Frequently asked questions about pension benefits

Assets can only be withdrawn for owner-occupied residential property. A holiday home cannot be financed with pension fund assets. Members under the age of 50 are entitled to their entire pension assets. For over 50s, the amount is limited to half of the current pension assets or the total pension assets accrued at the age of 50. The minimum amount for an early withdrawal is CHF 20,000 (exception: acquisition of unit certificates in housing cooperatives). Early withdrawals can only be made every five years. The lock-up periods for voluntary buy-ins must be taken into account in the case of an early withdrawal.

Which documents are required?

• Application form
• Married members must provide the officially certified signature of their spouse
• Unmarried members must provide official confirmation of their marital status (no older than six months)
• Copy of the signed and notarised purchase contract or the repayment guarantee from the bank or a notary public in the event that the purchase contract is not concluded
• Written confirmation of the mortgage account / account of the seller
• Additional documents, depending on the case

According to the legal provisions, buy-ins into the Pension Fund can be made at any time in order to increase the retirement benefits. The Pension Fund determines the buy-in limit according to recognised principles (see buy-in table in the rules). The effective buy-in potential is calculated as the maximum savings capital according to the buy-in table minus the accrued savings capital (see reverse side of the insurance certificate), provided the member has not moved to Switzerland from abroad in the last five years.

Yes, you can withdraw the entire capital instead of a pension when you retire in the Pension Fund. Withdrawal of the entire savings capital as a lump sum will settle all claims against the pension funds. The Supplementary Insurance Plan pays out 100% of the capital instead of retirement pensions in all cases.

Where members give up employment in Switzerland and move abroad, the savings capital may be paid out in cash under certain conditions. In the case of emigration to the EU/EFTA area, restrictions apply to the payment of the mandatory portion.

If departing members do not wish to withdraw their savings capital in cash, they can have their pension fund assets transferred to a vested benefits account at a bank or set up a vested benefits policy with an insurance company.

If unmarried members have lived verifiably with an unmarried, unrelated domestic partner in the same household for an uninterrupted period of at least five years prior to the member’s death or if they were responsible for the maintenance of one or more joint children, the partner is entitled to the same benefits as a spouse.

What do I have to do?

The application must be submitted no later than three months after the death of the member, otherwise the claim is forfeited. Additional documents may have to be submitted to the Pension Fund, depending on the case.