Mental health, Pension reform, Flight compensation : LWID S3E18

Denmark is making bold moves that could reshape life for every generation. This week on Last Week In Denmark, co-hosts Fionn and Kalpita—both internationals navigating Danish life—share their personal reflections on these changes from an outsider’s perspective. From free mental health care for young adults to raising the retirement age and rethinking flight compensation, they unpack how these policies might land when you’re trying to make Denmark home.

In this episode:

• free mental health care for 18–24-year-olds within 30 days (04:38)
• retirement age raised to 70 by 2040 (16:04)
• Denmark backs ending payouts for flight delays under five hours (25:03)

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Chapters

• 4:38 Free mental health care for 18–24-year-olds within 30 days
• 16:04 Retirement age raised to 70 by 2040
• 25:00 Denmark backs ending payouts for flight delays under five hours

Transcript

🎙️ Last Week in Denmark – Episode 18

Hosts: Fionn & Kalpita
 Section 1: Weather Shocks & Ice Hockey Upsets

FIONN:
 Hello and welcome to Last Week in Denmark. This is Season 3, Episode 18 of our podcast. My name is Fionn O'Toole, and joining me this week is Kalpita Bhosale.
Kalpita, what is new with you?

KALPITA:
 Well, nothing much other than the weather. I'm a bit confused if we are still in a drought… not in a drought. And I must admit, it's quite depressing to have a nice shiny week and then just clouds and rain and back to gray.

FIONN:
 I have to admit, being from Ireland, Danes always complain about how bad their weather is. And it is true—it gets so windy here because the country's so flat that in winter it can be a bit grimmer than what I'm used to.

But to me, this is like peak summer: you’ll have a couple of sunny days, then some rainy ones. I mean, yesterday we had a hailstorm around my house—and that could be a standard July day in Ireland. Not nice, but normal.

So I wouldn’t say I’m not a little depressed by it, but I guess maybe because of our backgrounds, I feel it a little less than you. Or what do you think—is it more of a weather culture shock for you, coming from India?

KALPITA:
 I think so. I mean, to be fair, I was in Edinburgh, Scotland the week before and it was sunny as hell—beautiful weather, but extremely dry. Quite a shock, weather-wise, as well.

But also, you're right—I come from India. Sunny, almost equator weather. But even India is getting rain showers right now and there’s a warning going on, which is also supposed to be peak summer.
 So, I don’t know… I’m still confused. But my skincare routine is very happy with less sun—no tanning, no skin problems. So I suppose I have little to complain about.

FIONN:
 Well, that’s something at least.
 And speaking of—have you been paying attention to sports news this week? I generally don’t, but Denmark pulled off a huge upset in the Ice Hockey World Championships.

On Thursday, they beat ice hockey giants Canada in the quarterfinals. I think it’s the first time Denmark has ever reached the semifinals. And—now I’m probably making this up—probably the first time Canada didn’t reach the quarterfinals.

I’m very excited because for the first time in my life, I get to pretend to have opinions about ice hockey. I feel like it’ll help me integrate with my Danish friends—who are probably also suddenly pretending to have opinions about ice hockey for the first time.
 So, if you need something to throw out in small talk, just ask: “Is this going to be the next summer of ’92?” Are we going to surprise everyone and win the ice hockey world championships?

KALPITA:
 That’s an excellent tip. I didn’t know Denmark even had a team!
 But I am quite surprised—just like with football a while ago. Not that I follow football at all, but it was the talk of the town when Denmark made it to the semifinals or quarterfinals of the World Cup or something like that.
 So, well… yay for Danish sports! I guess it’s more than just badminton and handball. That’s exciting.

FIONN:
 There you go, absolutely.
 Speaking of exciting—as always, we're going to spend the next half hour or so diving into three big things that happened last week in Denmark.

This week’s stories:

• First, the extension of free mental health care to 18 to 24-year-olds, specifically with treatment guaranteed within 30 days of seeking help.
  
  
  
• Next, the retirement age—boo—is going to be raised to 70 by the year 2040.
  
  
  
• And just to keep the bad news rolling, Denmark is backing a proposal that would end flight payouts for delays under five hours. So you could be sitting there with a four-and-a-half-hour delay and get absolutely nothing except a complaint to show for it.
  
  

KALPITA:
 Yeah, that’s some bullshit as well.

🧠 Expanding Mental Health Access for Young People

FIONN:
 Absolutely. And on that happy note, we are going to dive into our first topic: mental health.

And this is actually a positive story—probably after many years of not-so-positive stories around psychiatry and mental health treatment in Denmark.

On Monday, the Health Ministry sent out a press release—possibly a press conference too—announcing that the government and opposition parties in Parliament have agreed on a fairly comprehensive 10-year plan for psychiatry.

The plan includes an extra 4.6 billion kroner annually, primarily to hire more staff and establish more beds. This follows years of criticism about long waiting times and the general state of psychiatric care, especially for young people. That was even acknowledged in their statement—they called it a case of historic underinvestment.

So now, they hope people with serious mental illness will get the right help, at the right time, as early and quickly as possible. They also want to make psychiatry a more attractive place to work for healthcare professionals.

And I don’t know about you, but to me, this is really good news—and probably long overdue.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, I’m here for it, for sure. It’s about time Denmark did something about this.

It’s great they’re investing—especially in spaces where people can come in and get proper help beyond just popping pills and hoping someone looks after you.

I get focusing on young people—it’s about building more secure citizens for the future. But I also hope this extends to a wider audience eventually.
 Maybe it’s starting smaller to test what’s working and what’s needed.

And honestly, young people really need this. Between tech, multiple screens—even at work!—and everything else, they’re dealing with a lot.

We’re one of the happiest countries in the world… and one of the most depressed. Suicide rates are high. Substance and alcohol abuse are rising too. We’re the most drunk country in Europe, to be fair. And our youth are getting pulled into all of it.

So I think it’s a great move. I’m here for it.

FIONN:
 Yeah. And you touched on something big there—the rise in depression, especially among young people, and how that’s connected to the online world.

I know it sounds like we’re 100 years old when we say “online world,” but still—social media and screen use are heavily linked to anxiety, and that’s what this package is targeting.

The headline: 18–24-year-olds with anxiety or depression will now have the right to receive treatment within 30 days—free of charge.
 And if the public system can’t offer treatment within 30 days, they’ll be referred to a private alternative.

When I first saw the headline, I thought: “Okay, great in theory, but how will this work with the waiting times?”
 Everyone I know who’s dealt with mental health services in Denmark always says the wait is huge.

Some of my friends and colleagues have waited a year just for a diagnosis—like ADHD or other conditions.

KALPITA:
 Wow.

FIONN:
 Yeah—or even more in some cases.

And I had a recent experience—not mental health related—but a minor issue. I got referred to a specialist, and I was told, “If you don’t hear back in a few weeks, call us. You’re entitled to an appointment within 30 days.”

Well, I didn’t hear back, and two weeks later, I got a message from a private hospital saying, “Your appointment is here.”
 The public system had already passed it along because they knew they couldn’t meet the deadline.

I was really surprised. No fuss. No cost to me.
 And just knowing that I’d be seen quickly—even for something minor—made a huge difference to my mental state.

Now imagine if someone is deeply depressed or anxious.
 Waiting nine, twelve, even eighteen months just to talk to someone? That delay alone could make things worse.

That’s why this guaranteed 30-day treatment is so important.

There are other parts of the plan too. For example, children will have the right to start an assessment within 30 days of referral, and start treatment no later than 60 days.

It seems like the emphasis is on early contact—early diagnosis, early treatment—so people get help before they hit crisis.

KALPITA:
 Yeah. I’ve had some experience with getting help here, and I know others who’ve tried.

What I like about Denmark is that when they do something right, they really get it right—precisely and thoroughly.

This feels like a “nip it in the bud” kind of move. Catch the young ones before they spiral into something harder to manage.

I wish it extended to older people too, especially internationals. Living in a new country is stressful—trying to get a job, keep a job, not having a support network... It can take a real toll.

Hopefully next year we’ll be talking about expanded access and even more investment.

FIONN:
 I hope so too. And honestly, I’m not 100% sure if this entire package only applies to 18–24-year-olds. Some of it sounds broader.

Like, they’re introducing social support after hospital discharge for vulnerable people.
 They’re also creating emergency mental health services that don’t require hospitalization—so people can get care without being pulled away from school or work unnecessarily.

That reminds me of a past episode where we talked about more funding for mental health helplines.
 And yeah—sometimes you do need emergency action. But often, you just need someone to talk to early on.

From what I can tell, this plan emphasizes prevention. And that makes sense—not just from a care perspective but financially too.
It’s expensive to keep people in crisis in hospital care. So if you can help them earlier, in their community, and keep them stable? It’s a win-win.

KALPITA:
 Oh yeah, absolutely. Take my taxes! If this is the kind of prevention and support we’re offering, I’m all in.

Helplines are such a useful option too.
 Sometimes someone’s struggling so much they can’t even reach out themselves. That’s when someone else can call on their behalf and just get the ball rolling. That outside support can make a huge difference.

FIONN:
 Absolutely. Having a supportive circle around you is key—it complements the system. Whether it's public, private, or somewhere in between.

KALPITA:
 Exactly. And for young people especially—there’s still so much peer pressure.
 There’s stigma around talking about mental health, even for this generation.

We’re not doing enough to dismantle that taboo. But the fact that they’ll now have better access to help at such an impressionable age?

👵 Retirement Age Raised to 70

FIONN:
 Absolutely. So I think definitely a good news story.
 And moving on—I have to tell you that we have good news and bad news. Which one would you like first?

KALPITA:
 Bad news. Always.

FIONN:
 Well, the bad news is that we’re going to have to work longer.
 The good news? It’s because we’re living longer.

So I’m trying to be positive about the fact that the retirement age is going to be raised to 70.
 That will apply to you if you were born after December 31, 1970—which unfortunately for me, it does.

Since 2006, when the Welfare Act was introduced, Denmark has tied the official retirement age to life expectancy. It gets revised every five years.
 It’s currently 67, due to rise to 68 in 2030, and 69 in 2035.

Now, with this week’s law, we are officially on track to have the highest retirement age in Europe—set at 70 by the year 2040.
 How do you feel about that?

KALPITA:
 I have lots of feelings.

First off, I will not be a happy citizen.
Just knowing I have to work until 68 already feels like too much.

I know people who do hard labor—and this is completely unfair to them.
 They’re the ones supporting society at its foundation. And if they have to work until 70? That’s some serious bullshit. I’m not here for it.

What happened to enjoying life at that age?
 Why are we being punished for taking care of ourselves and living longer?

At the same time, I understand they need more taxpayers.
 The population is shrinking, so they’re trying to fill the gap.
 But maybe—just maybe—they should invest in helping people have more children, make life more affordable, and improve the job market.

Give people more time and resources to raise kids.
 Create jobs.
 Make it easier to keep jobs.

Then maybe you wouldn’t need to push people to work until they’re 70.
 Whoever passed this law? Definitely not getting my vote.

FIONN:
 Yeah, you’re absolutely right—especially when it comes to people doing manual labor.

For someone like me, working until 70 might not be that bad.
I’m in an office. My dad retired this year at 66. My mum was a teacher and she was able to retire in her 50s. They’re both living their best lives now.

Until this new law, my retirement age would’ve been 69. So we’re talking just one year more.
 But for someone in a physically demanding job? That’s a huge difference.

If your whole career has taken a toll on your body, and you still have 20–30 years left to work? That’s brutal.
 It’s also a lot harder to change careers later in life if your body can’t keep up.

And I think COVID really showed the gap between white-collar and blue-collar workers.
 For some of us, it was inconvenient. You worked from home, maybe even enjoyed it.

But for others, who had to be there physically, it was devastating—job loss, stress, instability.
I had a six-month-old baby and was in a small apartment trying to work—so it was tough. But not like losing your job entirely.

So yeah, I think it’s a really tough shift for a lot of people.

There is a devil’s advocate argument to be made. Want me to say it and burn that bridge?

KALPITA:
 No—go ahead. We live in Denmark, Fiona. You’re allowed to have an opinion.

FIONN:
 That’s true. And I’m not even sure this is my opinion, but here goes:

When most retirement ages were originally set—in the mid-20th century—life expectancy was much shorter.
 In the UK, for example, the average life expectancy was 66 for men and 71 for women.

So if someone retired at 65, they’d spend maybe 7–10% of their life on a pension.

Now, people are living into their 80s.
 And many of them are still active and healthy. So the state’s cost to support people for 15–20 years of retirement is much higher.

So yes, I see the logic. But do I love it? Absolutely not.

If anything, this should spark a bigger rethink of what careers look like.
 I’ve been working for nearly 20 years—and I’m 35.
 So if I retire at 70, I’m not even halfway through my working life. That’s a wild thought.

It’s scary—but also a little reassuring.
 I don’t have it all figured out yet… and I still have time.

KALPITA:
 Imagine—you haven’t even worked half your life, and you still have 40–50 more years to go just to retire.
That’s depressing. Can we please go back to talking about mental health?

I get the economics and civics arguments.
 But come on.

It doesn’t make sense when politicians are retiring early with massive six-figure pensions—
 while people who break their backs for a living are getting four- or five-figure pensions… after working until 70.

That’s totally unfair.
 And I agree with what you said earlier: the gap is growing.
 It’s not just about money—it’s about how society values different kinds of work.

Denmark—and all of Scandinavia—likes to pride itself on being egalitarian.
 But if this keeps up, that foundation is cracking.

I will say though, we’re still doing better than Finland or Sweden in some areas.
 But if Denmark wants to stay a strong, respected, balanced economy and society—
 it needs to get its act together.

✈️ New Flight Delay Compensation Rules

FIONN:
 Yeah, well—you mentioned investing in mental health as a way to deal with this news.
 I have a different kind of investment strategy: buying scratch cards and hoping I win the lottery.
 And you know, some people say it’s a solid strategy. Definitely going to work out.

But speaking of taking money away from people who didn’t ask for it, we have our final story today:

According to a new proposal from the European Commission, your flight must be delayed by a full five hours before you’ll be entitled to financial compensation.
 This is still a proposal, but the Danish government supports it.

Right now, the rules are a bit more consumer-friendly:
 If your flight is delayed by three hours or more, you’re entitled to compensation.

It depends on the distance:

• Up to 1,500 km: €250
  
  
  
• Between 1,500 and 3,500 km (still within the EU): €400
  
  
  
• Above that: €600
  
  
  

If the new rule passes, passengers in Denmark alone would lose out on 277 million DKK annually.
 Currently, passengers receive about 312 million DKK in compensation.
 So this would wipe out nearly all of that—and shift the money back to airlines.

And I just… I don’t love that.

KALPITA:
 Me either.
 There’s no honor among thieves—especially in the travel industry.
 Airports, airlines… it’s all a mess.

Have you ever had a delayed flight where they refused to pay compensation?

FIONN:
 Yes! I used to travel a lot for work—seven or eight years ago, I’d be abroad 3 or 4 days out of every workweek.
 For nine months straight, it felt like every single flight I took was delayed or canceled.

Friends joked I must have pissed off a wizard and gotten cursed. One time, the door fell off the airplane—thankfully, while we were still on the ground.

When you’re flying that often, all you want is to get home, do your laundry, and sleep before flying again.
 And airlines made it harder by being shady about compensation.

They’d bury the rules on a tiny card, or only offer vouchers if you made a fuss.
 So even with the current three-hour rule—it’s already a hassle.
 Pushing it to five hours? That’s incredibly anti-consumer.

Venstre’s Thomas Danielsen argues that the change will “motivate” airlines to fly even when delayed, instead of canceling.
 He thinks it’ll help people get where they’re going—even if it’s super late.

But honestly? That feels like a weak argument.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, I don’t buy that logic.

I want to go on my holiday—of course! But let’s not pretend this is about us.

Two years ago, I was supposed to travel with family. Some came from Jutland, we flew from Copenhagen.
 The plan was to meet, then fly the next leg together.

But our flight was delayed, and then canceled—again and again.
 We spent 30 to 36 hours in the airport.
 That’s nonsense for a 4-5 day family trip. You just want to get there—even one night would have made a difference.

So yes, I get wanting airlines to stay alive.
 Ryanair left Billund, and others are scaling back. But still—there has to be a better solution than cutting protections.

I miss the days when a four-hour layover meant a voucher for a meal—even if it was just McDonald's.
 Now you pay extra for baggage, then they still nickel-and-dime you at the gate.

I like the EU. They do a lot of good things. But this? Not it.
 The industry needs a better overhaul. Not another way to squeeze consumers.

FIONN:
 And honestly, this isn’t just an EU thing.
The last time these rules were up for discussion—more than 10 years ago—the Danish government also pushed for a five-hour minimum.
So this is as much a local push as it is EU-level policy.

And I agree—this whole thing feels like part of a bigger trend.

There’s a word—“inshittification”—mostly used for the internet.
 A platform starts off good, then they add ads, paywalls, reduce quality… and everything gets worse.

Airlines are OGs in that game.

They say they’re offering flexibility—you don’t need to check a bag! You save money!
 But flights don’t feel cheaper. They feel worse.

You pay the same (or more), and you get less.

Now, to be fair, the proposal isn’t all bad. There are two parts that could actually help passengers:

• The rule for receiving a meal voucher would be standardized: triggered at 2 hours, regardless of flight distance.
  
  
  
• And if you miss the first leg of a round-trip flight, airlines wouldn’t be allowed to cancel your return trip automatically. That’s a good change.
  
  
  

But overall? Still feels anti-consumer.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, just one more thought: I’ve been flying recently, and Copenhagen Airport is getting huge.

They’re clearly planning to turn it into a layover hub.
 So it makes sense the government is backing this—more people stuck in airports means more money spent on food, shops, etc.

It’s like being at the theatre. Why is there an intermission? So you’ll buy popcorn.

This isn’t about consumers.
 It’s about profit. And I don’t support it.

This has been a great conversation. I got a lot off my chest.

Also—fun fact—I once traveled with a guy who tried to open the emergency door mid-flight.
So if you're flying this summer… beware.
Delays are annoying, but don’t get stuck with that guy.

FIONN:
 I’ll do my best. I’m flying next with a six-year-old and a two-year-old, so honestly, it might be one of them.

KALPITA:
 Good luck.

FIONN:
 Thank you.

On that note—thank you so much, Kalpita, for joining me today.
 And thank you to Cecilia, our fabulous editor, and of course to our audience for listening.

We couldn’t do this without you.
 Tune in next week for another episode of Last Week in Denmark—
and don’t forget to follow us on social media, subscribe on Substack, and read the newsletter.

KALPITA:
 Have a great weekend. Bye!

FIONN:
 Bye-bye.