One quarter million Danes already receive help to read digital mail - now a 'decisive' new step is being taken

Citizens can from now on grant family members or others access to write and send digital post on their behalf.

Over a quarter of a million Danes have already approved, allowing others to read their post, for instance via e-Boks, and now they will have additional help to communicate with the public.

This may involve rescheduling a hospital appointment, planning visits from home care services, or responding to a communication from the municipality regarding a specific matter.

Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage (M) hopes that the government's decision will encourage more Danes to join the digital wagon.

- This makes it easier, for example, if you have a family member in Horsens and you yourself live in Herlev. So you can log in digitally and help your family member or friend, she says.

It is also possible to become digitally exempt. The latest figures show that 273,679 citizens have chosen this solution.

However, Caroline Stage does not hide the fact that she would like to see fewer of this type of citizens.

- This is actually the opposite of being digitally exempt, even though we acknowledge that it can be a solution for some citizens. This should make it easier to navigate the digital world, says digitalization minister.

But won't this put pressure on some citizens to give up some of their privacy?

- You always have the option to become exempt. This should not feel like an imposition, but like an opportunity for those who want help from their relatives, she says.

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Inge makes everyday life easier for dementia sufferer

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On Vestfyn, Inge Bünning lives with her husband, Carsten Andersen, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year.

Therefore, she - along with her brother-in-law Bjarne - has had to take care of all the digital aspects that are an inevitable part of their daily life.

For Inge Bünning, access to her husband's digital post is a good step in the right direction.

- It makes the day much easier when I have to go and look for something - for example, a medication, home care, a daycare place or a nursing home place. Because it all happens directly from my husband's e-Boks, she says.

Inge Bünning believes it could still be easier to help her husband in the digital world. (Photo: Signe Wolthers, DR)

The Fyn woman has long since given in to the digital world and no longer considers going back to getting a regular letter in the mailbox.

- It's sad that it's so cumbersome to get paper mail. The future is a digital solution, where you can easily log in to your own and your spouse's account, she says.

She believes, however, that it should be much easier to help her husband in the digital world. It is still a hassle to handle, for example, tax information and Udbetaling Danmark.

- I wish I could log in to Skat with my MitID and choose my own or my husband's side, she says.

Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage wants to take more steps to make it easier to use digital solutions, but has no concrete proposals on the table at the moment.

- We must always weigh how much access we give. We cannot just give access to MidtID. But we will try to look into solutions about powers of attorney, she says.

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Elderly Affairs: We need to take the next step

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In Elderly Affairs, they have long been advocating for easier solutions for the elderly who want to communicate digitally.

Therefore, senior consultant Louise Scheel also welcomes the fact that relatives can now write and respond to digital post.

- This makes a huge difference and will be crucial for the relatives who want to help the elderly in their families. When they are ready to help, they should have the best possible framework, she says.

Elderly Affairs also wants to go one step further and improve solutions around powers of attorney.

Currently, a citizen cannot be content with just one power of attorney to use MitID. It is necessary to use a new power of attorney for each service you want to access and obtain authorization for.

This applies to public solutions like borger.dk, sundhed.dk and skat.dk, but also to private solutions like banks and insurances.

- The next step is to improve power of attorney solutions. We have been asking for this for years, because we know that there are many relatives who want to help the elderly, she says.

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