The government changes the food voucher at the last second to include an entirely new group of recipients.

Some might call it a last-minute U-turn from the government.

Employment Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek (Social Democrats) puts it differently.

- It’s not panic before closing time, it’s common sense before closing time, he says about a change to the food voucher, just hours before it is to be debated in the Folketinget.

> Lærlinge får mulighed for at få denne her check på lige fod med andre studerende.

> Beskæftigelsesminister Kaare Dybvad Bek (S)

In the final hours, the government and the negotiating parties behind the food voucher have decided that apprentices should also be eligible for the voucher.

For weeks, they had firmly insisted that including apprentices would complicate the process and delay payments.

But now—just hours before the bill is to be rushed through the chamber—the government has reversed its position.

- Apprentices will have the opportunity to receive this voucher on equal terms with other students. This is something that has been emphasized in the public consultation responses, and it’s something we, on the government’s side, are happy to accommodate, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.

Recipients of SU (state education grant) will receive a food voucher of 1,000 Danish kroner.

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A completely new line overnight

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The food voucher will be distributed in May and June to over two million Danes. It is a tax-free one-time payment of up to 5,000 Danish kroner per person.

But the food voucher has sparked sharp criticism. The labor movement, in particular, has strongly criticized the fact that while students receiving SU could get the food voucher, apprentices could not.

- We accommodate those on SU, but not apprentices who have chosen a vocational education. That’s deeply unfair, was the response Monday from Peter Faber, union secretary responsible for education in Dansk Metal.

The blue parties (conservative and liberal) have also proposed five amendments to the food voucher (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/kraever-aendringer-til-foedevarecheck-ind-med-laerlinge-ud-med-millionaerfamilier), including the inclusion of apprentices.

Apprentices receive a monthly wage between 10,000 and 18,000 Danish kroner, depending on which collective agreement their trade falls under.

Social Democrat finance spokesperson Benny Engelbrecht was still defending Monday evening that apprentices should not receive a voucher.

He pointed out that including apprentices would complicate the process because, unlike SU recipients, they do not receive a public benefit and are therefore not already registered in the system. And they also receive wages.

- I have great sympathy for apprentices. But it’s the case that an apprentice’s collective agreement-based base wage is higher than an SU recipient’s SU grant, said Benny Engelbrecht.

> Vi har fået høringssvarene ind og læst igennem og er nu blevet enige med aftalepartierne om, at vi kommer til også at give det til lærlinge.

> Beskæftigelsesminister Kaare Dybvad Bek (S)

But that line has now changed, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.

Why is this happening at the last minute?

- We have received the public consultation responses and read through them. Now we have agreed with the negotiating parties that we will also give it to apprentices, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.

As late as yesterday, Social Democrat finance spokesperson Benny Engelbrecht said that apprentices should not be included, partly because it would complicate the process—and because they receive a much higher payment than SU recipients. What has changed since yesterday?

- There has been a process where we, among other things, have received public consultation responses, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.

- We believe it’s a balanced arrangement. Even though what Benny Engelbrecht said yesterday is correct—that apprentices, of course, earn more than students—there are still many apprentices who have a relatively low wage compared to others.

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No changes for millionaire families

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The government has also faced criticism for allowing families with household incomes exceeding one million Danish kroner (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/tusindvis-af-millionaerfamilier-modtager-ny-foedevarecheck) to receive the voucher. However, the government will not intervene to change that.

- For those who find it odd, there will be the opportunity to decline the money if they don’t need it. But as far as I can see, this payment overall hits the right target, he says.

Can you understand if it seems too rushed, when you’re editing the text at the last minute? Is there too much haste to get this cleared before an election?

- No, I think it’s quite the opposite: even though it’s happening quickly, there is still a public consultation process where all organizations with an interest can state their opinions.

- And even though it’s happening quickly, we still have the opportunity to respond to the consultation feedback and take it seriously, says Kaare Dybvad Bek.

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