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Legal basis

On 30 September 2016, the Swiss parliament passed the Federal Act on Compulsory Social Measures and Placements prior to 1981 (CSMPA) by a clear majority. It came into force on 1 April 2017. The law was subsequently revised several times: on 1 May 2020 (non-consideration of the solidarity contribution in the calculation of supplementary benefits); on 1 November 2020 (abolition of the submission deadline originally applicable to solidarity contribution applications); on 1 July 2021 (no reduction of bridging payments for older unemployed persons as a result of payment of a solidarity contribution); and 1 February 2025 (equal treatment of cantonal, communal and federal solidarity contributions under the laws on taxation, debt enforcement, social assistance and social insurance; provision on victims subject to a deputyship; rules on how the solidarity contribution is treated after the death of the victim).

The Ordinance to the Federal Act goes into further detail on certain aspects of the law, in particular the procedure for submitting an application for a solidarity contribution. The Ordinance was also revised with effect from 1 January 2021.

Further information on the development and contents of the CSMPA can be found in the Federal Council Dispatch:

More detailed information and other documents related to the origins and amendments of the CSMPA and the associated ordinance can be found below:

Last modification 07.04.2025

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