A financial bridge until you reach normal AHV retirement age
Bridging benefits
Are you retiring, or being made to retire, early? This entails profound changes. AHV/IV benefits are substantially reduced, for example. Bridging benefits can help.
Money until retirement
If your employer has included bridging benefits, and if you are at least 60 years old, you will receive 75% of the maximum basic AHV old-age pension that applies upon retirement. If you are dismissed prematurely for age-related reasons, bridging benefits can already be paid from the age of 58. If your job is eliminated due to restructuring, benefits can even be paid out from the age of 55.
The bridging benefits for 2023 amount to CHF 22,050. The bridging benefits for insured persons who are married or in a registered partnership are increased by 30% to a maximum of CHF 28,665, unless the supplement for spouses or registered partners is explicitly waived. The bridging benefits for part-time employees are reduced according to the degree of employment prior to retirement. Please note: Your employer can stipulate that you must have been working at the company for at least five years before bridging benefits will be paid out. They can also rule out the supplement for spouses or registered partners. Ask your employer what your options are.
Good to know: Bridging benefits can be thought of as replacing a person's salary until AHV benefits are paid out upon reaching normal AHV retirement age.
It goes without saying that these kinds of benefits also need to be financed. Your employer pays for 60% of the contributions, and you make up the other 40%. For the insured person's share of the financing, the entire sum of the bridging benefits until normal AHV retirement age is reached is calculated and deducted from the relevant savings balance. The annuity is calculated on the basis of the reduced amount of savings.
For example
Frequently asked questions regarding bridging benefits in connection with old-age pensions
Yes. Any insured person can take out some or all of their savings as a lump sum when they retire ("Flex" model). Drawing capital in this way results in a pro rata reduction of bridging benefits.
If you take out 50% of your savings as a lump sum when you retire, for example, your bridging benefits will be reduced by 50%.
With the "Kombi" pension model, there is no reduction in your bridging benefits.
Bridging benefits are financed 40% by the insured person and 60% by their employer.
The amount contributed by the pensioners to the total bridging benefits to be paid before normal AHV retirement age is reached is drawn from their savings in one go before the pension is calculated.
Bridging benefits amount to 75% of the maximum basic AHV old-age pension at the time of retirement. For 2023, this is CHF 29,400, which means that the maximum amount of bridging benefits that BVK will pay out is CHF 22,050 (75% of CHF 29,400). For insured persons who are married or in a registered partnership, the bridging benefits are increased by 30% to a maximum of CHF 28,665, unless the supplement for spouses or registered partners is explicitly waived. The bridging benefits for part-time employees are reduced according to their degree of employment. This is based on the degree of employment immediately prior to retirement.
Bridging benefits are paid out until you reach normal AHV retirement age. You cannot choose how long you will receive bridging benefits. In the event of premature, age-related dismissal, you can start receiving them before you turn 60 (please refer to the "Premature, age-related dismissal" information sheet).
Entitlement to bridging benefits lapses when you reach normal AHV retirement age, at which point they are replaced by AHV benefits. You must apply to the relevant Compensation Office for these.
In the event of early retirement or premature, age-related dismissal, bridging benefits can be paid to:
a) Insured persons employed by the cantonal administration
b) Employees of affiliated employers who have not excluded the payment of bridging benefits in their affiliation agreement.
Check whether your employer stipulates that you must have been working at the company for at least five years before bridging benefits will be paid out. If you have been working there for less than five years, you may not qualify for bridging benefits.
Bridging benefits are pension benefits paid out by BVK. They replace some of the AHV old-age pension that is not being paid out yet for insured persons who retire early (early retirement or premature, age-related dismissal). Bridging benefits are a form of replacement income that is paid out by BVK until normal AHV retirement age is reached.
The bridging subsidy is a BVK pension benefit. It helps insured persons who retire early (early retirement or early release due to age) and who would like to replace some of the missing AHV retirement pension. The bridging subsidy is a sort of replacement income that is paid by BVK until the insured person reaches the normal AHV retirement age.
The following people are entitled to a bridging subsidy in the event of early retirement or early release due to age:
a) insured persons employed by the cantonal administration
b) employees of affiliated employers that have not excluded the bridging subsidy benefit in their affiliation agreement.
The bridging subsidy is paid until the employee reaches the normal AHV retirement age. For men, the maximum claim period is from ages 60 to 65, for women, the maximum claim period is from ages 60 to 64. The claim period for the bridging subsidy cannot be freely selected. In the event of early release due to age, the bridging subsidy may be drawn before age 60 (see the «Early release due to age» information sheet). Entitlement to the bridging subsidy lapses when the insured person reaches the normal AHV retirement age. The insured person will then be entitled to AHV benefits. These must be requested from the appropriate compensation office.
The bridging subsidy is 75% of the maximum basic AHV retirement pension applicable upon retirement. For 2023, this is CHF 29,400. The maximum BVK bridging subsidy is thus CHF 22,050 (75% of CHF 29,400).
For insured persons who are married or living in a registered partnership the bridging subsidy increases by 30% to a maximum of CHF 28,665, provided the supplement for married couples or registered partners is not expressly waived. This supplement is also paid if the spouse or registered partner still works or already draws a pension him or herself. For insured persons who work part-time, the bridging subsidy is reduced according to the level of employment. The level of employment upon retirement is authoritative.
The bridging subsidy is financed 40% by the insured person and 60% by the employer.
The insured person pays his or her contribution through a lifelong reduction of the BVK retirement pension from the time they reach the normal AHV retirement age. The annual reduction is 2.3% of the total bridging subsidy that is drawn. The interest accrued during the claim period and future interest on the subsidies (40% of the subsidy) are amortised with this reduction.
Yes. In general, every insured person has the option of withdrawing some or all of his or her savings capital as a lump sum upon retirement. A lumpsum withdrawal will result in a proportionate reduction of the bridging subsidy.
For example, if you withdraw 50% of your savings capital as a lump sum when you retire, this will result in a 50% reduction of the bridging subsidy.
The request for a bridging subsidy must be submitted to BVK in writing before retirement. An application form can be found on our website under «Services/Downloads/Formulare».
We recommend that you request the bridging subsidy no later than one month before retirement. This will ensure that the bridging subsidy is paid in a timely manner together with the BVK retirement pension.
Please note:
Applications that are submitted late will be rejected.