Summary

Expenditures for supplementary benefits (SB) to the Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) increased by 4.7% to 6.2 billion francs in 2025. At the end of 2025, 231,900 persons received SB for old-age insurance (6,000 more than in 2024) and 126,100 persons received SB for disability insurance (4,300 more than in 2024). The federal government covers approximately 34% of costs, with cantons covering the remainder. SB play a central role in financing residential care facility stays: 65,000 persons with SB lived in a care facility at the end of 2025 and received an average of 3,900 francs monthly.

Persons

(No individuals mentioned by name)

Topics

  • Social insurance / supplementary benefits
  • Old-age insurance (OASI)
  • Disability insurance (DI)
  • Care financing / residential care costs

Clarus Lead

The SB statistics for 2025 document an accelerated increase in social expenditures: the growth rate of 4.7% exceeds typical inflation and signals increasing need among the elderly and disabled population. Particularly critical is the increase among DI pensioners, of whom now nearly half (49.8%) depend on SB – an indicator of growing financing gaps in the disability insurance system. For cantons and municipalities, this means considerable budget strain, as they bear two-thirds of SB costs.

Detailed Summary

The supplementary benefits statistics reveal structural shifts in the Swiss social insurance system. For OASI, the share of pensioners receiving SB has risen to 12.3% – a moderate but continuous increase. The trend is more pronounced for DI: the share of disability pensioners with SB entitlement has approached the critical threshold of 50% (49.8%), indicating structural deficits in disability insurance.

Care facility financing remains a central area of SB application. With an average of 3,900 francs per month for care facility residents – approximately three times the amount for persons living at home – the statistics illustrate the enormous costs of residential long-term care. The 65,000 care facility residents with SB support represent a growing group whose financing increasingly depends on public funds.

Key Statements

  • SB expenditures grew by 4.7% to 6.2 billion francs in 2025; federal government covers 34%, cantons 66%
  • 231,900 OASI pensioners and 126,100 DI pensioners received SB at the end of 2025
  • Nearly 50% of DI pensioners depend on SB – a critical indicator of DI deficits
  • Care facility residents with SB receive an average of 3,900 francs monthly (3× more than those living at home)

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: Which factors explain the 4.7% increase – demographic aging, increased poverty, or changes in SB guidelines?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: To what extent do cantons and municipalities, as cost bearers (66% of expenditures), influence the accessibility and level of SB benefits?

  3. Causality: Is the increase in DI SB recipients (49.8%) an expression of inadequate employment integration or insufficient DI pensions?

  4. Feasibility: How sustainable is the current financing distribution between the federal government and cantons given rising expenditures?

  5. Data Quality: Does the SB statistics also cover informal care arrangements, or does it only capture formal care facility residents?

  6. Alternatives: Which cost savings through prevention or early detection were considered in the analysis?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Statistics on Supplementary Benefits to OASI and DI 2025 – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/9K-smKKWLaNZyNeVsLl3-

Verification Status: ✓ May 26, 2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: May 26, 2026