Legal basis

On 30 September 2016, the Swiss parliament passed the Federal Act on Compulsory Social Measures and Placements prior to 1981 (CSMPA) by a clear majority. It came into force on 1 April 2017. The law was subsequently revised three times: as of 1 May 2020 (non-consideration of the solidarity contribution in the calculation of supplementary benefits); as of 1 November 2020 (abolition of the submission deadline originally applicable to solidarity contribution applications); and as of 1 July 2021 (no reduction of bridging payments for older unemployed persons as a result of payment of a solidarity contribution).

The Ordinance to the Federal Act goes into further detail on certain aspects of the law, in particular the procedure for submitting an application for a solidarity contribution. The Ordinance was also revised with effect from 1 January 2021.

Further information on the development and contents of the CSMPA can be found in the Federal Council Dispatch:

More detailed information and other documents related to the origins and amendments of the CSMPA and the associated ordinance can be found below:

Last modification 22.06.2022

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