Kjeld Wetlesen, a Danish resident in Thailand suffering from Parkinson’s disease, struggles with severe financial difficulties after Udbetaling Danmark mistakenly stopped his pension payments, believing he had passed away. The misunderstanding occurred when Udbetaling Danmark failed to receive a response to a required annual ‘living certificate’ from Wetlesen.
Living out his retirement in Thailand’s warm climate, Wetlesen lacked access to MitID, prompting Udbetaling Danmark to send a letter that never reached him. Without the annual confirmation of his living status, the agency declared him deceased and halted his pension payments, leaving him without financial support for the past two months.
“The agency decided to terminate my folkepension without notice,” Wetlesen stated, frustrated by the situation. “They informed me that they could restart payments in December, but I have not received any of the 18,606 kr. I was supposed to have in October and November.”
Wetlesen’s request for back payments for the missed months seems unlikely, worsening his financial strain. As someone who depends on his pension to afford essential medications, the lack of income threatens his health. “I must continue on a tight budget in November, which means cutting back on vital medications,” he added.
Udbetaling Danmark: Unfortunate
Lene Hougaard-Enevoldsen, director of Udbetaling Danmark, acknowledged the unfortunate situation and explained that Danish citizens living abroad must confirm their living status annually. “If we do not receive confirmation, we will stop pension payments under the law. If we hear from the citizen again, we will reinstate payments starting from the first of the following month.”
Despite Wetlesen’s urgent situation, Udbetaling Danmark only comments generally, stating that individuals bear the responsibility to respond to living status requests—whether sent digitally or physically. This protocol aims to prevent payments to citizens who are no longer alive but places a burden on those living abroad, especially in situations like Wetlesen’s.
Finally, as Wetlesen navigates this challenging situation, he hopes for a quick resolution to receive the support he needs to manage his health and well-being.
Source: Ekstra Bladet
