Inventory of means-tested social benefits

The inventory offers a systematic compilation of the cantonal means-tested social benefits which form part of social assistance in a broader sense. It defines for which benefits recipient and financial data are recorded as part of the Swiss Social Assistance Statistics. In total, over 100 social benefits are shown in detail in the inventory. It contains information on eligibility criteria, calculation, maximum benefit amounts and much more.

Since 2007, the inventory has been updated annually. The inventory contents refer to the corresponding cantonal legal bases updated on the first of January.

Every canton has at least the following three benefits: economic social assistance, supplementary benefits and maintenance advances. In 2022, ten cantons (BE, LU, SZ, OW, NW, BL, AR, AI, TG, NE) had three benefits. By contrast, the cantons of Vaud, Zug, Geneva and Ticino offer the greatest number of social assistance benefits in the broader sense, with 8 (VD), 7 (TI) and 6 (ZG, GE) benefits respectively.

Criteria to be fulfilled and benefit categories in the inventory

For a benefit to be included in the inventory, it must be a ...

means-tested,
personal,
cantonal law regulated
cash benefit in the form of a general maintenance payment,
which is targeted at combating poverty,
to which access is ensured if the personal eligibility criteria are fulfilled.

The six criteria must be met cumulatively.

The inventory classifies the benefits into seven categories:

social assistance in the narrow sense (financial social assistance)
maintenance advances
supplementary benefits to OASI/IV
old-age and disability support
family support
unemployment support
housing benefits

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