Millionaires to Get Government Food Checks Anyway

Maria van der Vliet

Writer

January 28, 2026
11:29 am

Thousands of Danish millionaire families will receive the government’s new food voucher scheme despite officials claiming the aid targets those with the lowest incomes. Analysis from the think tank Cepos reveals that 17,000 families where one spouse earns over one million kroner annually will still qualify because the other partner earns below the 500,000 kroner threshold.

Millionaire Households Qualify for Food Aid

The Danish government, together with SF and Enhedslisten, recently finalized a 4.5 billion kroner agreement for a tax-free food voucher program set to launch in 2026. The initiative aims to help over 2 million Danes cope with rising food prices that have particularly affected staples like butter, beef, and sugar.

During the announcement, Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen emphasized that the checks would not go to those with the highest incomes. However, new data reveals a different picture. According to figures from the center-right think tank Cepos, thousands of wealthy families will indeed receive the voucher.

The issue stems from how eligibility is calculated. The system assesses individual income rather than household income. This means that in families where one spouse earns millions while the other earns less than 500,000 kroner annually, the lower-earning partner qualifies for the payment.

Opposition Parties Criticize the Distribution

The revelation has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Dennis Flydtkjær, finance spokesperson for Danmarksdemokraterne, expressed serious concerns about the targeting of the aid. He suggested that the government lacks proper control over who will receive the payments, despite claims that the scheme specifically helps those with modest incomes.

Meanwhile, Franciska Rosenkilde from Alternativet warned before the agreement was even announced that the food voucher would be distributed unevenly. She pointed out that the 500,000 kroner income threshold is high enough that families with combined incomes approaching one million kroner could receive full benefits.

The data from Cepos shows that in 2024, there were 17,000 families where one adult earned over one million kroner while the other earned under 500,000 kroner. This includes a wide range of situations. Some families have one partner barely exceeding the million kroner mark while the other earns close to 490,000 kroner annually. But the voucher also goes to stay-at-home spouses of top executives earning 10 million kroner or more.

Government Defends the System Design

When questioned about millionaire families receiving the benefit, Wammen defended the approach. He clarified that only the individual earning under 500,000 kroner receives the check, not both family members. However, this explanation did not address concerns about providing government aid to households with substantial combined wealth.

The Finance Minister maintained that the government found a reasonable balance. According to him, the system enables support for many pensioners, people outside the workforce, and numerous families with children. He described the aid as relief provided in difficult circumstances, though not a complete solution to all financial challenges.

Technical Limitations Drive the Approach

SF leader Pia Olsen Dyhr explained why the government chose to base eligibility on individual rather than household income. She noted that developing a new system to assess combined family income would take too long. Instead, officials decided to use existing administrative systems that track individual earnings.

This practical consideration shaped the entire structure of the food voucher program. Other public benefits in Denmark do consider total household income, but implementing such an approach for this initiative was deemed too time-consuming.

Pelle Dragsted, political spokesperson for Enhedslisten, dismissed concerns about edge cases where wealthy families receive benefits. He argued that any system with thresholds inevitably creates situations where some recipients fall just inside or outside the boundaries. Dragsted predicted that media would find numerous unusual cases to highlight, but maintained this was unavoidable.

Who Receives the Food Vouchers

The food voucher scheme distributes payments across several key groups. Approximately 740,000 recipients of various transfer incomes will qualify, including those receiving unemployment benefits, sick pay, parental leave support, and other social assistance. Another 710,000 pensioners with liquid assets below 350,000 kroner will receive payments.

Students living away from home on SU grants account for about 220,000 recipients, while roughly 500,000 families with children will benefit. The payment amounts vary by category. Transfer income recipients and pensioners get 2,500 kroner each, while students receive 1,000 kroner.

For families with children, the amount depends on parental income. Households where both parents earn under 498,200 kroner annually receive 5,000 kroner. If only one parent earns below this threshold, the family gets 2,500 kroner. This structure creates the scenario where high-earning households can still qualify for payments.

Political Divisions Over Targeting

The negotiations revealed significant political divisions about how broadly to distribute the aid. Several parties withdrew from discussions over concerns about the targeting approach. Dansk Folkeparti and Liberal Alliance left early because they wanted assistance limited strictly to those in greatest need.

De Konservative and Danmarksdemokraterne pulled out later, comparing the situation to previous issues with a similar heating subsidy scheme. They argued the distribution was too broad and would send government money to people who did not truly need it.

De Radikale and Alternativet were the last to leave negotiations. Both parties criticized the final agreement for providing insufficient support to the most vulnerable while distributing payments too widely. They questioned whether the scheme truly served social fairness objectives.

Despite these objections, SF and Enhedslisten remained enthusiastic about the final agreement. Dyhr characterized it as the most equality-promoting deal the government had reached in three years. Dragsted similarly expressed strong approval for the initiative.

Implementation Timeline and Costs

The government expects to distribute the food vouchers in May and June 2026 after expedited parliamentary processing. Officials have allocated 50 million kroner specifically for administrative costs associated with the program. The total budget of 4.5 billion kroner represents a significant investment in direct cash payments to Danish households.

The initiative was first announced in Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s New Year’s speech as a response to ongoing inflation pressures. Food price increases have particularly burdened lower-income households, making basic groceries more expensive. The voucher program aims to provide immediate relief while broader economic conditions continue to evolve.

In fact, the government determined eligibility using income data from 2025, which means the exact number of qualifying millionaire households might differ slightly from the Cepos analysis based on 2024 figures. Nevertheless, the fundamental issue remains the same regardless of which year’s data is used.