Give up your pension in the name of equality!

I'm 54 years old, I've been widowed for a long time and my two adult children are now independent: they don't cost me anything any more, except perhaps a fondue from time to time. I receive a pension that enables me to make ends meet. A friend has told me that I'm in danger of losing it soon, because the National Council has decided that, in terms of equality, it's time widows and widowers were treated equally... What's going on in the heads of our politicians?

Ariane

Your friend is not wrong: the widow's pension, as we know it today, is probably living out its final years if the reform of the AVS, already adopted by the National Council, goes ahead.

At present, under Swiss law, a married woman who loses her spouse can receive a survivor's pension even after her children have grown up, whereas a widower is only entitled to a pension as long as he has dependent children. This difference in treatment was recently ruled discriminatory by the European Court of Human Rights, prompting a political desire to equalise the rules in the name of gender equality - but, alas, by lowering the level of protection rather than extending it! The idea is therefore to do away with lifetime pensions for widows without dependent children and to refocus benefits on supporting parenthood. The National Council has approved a revision of the Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance Act (LAVS) that will make entitlement to a survivor's pension conditional on the presence of children up to the age of 25. After that age, and unless the situation is recognised as precarious, the pension should cease. A transitional pension would nevertheless be granted for two years to allow the people concerned to adapt to this new situation.

However, there is still some hope for those of you who are not far from retirement age. The draft as adopted provides that current pensions will be maintained for people who have reached the age of 55 when the reform comes into force. This transitional provision is designed to avoid upsetting the life plans of those who no longer really have time to look back. The problem is that you are 54 years old, so your fate will depend largely on the date on which the new law comes into force, which is as yet unknown. If it comes into force within the year, you could just miss out, unless the Council of States decides to relax this condition or extend the transitional period. Members of parliament are already concerned about this, and it's not out of the question that adjustments will be made at this stage.

In short, your pension will not be withdrawn for the time being, but it could be in two or three years' time, depending on the outcome of the legislative process and your exact age at the decisive moment.