Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

For members

CHILDREN

Have your say: How can you save money on raising children in Switzerland?

Raising children in Switzerland is incredibly expensive - with estimates that it costs up to half a million francs to raise two kids. We’re asking readers if it's possible to cut costs when raising children in Switzerland - and how to do it.

Published: 14 November 2019 00:04 CET

Have your say: How can you save money on raising children in Switzerland?

Photo: Depositphotos

It’s hardly likely to be news to our readers that Switzerland can be expensive. Money is a frequent topic on The Local Switzerland, with cost of living concerns highly prevalent even in a country with high wages and low unemployment.

The Local Switzerland: Business and money

With direct costs of raising children estimated at between CHF1200 and CHF1800 per month, the total costs of raising two children to adult age is estimated at half a million francs.

Childcare in Switzerland is among the most expensive anywhere in the world.

Figures from 2019 show that more than a quarter of a couple’s average earnings would go towards childcare for two children, with the 27.7 per cent rate behind only Ireland and the United Kingdom in the EU – and sixth-most expensive in the world.

Despite a 2019 decision to expand upon the tax deductions available to parents for childcare, the costs can reach CHF150 per day in larger cities like Bern and Zurich.

And while subsidies are offered for low income families, these are lower than those available in a number of other countries across the world.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px}
p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 12.0px Times; color: #0000e9; -webkit-text-stroke: #0000e9}
span.s1 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}

Therefore, we want to know how you do it. Is it possible to raise children in Switzerland? How do you make ends meet – and what more needs to be done to make it easier for parents to raise their kids in Switzerland?

Loading…

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Can I get financial help in Switzerland if I'm struggling to pay the bills?

Say you are a foreign resident in Switzerland and find yourself short of funds, and are unable to pay your monthly bills.

Can you count on your canton’s public coffers to help you out?

Much depends on your status in the country.

If you have a residency permit, have been working in Switzerland and contributing to the social security scheme, then you can receive financial assistance, in form of subsidies, from your local authority.

This is how it works

For instance, if the obligatory health insurance premiums exceed 8 percent of the household income, then you are eligible to receive this help.

However, your canton of residence will look not only at your earnings, but at any other financial assets you hold as well.

So if your income is low but you have plenty of money in the bank in the form of savings or other investments, you will not qualify.

Generally speaking, any resident who is a low earner or has a large number of children — regardless of nationality — could be eligible for subsidised premiums, though criteria, as well as amounts, vary from one canton to another.

READ ALSO : How do I apply for healthcare benefits in Switzerland?

What about housing?

Low-earners (again, regardless of nationality) are entitled to have their rents subsidised, under certain circumstances — the conditions as well as the income threshold is determined by cantonal authorities.

Generally speaking, in order to claim this help, you must prove that you live in the cheapest available housing in your area. (Needless to say, if you reside in a luxury apartment, you can’t ask for rent subsidy.)

If you don’t fulfill this particular condition, you will be told to move to cheaper accommodations before claiming any benefits.

Exceptions to this rule include situations such as a large number of minor children living in the household, which may make relocation — that is, finding a sizeable apartment at a cheaper price — unrealistic.

The amount of rent reduction will be set by the authorities.

Is any other help available?

If you can’t afford anything in Switzerland which, admittedly, is an extreme and rare situation for anyone working full-time and already receiving either health insurance or housing subsidy (or both), then your only other option is applying for welfare.

This, however, should be the absolute last resort if you want to remain in Switzerland and eventually apply for naturalisation, or even have your work permit renewed.

That’s because being on public assistance is grounds for refusal of citizenship — unless all the money is repaid in full in advance of your application.

READ ALSO: Can I still get Swiss citizenship after claiming social benefits?

What about disabilities?

This falls under the general social security scheme, so if you are working in Switzerland, then you are eligible to receive these benefits.

The only exception may be people from outside the EU /EFTA — unless your country of origin has concluded a social security agreement with Switzerland.

This link provides additional information about these countries.

If you qualify for disability (and medical records confirm this), you can apply for these benefits at the social security office of your canton.

There are some other things you should keep in mind as well:

Not all foreigners who have a residency permit can apply for financial assistance.

If you came to Switzerland on a temporary permit (L or B), then you don’t have access to any benefits.

And if you ‘bought’ your Swiss residency, you can’t resort to any public help either.

The condition of your stay in Switzerland is that you should be self-sufficient enough to live here without having to work or resort to welfare benefits.

Url copied to clipboard!