AHV – IV – ALV
Social insurance schemes: old-age and survivors (AHV), disability (IV), maternity (EO), unemployment (ALV)
The law is clear: every hour of work must be covered by social insurance. For work in a private household, the law is especially strict. In return, there is also special support for these employers. At the end of the year, they can report your salary to the AHV in a „simplified procedure“ (Vereinfachtes Verfahren) and pay the insurance contributions then for the whole year. But the system is not always good for you! If you are a multi-jobber (i.e., if you have several jobs with few hours each) or if you have to pay withholding tax, then there are disadvantages in the simplified procedure.
BU – NBU – occupational and non-occupational accident insurance (leisure time)
According to the federal law dated 20.03.81, if you are formally employed you must be insured against accidents at work – this is compulsory even if you only work for an employer on an hourly basis. Make sure you have this insurance: This insurance is not covered by the simplified procedure – YOU can recommend Cheque Service Basel to your employer, all the information they need is available there! If you are employed by an employer for at least eight hours a week, you are also insured for accidents during your free time. If this is not the case, you must take out accident insurance with a health insurance fund (see 8 Insurances).
Old-age pension for former Sans-Papiers
If you have paid AHV contributions for at least one year, you are generally entitled to an AHV pension when you reach retirement age. Employers are obliged to pay social security contributions (for undocumented employees as well). Unpaid contributions can be paid in or claimed retroactively for 5 years. The problem for former undocumented workers is that in most cases the AHV pension is small and not enough to live on (with only a few years of contributions and low wages). In such a case, you have to apply for supplementary benefits (EL = Ergänzungsleistungen). As a non-EU citizen, you must have lived legally in Switzerland for at least ten years to be entitled to EL (refugees or stateless persons: five years). It is unclear whether, in the case of regularization due to hardship (Härtefall), legal residence applies from the time the hardship application is submitted or only from the time the residence permit is granted.
If you want to leave Switzerland permanently, you can have the AHV contributions credited to the pension in your country or apply for the money to be paid out (see link).
Links
- Administration Service: quitt.ch
- Current leaflets and information on old age and disability pensions
- Information on retiring abroad
- Official information on compulsory accident insurance
