Unemployment benefit during illness in Greenland
All towns in Greenland have a Majoriaq centre, which is the municipal link between the business community, the labour market and educational institutions. These centres provide guidance and case management in relation to unemployment and illness, and can help you by providing courses, training and other skills enhancement possibilities if you wish to improve your chances of getting a job or being admitted to a programme of study or training.
What are the conditions for receiving unemployment benefit if you fall ill in Greenland?
In order to be entitled to receive unemployment benefit in Greenland in case of illness, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age, or have dependents
- Be registered with the national population register in Greenland
Have worked for at least 182 hours as a paid employee in the course of the past 13 weeks.
How many sick days are you entitled to?
You can receive unemployment benefit for 13 weeks, paid from the third day of illness. If you are unemployed or laid off and already receive unemployment benefit, your unemployment benefit will continue without interruption once you have registered as ill.
In some cases you can receive unemployment benefit from the first day of illness. This applies if the sick leave is due to a work injury, or if you are registered sick for two weeks or longer.
If you are often ill for short periods of time, or if you are on sick leave for longer than three weeks, the local municipality will decide whether you should be offered another form of assistance.
How do you apply for unemployment benefit during illness?
At your local Majoriaq centre, you can obtain help in seeking unemployment benefit during illness. You must bring the following:
- Documentation showing that you cannot work due to illness, e.g. a doctor’s certificate. If you are working, your workplace must pay for the doctor’s certificate, while if you are unemployed, you can get Majoriaq to cover the cost of the certificate.
Or:
- Documentation showing that you are on sick leave from your workplace and are not receiving pay during the sick leave.
The staff at Majoriaq will assess whether you are eligible for unemployment benefit, and if so, the size of the benefit. You will receive an answer to your application immediately.
If you are not entitled to unemployment benefit, Majoriaq can help you to apply for other public support, if:
- You are off work due to a work injury and are not entitled to pay or unemployment benefit during the sick leave
- You are chronically ill or have been declared chronically ill without being entitled to pay or unemployment benefit during the illness.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.
