The 2025 social assistance reform: towards equal rights and obligations?

Abstract

Does the 2025 social assistance reform move the Danish welfare system toward greater equality in rights and obligations – or does it reinforce a differentiated safety net? This article analyses the reform through the lenses of universalism and social citizenship with focus on coverage, benefit levels, and conditions. The reform simplifies the system by reducing the number of benefits and rates, abolishing benefit ceilings, and introducing positive work incentives. The new leisure allowance represents a policy innovation by granting children individual social rights. However, differentiation persists through a minimum benefit and mandatory work requirements for certain groups. The article concludes that the reform marks a significant step toward greater uniformity and inclusion, but that further progress toward universal social citizenship requires reducing conditionality and differentiation.