Individual Assistance
People Affected by Poverty

In Switzerland, around 745,000 people were affected by poverty in 2021 and more than 1.24 million people were considered to be at risk of poverty – including many families.
Ongoing crises place a particularly heavy burden on these people. For example, the coronavirus pandemic led to a loss of income and the conflict in Ukraine drove up food and energy prices.
An unforeseeable event such as an accident or illness can quickly put households with tight budgets into financial difficulties. To prevent people in Switzerland from slipping into poverty or falling into debt because of one-off expenses, help is needed – as a secondary priority to state aid.
The SRC has been helping people affected by and at risk of poverty for many years with a range of services that vary from canton to canton. Individual assistance offers one-off help of a maximum of CHF 1,000 per household in exceptional emergencies.
Experience shows that there is a great need for this type of assistance and that the SRC is able to reach the people affected.
They also show that the standardized offer throughout Switzerland strengthens cooperation with other institutions in the social sector in the respective region.
The SRC’s aim is to approve at least 1,400 applications for support for people affected by poverty each year.