Millions Taken by Boss, Workers Lost Their Pensions

Raphael Nnadi

December 13, 2025
6:20 pm

A Danish disability care firm is under scrutiny for withholding employee pensions while its director extracted millions from the company. Experts warn that weak oversight allows such exploitation in taxpayer-funded welfare programs.

Millions Paid to the Director, but Staff Lost Their Pensions

For years, the private assistance company *De Personlige Hjælpere* failed to pay pensions to employees who cared for people with disabilities. Meanwhile, company director and owner Peter Pinkowsky transferred 4.4 million Danish kroner to himself since 2019.

At the same time, the company billed Gribskov Municipality for hundreds of thousands of kroner in pension-related expenses based on what appear to be false records. According to financial statements and payroll documents obtained by TV 2, the reports sent to the municipality claimed pension payments that were never made.

Some employees lost more than 100,000 kroner each. Legal experts suggest this may qualify as both fraud and a particularly severe form of social fraud, potentially punishable by up to eight years in prison.

Systemic Weakness and Repeated Scandals

This is not the first time irregularities have surfaced in the sector. Only weeks earlier, another company, *BPA Pro Team*, was revealed to have done the same in Odense Municipality.

Experts argue that these repeated cases show how the legal framework makes it too easy for companies to cheat without being detected. They urge the government in Copenhagen to rethink how personal assistance programs are monitored and regulated.

Understanding the BPA Program

The Borgerstyret Personlig Assistance (BPA) scheme is designed to help people with long-term disabilities live independently. Under the program, local municipalities allocate funds to cover salaries, pensions, and other costs. A company may manage the arrangement on behalf of the citizen, handling payroll, taxes, and all administration.

In 2024, around 1,700 Danes were covered by the BPA system, with total municipal spending reaching roughly 2.5 billion kroner in 2022. Oversight, however, remains limited.

When firms report their yearly accounts, municipalities rarely have the tools or resources to verify that the money actually reaches the employees. As a result, **public funds can be misused**, leaving workers without benefits and citizens without adequate support.

You can read more about how Danish public services function, including the Danish healthcare system, which operates under similar principles of publicly funded welfare.

Poor Oversight and Legal Gaps

Gribskov Municipality confirmed receiving accounts that suggested over 600,000 kroner in pensions had been paid to workers. Yet payroll records for nine helpers show eight never received any pensions and one got less than owed.

Across Denmark, *De Personlige Hjælpere* has operated in at least nine municipalities since 2020. Out of 13 workers reviewed, only one ever received partial pension payments. Despite that, the director continued to withdraw millions personally.

Legal specialists note the pattern’s severity and duration suggest deliberate misconduct. Municipal officials have labeled the situation “deeply concerning” and are still reviewing whether to issue a police report.

Meanwhile, critics insist that the problem cannot be solved through superficial audits. They argue for new legislation and tighter national control of private welfare providers. Without structural change, they believe fraudulent schemes will continue to thrive.

Director Silent as Company Shifts Its Focus

Peter Pinkowsky declined to be interviewed, responding only through a press representative who referred to the missing pension as an “error.” The company claims it became aware of the mistakes only in spring 2025 and invited affected employees to come forward.

However, observers dismiss this explanation. They argue it is impossible to overlook years of unpaid pension contributions while simultaneously filing financial reports claiming those payments had been made.

In September 2025, *De Personlige Hjælpere* changed its official business purpose from disability care to “asset management.” Its website has been taken offline, and the firm told authorities it expects no revenue in 2026.

Political Silence Adds to the Anger

Despite multiple warnings from social inspection agencies in 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Social Affairs has yet to tighten regulations. Social Minister Sophie Hæstorp Andersen did not respond to TV 2’s recent interview request.

With at least two out of Denmark’s twenty approved BPA companies now exposed for financial misconduct, pressure is mounting on lawmakers. Experts call for major reforms to close accountability gaps and protect both employees and the citizens they assist.