People with lived experience will advise Switzerland on poverty policy

People who have experienced poverty will help advise Switzerland’s federal government on how to tackle it through a newly launched National Council on Poverty Issues, SRF reports. The council will explain how poverty arises and propose practical solutions, which are intended to inform the federal government’s national poverty strategy due in 2027.

1. How people can fall into poverty

Denise Brechbühl, who has experienced poverty herself, is a member of the council. She said her mental health worsened after the Covid pandemic, and she received social assistance for a long time. For the past few months, she has been receiving a disability insurance pension.

Brechbühl said poverty does not necessarily begin when someone has no money left. It can start when they can no longer pay a doctor’s or dentist’s bill.

2. The effects of poverty

Talking about being poor is taboo in Switzerland, and limited finances can make it difficult to take part in social life. People affected also face pressure in a society that places a high value on achievement.

Brechbühl said questions about what someone does for a living can make it difficult to explain that they receive social assistance. She said this can bring shame and lead others to assume that a person is too lazy to work or is taking advantage of the system. She also said she had received support from family and friends.

3. Who is affected

Caritas Switzerland says demand at its markets has increased steadily over the past five or six years. Aline Masé, who leads the organisation’s social policy unit, said there had been no easing since the Covid pandemic and that rent and health insurance premiums would remain major concerns.

The federal government’s latest figures say 8.1 per cent of Switzerland’s resident population, or about 708,000 people, experience income poverty. Caritas considers the government’s poverty threshold too low and estimates that about 1.5 million people are affected. Groups at risk include single parents, people with a migration background and people without a compulsory school-leaving qualification.

4. What could help

Brechbühl said navigating public offices had been overwhelming, especially when she was struggling with her mental health. She would like people in need to have a contact person who understands the system and can direct them to the right support.

Masé also supports a single point of contact for services such as social assistance, supplementary benefits and other forms of help.

5. What the council hopes to achieve

The council was established by the Federal Office of Social Insurance to strengthen the political participation of people who have experienced poverty. It is an independent association and one of four elements in the government’s efforts to tackle poverty. People with lived experience can vote on the council’s proposals, while six specialists, including Masé, have advisory roles.

The office supported the council’s start-up phase, but it must fund itself during a pilot phase running until 2028. About two-thirds of the costs are currently covered, with support including contributions from the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Christoph Merian Foundation and Migros Culture Percentage. The council is still seeking funding for the remaining third.

Brechbühl said people affected by poverty should have their own voice at federal level.