Lifelong payment stopped Federal Council cuts widow's pension - existing pensions also affected
Lifelong widow's pensions should no longer exist. This was decided by the Federal Council on Wednesday.
23.10.2024, 10:24
23.10.2024, 15:55
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- The Federal Council wants to abolish the lifelong widow's pension.
- Widows and widowers will now only be entitled to a pension until their youngest child reaches the age of 25.
In future, widows and widowers should receive a pension until the youngest child reaches the age of 25 - regardless of marital status. This was decided by the Federal Council on Wednesday. Until now, women have received a pension for life.
However, pensions already paid to widows and widowers over the age of 55 will continue to be paid. According to the press release, the Federal Council wants to eliminate the unequal treatment of AHV survivors' pensions and adapt the system to social developments.
Today, widows receive a pension for life, even if they have no dependent children. Widowers, on the other hand, only receive them until the youngest child comes of age. In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld this unequal treatment of the sexes in a ruling.
Also a savings effect
The new regulation is intended to provide targeted support for surviving dependants as long as they have dependent children. The revision takes into account people at risk of poverty as well as age-related circumstances, writes the Federal Council. Outside of these difficult times, it is "no longer justified to pay lifelong pensions regardless of the insured person's financial situation".
Last December, the Federal Council submitted its proposal for consultation by the end of March. Opinions on the reform were divided. While the conservatives welcomed the changes, the SP and Greens criticized the fact that they worsened the situation for certain groups of women. On Wednesday, the Federal Council took note of the amendment to the Federal Old Age and Survivors' Insurance Act (AHVG) and adopted the dispatch for the attention of parliament.
Last but not least, the reform also has a savings effect. If it can come into force in 2026, it should result in a reduction in AHV expenditure of around CHF 350 million by 2030. 70 million of this relates to savings at federal level.