Fewer people with disabilities in Denmark are receiving 24-hour personal assistance as municipalities tighten budgets. Critics say this trend leaves vulnerable residents with only the bare minimum to survive, not to live fulfilling lives.
Fewer Granted Full-Time Personal Help
For most Danes, reading a book, taking a walk, or meeting friends seems ordinary. For people with severe disabilities, these moments depend on help from others. Denmark’s system once ensured this through a program called the Borgerstyret Personlig Assistance (BPA), or citizen-directed personal assistance. Under this program, individuals could employ personal assistants to support daily tasks, including hygiene, transportation, or participation in social activities.
However, fewer residents now receive such support. Official data from the Ministry of Social Affairs show a steady decline from 1,615 people in 2018 to 1,480 in 2024. The sharpest drop occurred in the latest year alone.
The reasons are complex, but experts and organizations for people with disabilities point to municipal cost-cutting. A single BPA arrangement costs about 1.5 million Danish kroner per year, largely covered by local governments. That cost has made the program an easy target for reductions compared to cheaper alternatives like home care.
When Help Becomes Mere Survival
One example is the story of 77-year-old Elly Henriksen from Brønderslev, who lives with muscular dystrophy. For over a decade, she depended on personal assistants around the clock. Then, two years ago, the local municipality ended her BPA support and replaced it with home visits several times daily, plus limited nighttime care and help outside her home for only 15 hours a month.
As a result, simple pleasures like attending art exhibits or visiting the forest in her wheelchair stopped. She described feeling trapped, only able to sit by the window while time slipped by. After a lengthy appeal process lasting more than a year, Denmark’s parliamentary ombudsman ordered the municipality to revisit her case. She has since regained 24-hour assistance, but the municipality could still revoke the arrangement again after a new review.
Such cases highlight a growing tension between cost control and individual autonomy. The BPA system was designed so citizens could act as employers for their aides, choosing who they work with and when, ensuring freedom and dignity.
Experts Warn of Economic Pressure
Social law scholars from Aalborg and Copenhagen universities have warned that the shift is largely economic. Municipalities face incentives to reduce users of expensive schemes like BPA by substituting standardized assistance or partial coverage. Although local governments must legally evaluate each case individually, financial pressure influences decisions across Denmark.
Municipalities defend their approach. Brønderslev’s officials said in a written statement that changes are based only on professional assessments and not guided by any general policy to reduce cases. The national association of municipalities, Kommunernes Landsforening, echoed this, stating the overall number of BPA users has simply stabilized and that spending on assistance hasn’t dropped.
Despite those assurances, rights organizations argue that bureaucracy and uneven enforcement make it increasingly difficult for disabled citizens to qualify for comprehensive help.
Organizations Push Back Against the Trend
The Danish Disability Organizations association and groups like the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation have voiced strong concern. They point out that reduced assistance strips away independence and makes participation in education, employment, and community life nearly impossible.
The BPA program, they emphasize, is not just about living but about living a full life. Without it, support is limited to physical survival — getting out of bed, dressing, and basic care — not the ability to live on one’s own terms.
A similar discussion has surfaced around the broader Danish health and social system, which has often been praised but is now increasingly scrutinized. For context, see this in-depth analysis of whether Danish healthcare is really worth the hype.
At the same time, the rise of private and municipal partnerships to provide disability care is raising concerns over quality and financial transparency. Earlier investigations into a care firm for the disabled accused of fund abuse in Denmark show that public oversight can struggle to keep up with complex aid structures.
Personal Assistance and Equity
The BPA program was created to ensure that a person’s right to independence did not depend on income or physical ability. The Danish welfare model remains built on universal access to healthcare and care services, but this system faces challenges as costs rise and local authorities seek to balance budgets.
From 2019 to 2023, the number of new BPA recipients dropped by one-third, showing how rarely new cases are approved. Advocacy groups fear that many people who meet the legal criteria never apply or give up after repeated denials.
In countries with generous public systems, funding decisions like these carry moral weight. The ongoing debate echoes larger questions about equality and the limits of social responsibility. While Denmark’s healthcare safety net is often seen as reliable, there are important differences between medical and personal care coverage. Those moving to or living in Denmark can learn more about the different structures for health insurance in Denmark and how it interacts with welfare-based assistance programs.
Living Fully, Not Just Surviving
For people like Elly Henriksen, regaining her helpers meant much more than physical care. It restored purpose, community, and the chance to do everyday things many take for granted. Yet, her situation remains uncertain as municipalities continue re-evaluating assistance cases.
The future of Denmark’s BPA program now depends on political priorities. If cost-driven reasoning continues to dominate, experts worry that those who rely most on the welfare system will become the ones left behind. For now, hundreds of Danes live in the balance between survival and genuine participation in society, hoping their right to full assistance remains recognized.
Sources and References
– DR: Fewer people with disabilities have special help – “I was kept alive, but nothing more”
– Care firm for disabled in Denmark accused of fund abuse
– Is Danish healthcare really worth the hype?
– Health insurance in Denmark
