This translation has not yet been read by a person. The German text is authoritative.
Social assistance in Switzerland — an orientation
Social assistance (Sozialhilfe) is the lowest tier of the Swiss safety net — it applies where everything else does not suffice, or no longer does. Responsibility lies not with the federal government but with the cantons and, in many of them, the municipalities.
Orientation, not legal or financial advice — the competent authority is what counts. This page deliberately gives no amounts and no deadlines.
Subsidiary means: everything else first
Social assistance is subsidiary. Before it comes into question, other entitlements are examined: wages, unemployment benefits, pensions, supplementary benefits, premium reduction, maintenance payments, scholarships. Your own assets are also taken into account, although the cantons allow an exempt amount whose level differs.
That is why an application often begins with many questions about quite different benefits. It is not about mistrust, but about the order laid down by law.
The SKOS guidelines are recommendations, not law
This is the most overlooked point. The guidelines of the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (SKOS) are recommendations. They become binding only in so far as a canton adopts them into its own law — and the cantons do so to varying degrees.
In practice this means: a SKOS calculator gives a good first indication, but it is not a promise. What applies in your case is set out in the cantonal social assistance act and in the ruling of the competent office.
What the support typically consists of
In most cantons there are three components: a basic amount for living costs, housing costs within what is locally customary, and basic medical care. Situation-related benefits may be added.
We deliberately do not give the amounts here: they differ by canton and household size and are adjusted regularly. A figure on a page like this one would be wrong before long.
The right nobody can lose
Independently of all of the above, Article 12 of the Federal Constitution lays down the right to assistance when in need: persons in distress and incapable of looking after themselves have the right to be helped and assisted, and to receive the means indispensable for leading a life in human dignity.
This right belongs to everyone in Switzerland. It is not the same as social assistance and covers less — but it is the floor below which nobody may fall.
Frequently asked questions
How much social assistance am I entitled to?
That is measured by place of residence, household size, income, assets and the actual housing and health costs — and it follows cantonal law. There is no figure that applies everywhere. Social assistance calculators give a provisional indication; the ruling of the competent office is what is binding.
Are the SKOS guidelines law?
No. They are recommendations of the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare. They are binding only in so far as a canton has adopted them into its own law. That is why the same situation can be assessed differently from canton to canton.
Do I have to use up my assets first?
Assets are taken into account, but not in full: the cantons allow an exempt amount that is not touched. How high it is differs by canton and household. The competent office calculates this in the individual case.
What is the difference from supplementary benefits?
Supplementary benefits (Ergänzungsleistungen, EL) belong to the first pillar and generally come into question when an old-age or disability insurance benefit does not cover subsistence needs. They are governed by federal law and are not social assistance. An entitlement to supplementary benefits takes precedence over social assistance.
Maloja Plana works this out for your situation.
A Swiss life folder — taxes, premium reduction, social assistance, minimum wage, pension provision and emergency card in one place. Everything stays on your device: no account, nothing sent to a server, no tracking. Free and open source.
The app is currently in a closed beta and needs an access code. An example can be viewed without a code — with invented data; nothing is saved.
Sources and calculators
- Social assistance calculator of SKOS (available in German only)
- Supplementary benefits, Federal Social Insurance Office (available in German only)
- Cantonal assistance, overview of the Federal Housing Office (available in German only)
Maloja Plana has no connection with these organisations. Linking to them implies neither cooperation nor endorsement. Not all of them are authorities — SKOS, for instance, is a professional association, and its guidelines are recommendations.
This page is orientation based on public information — not legal or financial advice. It deliberately gives no amounts, deadlines or income limits: these differ from canton to canton and change regularly. What counts is always the information or the ruling of the competent authority.