the Government’s plans to relax the so-called kontantregel now receives strong criticism from the vice-president of the Danish disabled people’s organisations, Sif Holst.

She believes that vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities risk being left with the hair in the mailbox, because the government has not presented any plan for what people, who are dependent on cash in the everyday life, now need to do.

– For those who are affected by it here, is it a huge problem. If the only local store says ‘now, we are closing for the cash’, it can literally destroy people’s lives, ” says Sif Holst.

According to her, there may be many reasons that some people with disabilities find it difficult to switch from cash to credit cards.

– Some find it difficult to remember numbers, and the other is dependent on the helpers, which are not allowed to know their code, she says.

in Addition, mention of Sif Holst also, that there are some who simply can’t keep track of their economy, unless they physically put cash aside every week, so they know exactly what they have to do with.

Kontantreglen – what will be changed?

As a general rule, stores or other merchants be obliged to receive cash in the time period. 06: 00 pm. 22.00.

Stores or other merchants, which are located in areas where there may be a heightened risk of robbery associated with the receipt of the cash, however, is only obligated to receive cash from the pm. 06: 00 pm. 20.00.

the Government’s new proposals will relax the rule, then the business such as petrol stations, newsagents and clothing stores now can choose for themselves whether they want to receive the cash or not.

Grocery stores, postforretninger, doctors, pharmacies and other shops with ‘core societal functions’ are not affected by regelændringen.

Source: the Danish Fsa.dk

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At the association THINK are you agree with the vice-chairman, the criticism of the government’s new initiative.

– We believe that it is a wrong and hasty decision, says Troels Holmberg, seniorøkonom to THINK.

– thus, There are groups in society who do not have the option to pay by card. It is among the old, the socially disadvantaged, and the disabled. Them are you have to take into account.

the Danish business welcomes, however, the proposal for a rule change welcome.

– We think it should be up to the stores to choose which means of payment they will accept, says Henrik Sedenmark, chief consultant for the industry association.

– Cash has two major drawbacks: It is both inconvenient and unsafe to take. Shops without cash can reduce the risk of robbery significantly.

Here is shaking you do not hand over the risk that vulnerable groups can get trapped in the cashless society.

– If you go to a store to buy diapers, and they don’t have it, then you have to go in a different store. Therefore, we have it in the same way with cash: If there is a store that does not accept them, then there is definitely someone else who makes it, explains Henrik Sedenmark.

It is, however, not quite agree with THINK. The association points out that the vulnerable groups who could be affected by the government’s proposals, often not particularly wealthy. Therefore, there is no particularly large financial loss by losing them.

the Danish disabled people’s organisations do not believe that market forces are doing the case itself.

– If you live in the middle of Copenhagen, you can maybe just go over in the next store, but if you live in the country or in a smaller city, it is not certain that there is no alternative, says Sif Holst.

She calls for instead some concrete proposals from the government, which can help the people who are not familiar with coins and notes.

– In the longer term, we have developed some options, which make it easier for everyone to pay kontantløst, but we are just not there yet, says Sif Holst.