The news that the government would financially help over half a million households pay their rapidly rising gas bills was a welcome boost to many earlier this year.

On August 10, the state then confirmed it had paid 6,000 kroner into 411,000 accounts.

However, a DR investigation reveals that while some have erroneously received the money, others have completely missed out.

What’s worse is that nothing can be done about these errors until next year at the earliest!

The payments that did not arrive
Karin Andersen from Horsens, a retired teacher, and her husband were expecting to receive the payment last week to help pay off their huge gas bills, but it did not arrive as planned, she tells DR.

They contacted the Energistyrelsen energy agency and were told there had been had a system error. However, the agency has said it cannot address it until 2023.

“I think it’s someone else’s fault when you meet the conditions and don’t get compensated. And it’s not fair that we have to fill out forms to reapply,” said Andersen.

Falling into the wrong pockets
Meanwhile, Ernst Nielsen informed DR that he received the payment, even though his gas boiler has long been scrapped.

It is believed he received the money because he had not registered new information about the heat source when he removed the boiler.

And Nielsen can’t simply return the money. According to the law, incorrect subsidies due to an error on the part of the authorities relating to an amount not exceeding 6,000 kroner cannot be returned to the treasury.

Cold winter ahead
The news is a big blow for many people facing another winter in which they will need to heat their homes with gas.

Most households powered solely by gas are located outside the big cities.

Households with an annual incomes below 650,000 kroner, after deducting the labour market contributions, qualified for the payout.