Even though inflation has decreased and many have experienced wage increases, several families with children still face financial challenges. According to the Mothers’ Aid (Mødrehjælpen), 8883 families with children have applied for holiday assistance this year. This is a decrease from 9611 applications in 2023, but it still emphasizes that many families struggle to make ends meet, says director Ninna Thomsen. Inflation, which surged after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has since subsided, and many employees have received significant wage increases as a result of collective agreement negotiations. However, caregivers on public benefits, such as cash assistance, have not seen the same improvements in their financial situation. Ninna Thomsen highlights that about six out of ten applicants for holiday assistance are on public benefits. “While others in employment have received wage increases, cash benefits have remained stagnant. This is a group that still faces difficulties,” she says.
Holiday assistance, which consists of 400 Danish kroner per child living at home, may not cover a week of vacation, but it can provide the opportunity for a day trip to the beach with ice cream or a hot dog. It is a small extra experience during the summer holidays, explains Ninna Thomsen. To apply for holiday assistance, one must fill out a form, providing information on employment status, income, and housing, among other things. Based on this information, it is assessed who can receive help. However, it is still uncertain how many applicants will be able to receive assistance this year. “Right now, we cannot help all those who have applied for help. But we are doing everything we can to reach out to both companies and ordinary Danes. The number of people we can help depends entirely on how successful we are in fundraising,” says Ninna Thomsen.