Summary

Switzerland has founded the first Council on Poverty Issues – a pioneering project for political participation of people with lived experience of poverty. The body consists of 12 persons with lived experience of poverty (voting rights) and 6 experts (advisory capacity) and is to develop innovative solutions for combating poverty. The composition was selected from over 80 applications and represents all Swiss regions, various age groups, and fields of expertise. A pilot phase runs until 2028; financing is partly secured through foundations, but not yet fully guaranteed.

People

  • Brechbühl, Denise (Opfikon, ZH)
  • Lüthi, Sarah (Bern, BE)

Topics

  • Poverty policy Switzerland
  • Participation and civic engagement
  • National platform against poverty
  • Social justice

Clarus Lead

Switzerland is launching a groundbreaking participation project: The newly founded Council on Poverty Issues combines experiential knowledge from people with lived experience of poverty with professional expertise to develop concrete solutions for combating poverty. The body acts independently and autonomously within a national structure jointly supported by the federal government, cantons, municipalities, and civil society. For decision-makers, this means: poverty policy will henceforth be co-designed directly by those affected – a structural anchoring of bottom-up perspectives at the national level.

Detailed Summary

The Council on Poverty Issues is constituted of 12 voting members with lived experience of poverty and 6 advisory experts from NGOs, authorities, politics, and academia. The selection was made by an independent body from over 80 applications; the appointed persons represent all Swiss regions geographically and various age groups, backgrounds, and life paths demographically. This composition is intended to ensure that solution approaches are anchored in social reality.

The Council is one of four elements of the national poverty policy infrastructure – alongside the National Platform Against Poverty, poverty monitoring, and a poverty strategy to be adopted by the Federal Council in 2027. Until 2028, a pilot phase runs during which the Council will set priorities, expand its network, and position itself toward relevant stakeholders. An evaluation is planned for mid-2028.

Financing is supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Christoph Merian Foundation, and Migros Culture Percent – but is not fully secured. The Council will be founded in spring 2026 as an independent association at the national level.

Key Messages

  • Participatory Model: People with lived experience of poverty receive structural participation at the national political level for the first time.
  • Dual Expertise: Combination of experiential knowledge (12 members) and professional competence (6 advisors) enables practice-oriented solution development.
  • Broad Representation: Over 80 applications resulted in geographically and demographically diverse composition.
  • Pilot Phase Until 2028: Evaluation planned; financing partly secured, further funding sought.
  • Systemic Integration: The Council is part of a four-part national structure (platform, monitoring, strategy, council).

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: How will the Council's recommendations be evaluated? What indicators measure success in poverty reduction?

  2. Representativeness: Do 12 people with lived experience of poverty cover the diversity of poverty experiences in Switzerland, or is there a risk of selection bias through the application process?

  3. Political Implementation: What binding mechanisms compel the federal government, cantons, and municipalities to implement Council recommendations?

  4. Financial Sustainability: How sustainable is a model dependent on foundation funding without complete financing security?

  5. Conflicts of Interest: Can advisory experts from authorities and politics act independently when their institutions simultaneously support the platform?

  6. Independence: How is the Council's independence concretely operationalized when it is part of a state-supported structure?

  7. Causality: Can the Council measurably contribute to poverty reduction, or is there a risk that it primarily provides symbolic participation without real resource redistribution?

  8. Side Effects: Could the focus on the national level displace local and cantonal poverty reduction initiatives?

Sources

Primary Source: The Council on Poverty Issues in Switzerland Takes Shape – Press Release Federal Office of Social Insurance, March 11, 2026

Verification Status: ✓ March 11, 2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-check: March 11, 2026