?

No. Job change insurance is a short‑term insurance policy that does not allow transfer to another insurer.

When does job change insurance end?

The insurance ends:

• After payout
• If you find a new job while receiving payouts
• At the natural expiry after 6 or 12 months
• If you cancel during the 14‑day cooling‑off period
• If you cancel the insurance early
• If you emigrate or no longer live in Denmark
• If you change jobs
• If you leave IDA

Can I cancel the insurance early?

Yes. If you have already used the insurance, you cannot receive a refund of the premium. Please see the policy terms for refund details.

Can I cancel within the cooling‑off period?

Yes. You have a 14‑day right of withdrawal. You may still cancel even if you start your new job during the cooling‑off period.

What are the statutory notice periods under the Danish Salaried Employees Act?

Your length of service determines your notice period:

• 0‑3 months: 14 days
• 0‑6 months (without probation): 1 month
• 6 months–3 years: 3 months
• 3–6 years: 4 months
• 6–9 years: 5 months
• More than 9 years: 6 months

How do I calculate a quote?

IDA developed job change insurance in cooperation with Topdanmark, part of If Skadeforsikring. As an IDA member, you can calculate a quote here. Please note that prices may change at year‑end due to adjustments to unemployment benefit rates.

Where can I find my policy?

Log in to My Topdanmark to view your policy.

What are my options for submitting a complaint?

If a disagreement arises between you and Topdanmark regarding your insurance, you may contact Topdanmark's Customer Complaints Department at kundeklager@topdanmark.dk.

You may also submit your complaint to IDA Forsikring here, and we will forward it to Topdanmark on your behalf.