New Swiss poverty committee sets out priorities

A 17-member national council began work in Bern on November 9, bringing people with direct experience of poverty into Swiss policy discussions. The group will represent people affected by poverty in dealings with politicians and public authorities, and will press for changes to the way the country addresses hardship.

The scale is substantial: the Federal Social Insurance Office estimates that 750,000 people live in poverty in Switzerland, while 1.45 million are at risk. The new council has a broad mandate, with priorities spanning social security, stigma, health and access to justice.

Six members spoke to reporters in Bern as the council outlined its plans. Its pilot phase runs from 2026 to 2028, with the group aiming to raise awareness and contribute to the government’s poverty strategy. The launch puts people affected by poverty into a formal role in shaping that policy, rather than leaving their experience outside the discussion.

Eleven of the council’s 17 members have first-hand experience of poverty, drawn from all regions of Switzerland. Six experts from politics, academia, government and non-governmental organisations advise them. That balance places lived experience at the centre of the council’s work while giving members access to policy and institutional expertise.

The group has named four priority areas: social security, stigmatisation, health and access to justice. Its remit is broad, and council member Denise Brechbühl said the aim is to bring people experiencing poverty into political debate. The council says it will work on behalf of everyone affected, rather than focus on one particular group.

Those priorities connect everyday dealings with public services to larger questions of social policy. The council plans to engage cantons and municipalities as it looks at how systems can change. Their involvement matters because social services and administrative procedures are part of the local and cantonal landscape in which people seek support.

Complicated paperwork and shame can keep people from seeking social assistance, Brechbühl said. She described the stigma faced by people living close to the poverty line and pointed to administrative language as one practical obstacle. Simplifying procedures and using clearer documents could make it easier to approach social services, she said.

“Unfortunately, there is a great deal of shame,” Brechbühl told Keystone-SDA. She added that changes to forms and procedures could help reduce the burden on applicants. The council is counting on cantons and municipalities to take part in improving how the system works.

The issue sits alongside the council’s wider focus on social security and access to justice. For people seeking assistance, the way a service is designed can shape whether they can navigate it. The council’s stated approach links policy advocacy with concrete changes to processes and communication, while its members bring direct experience of the barriers they want public authorities to address.

The council will have a role in shaping the federal poverty strategy, now being drafted by the Federal Office for Social Insurance. Thomas Vollmer, head of the office’s ageing, generations and society division, said the council would be involved and could influence the strategy directly. The Federal Council is due to adopt it next year.

The council’s pilot phase runs through 2028 and is intended to raise awareness as well as contribute to policy. Its work comes against the backdrop of income poverty among people in employment: the Federal Statistical Office estimates that 175,000 people aged 18 to 64, or 4.3% of the population, are directly affected by income poverty.

Federal funding supports the new council. Migros, the Swiss Society for Public Welfare, Caritas and the Swiss Red Cross are among the other organisations providing support. The council’s next test will be to carry its priorities into the national strategy and the work of cantons and municipalities.