National Council committee suspends treatment of survivors’ pensions
Published: Friday, Nov 8th 2024, 19:30
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The adjustment of survivors' pensions demanded by the European Court of Human Rights has been delayed. The National Council committee responsible wants to discuss the outstanding issues as part of a related popular initiative.
By 14 votes to 11, the National Council's Social Affairs and Health Committee (SGK-N) has decided to temporarily suspend consideration of the Federal Council's proposal to adjust survivors' pensions, the parliamentary services announced on Friday.
It would like to take an overall view of AHV benefits based on marital status and gender and is awaiting the dispatch on the popular initiative "Yes to fair AHV pensions for married couples too" from the center party. The Federal Council intends to adopt this by the end of March 2025 at the latest.
The Commission stated in a communication that it wanted to eliminate the unequal treatment in AHV survivors' pensions and adapt the system to social developments. In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled on this unequal treatment of the sexes.
According to the Federal Council, widows and widowers should in future receive a pension until their youngest child reaches the age of 25 - regardless of their marital status. However, pensions already paid to widows and widowers over the age of 55 would continue to be paid. Today, women receive a pension for life, even if they have no dependent children. Widowers, on the other hand, only receive a pension until the youngest child comes of age.
Last December, the Federal Council submitted its proposal for consultation until the end of March. Opinions on the reform were divided. While the conservatives welcomed the changes, the SP and Greens criticized the fact that they worsened the situation for certain groups of women.
For further consultations, the SGK-N commissioned the administration to carry out clarifications and calculations. Among other things, the current privileges for married couples and options for retirement and survivors' pensions independent of marital status are to be highlighted, the situation of surviving dependants is to be analyzed and the impact of the current draft on widowed women of retirement age is to be explained.
©Keystone/SDA
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