Aarhus Byråd

Byråd (city council): 422 complaint cases — Aarhus upheld in 56 percent in 2025

AI-written · beta

On Wednesday 23 September 2026, Aarhus Byråd took note of Ankestyrelsen's Danmarkskort in the social sector 2025 and adopted the magistrat (municipal executive)'s recommendation.

Document date: 23. september 2026
Section: City council
Status: Beta
Source: Aarhus Kommune meeting documents — Aarhus Byråd 23 September 2026 · item 6 (minutes + recommendation + signed transcript + annexes) ↗

Summary

On Wednesday 23 September 2026, Aarhus Byråd took note of Ankestyrelsen's Danmarkskort in the social sector 2025 and adopted the magistrat's recommendation. The matter is sent back to the administrative departments, and the Magistrate Department for Social Affairs and Employment must prepare a note.

Fra byrådets papirer

Returned to the Magistrate Department for Social Affairs and Employment and the Magistrate Department for Health and Care with the note that the city council at its meeting on 23 September 2026 adopted the magistrat's preceding recommendation of 15 September 2026. The Magistrate Department for Social Affairs and Employment prepares a note.

What this means for you

The Danmarkskort shows how often Ankestyrelsen upholds or overturns the municipality's decisions when citizens complain in the social sector. In 2025, Aarhus Kommune was upheld in just over half of the complaints processed — above the national average — but the share has fallen since 2024, especially in the children's disability area. The map only covers cases that have been appealed further; it therefore does not say everything about overall case processing. The city council has asked the administration for a follow-up note on consultation responses and learning after remittals.

Background

Socialministeriet publishes a Danmarkskort of Ankestyrelsen's decisions every year. Under section 79 b of the Legal Rights Act, the city council must consider the map annually. When a citizen complains, the municipality first re-examines the case. If the decision is upheld, it goes to Ankestyrelsen, which can uphold, amend or quash it — or remit it for new processing. Remittal means the case must be processed again, often because information is missing; it is not necessarily an expression of disagreement or the citizen being upheld.

The Danmarkskort is divided in the social sector into overall, children's disability area and adult disability area. Remitted cases are grouped with amended and quashed cases under "overturn rate". The map covers provisions in the Service Act and the Child Act under Social Affairs and Employment, Health and Care, and Children and Young People.

The matter has been in consultation with Handicaprådet and Ældrerådet. Handicaprådet is deeply concerned about the trend, especially in the children's disability area, and calls for systematic learning and sufficient resources for authority work. Ældrerådet points to high overturn rates and a possible hidden figure among citizens who do not complain. The administrations report that learning takes place through fixed procedures, professional sparring and training, and that initiatives have been launched in the children's area to strengthen legal quality.

The magistrat recommended on 15 September 2026 that the city council endorse the recommendation of 1 September 2026 to take the briefing to note.

Figures and facts

Ankestyrelsen processed 422 complaints about decisions from Aarhus Kommune in 2025 — 137 more than in 2024. (Recommendation)
The municipality was upheld in 56 percent of cases (upholding). The national average was 53 percent. (Recommendation)
The upholding rate fell five percentage points from 61 percent in 2024. (Recommendation)
Breakdown: 114 cases in the children's disability area, 50 in the adult disability area and 258 in the other social sector. (Recommendation)
Children's disability: upholding 51 percent (national: 41 percent); fall of 17 percentage points from 2024. 95 of 114 cases concerned extra expenses and lost earnings. (Recommendation; Annex 1: Background note on the Danmarkskort 2025)
Adult disability: upholding rose from 61 to 76 percent; overturn rate fell from 39 to 24 percent. (Recommendation)
In the Social Affairs and Employment area, a decision was made in 4,175 new application cases in 2025; in Health and Care approx. 40,000 decisions. There was one case from Children and Young People. (Recommendation)

Who said what

Anna Thusgård (S) thanked for the report and stressed that Aarhus is above the national average in both the children's and adult disability areas, but that a five-percentage-point drop is no reason to rest. She pointed to 2025 as the first full year after the Child Act and the marked fall in the children's area, and urged the administration to maintain focus — preferably experience-sharing with municipalities such as Odense, Aalborg or Randers. Socialdemokratiet endorsed the recommendation and requested a written note on how many cases are overturned after remittal, the background for this, and the initiatives launched in the children's area.

Gert Bjerregaard (V) shared Handicaprådet's concern, especially over the fall in the children's disability area. Venstre could endorse the recommendation if the matter did not need to go to a udvalg (committee), but wanted a note based on the two consultation responses, circulated to council advisers and city council members.

Mahad Yussuf (RV) warned against making the overturn rate the sole benchmark, but stressed that the marked decline in the children's disability area must be met with a response. What matters most, in his view, is how many cases are overturned, why, and what can be learned — with a citizen behind every complaint. He highlighted Ældrerådet's point about those who do not complain, and referred to Radikale Venstre's previous budget proposal on citizen advisers and the ongoing review of better citizen guidance. Radikale Venstre took the recommendation to note and supported the request for a note on the consultation responses.

Rådmand (alderman) Michael Christensen (LA), Social Affairs and Employment, called citizens' trust in the decisions central. He found it twofold: Aarhus is above the national average, but has fallen five percentage points since 2024. The 422 complaints must be seen in light of more than 4,000 new decisions annually. He pointed to the Child Act as a possible factor and reported that the administration is already reaching out to municipalities that perform better, and will use Ankestyrelsen's decisions to improve procedures.

What happens next

The matter is sent back to the Magistrate Department for Social Affairs and Employment and the Magistrate Department for Health and Care. Social Affairs and Employment prepares the requested note — among other things on the consultation responses and follow-up on remitted cases — for the city council and those who submitted consultation responses.

Sources

Other annexes

Transcript

Transcript of the council debate with speakers named, from the official signed record.

Open in Transcripts →