Men who have reached the age of 65 and women aged 64 are entitled to an old-age pension. Payment may be advanced by one or two years (resulting in a reduction of the pension by 6.8% per year advanced) or postponed by 1 to 5 years (increase in pension by 5.2 to 31.1% depending on the number of months postponed). In certain circumstances, beneficiaries of old-age pensions are entitled to a pension for a child and/or an additional pension for their spouse.
The surviving spouse is entitled to a widower's/widow's pension if, on the death of a spouse, he/she has one or more children. The widow is additionally entitled to a pension if, on the death of her husband, she has no children but is aged 45 and the marriage has lasted at least 5 years. The right to the pension lapses with the remarriage, the death or, for the widower, when the last child reaches the age of 18. The children of the deceased person are entitled to orphans' pensions. The right also lapses on the child's 18th birthday (25th birthday if the child is studying) or on the death of the orphan.
Insured invalids with a degree of at least 40% disability are entitled to a disability pension, staggered depending on the level of their disability. Beneficiaries are entitled to a pension for all those children who, on their death, would be entitled to an orphan's pension.
(Source: www.swissemigration.ch)
