Supplementary benefits

Supplementary benefits to OASI and DI help when pensions and other income fail to cover the insured person's vital needs. Together with OASI and DI, they are part of federal social security.

The supplementary benefit is an entitlement and not a welfare benefit. The Agenzia AVS (OASI Agency) of the City of Lugano provides additional information and responds to inquiries about one's personal situation.

Who is eligible for supplementary benefits

Supplementary benefits are granted to people who are entitled:

• to an OASI pension (including early)
• to an IV pension (full, three-quarter, half, one-quarter)
• from the age of 18, to an allowance for severely disabled persons from the DI or who receive a daily allowance from the DI for a period of at least six months.

In addition to the requirements already stated above, the granting of supplementary benefits is limited to persons:

• who are domiciled in Switzerland and actually reside there and hold Swiss citizenship or citizenship of an EU/EFTA member state
• who are foreign nationals and have lived in Switzerland continuously for at least 10 years or, if refugees or stateless persons, for five years.

Persons who have reached retirement age or are disabled, widows or orphans and are not entitled to a pension because they have not made contributions to OASI or DI or have made them for too short a period, may still claim entitlement to supplementary benefits if they meet certain conditions.