Insurance-related steps in the event of unemployment

Health: health and accident insurance

Basic health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland. Therefore, you must be insured regardless of your work status: employee, self-employed, retired or unemployed.

People working in Switzerland are subject to their employer’s compulsory accident insurance in accordance with the Federal Law on Accident insurance (LAA/UVG).

If your employment ends, your LAA/UVG accident coverage will expire 31 days after the last salary has been paid.
After 31 days
- either you receive a daily allowance benefit from the unemployment insurance in which case you will be automatically insured against non-workplace accidents with SUVA.
- or you do not receive unemployment benefits: in that case, you must take out insurance by signing up to extended accident insurance or by adding the accident risk to your basic health insurance.
Extended accident insurance: avoid coverage gaps
With extended insurance, you can extend your former employer’s accident coverage for up to six months. You can sign up to this insurance with your former accident insurer.
Click here to discover our new extended LAA/UVG insurance: Extended insurance.

Add the accident risk to your basic health insurance
Ask your health insurer to add the accident risk to your coverage using this form: Add/Cancel the accident risk.

You will find more information on occupational benefits for unemployed persons on the following website: work.swiss.

In order to contribute to the 3a pillar, you need to carry out gainful employment, whether on an employed or self-employed basis, and your income must be subject to the Old-Age and Survivor’s insurance (AVS/AHV). As long as you are receiving unemployment benefits, you can continue to contribute to the 3a pillar since the latter is subject to the AVS/AHV insurance. When the benefits expire, you will no longer be able to contribute to the 3a pillar.

Announce any changes in your work status and gainful activity to your life insurer using this form: Contact request form Life.

You will find more information on occupational benefits for unemployed persons on the following website: work.swiss.

Group loss of earnings insurance of the employer
At the end of the employment relationship, you will leave the group of persons insured by the loss of earnings coverage taken out by your employer. However, you can maintain this coverage for as long as you wish by asking the insurer to transfer you to individual insurance. In that case, you will be liable for paying the full insurance premium.

Occupational benefits in accordance with LPP/BVG (2nd pillar)
Leaving your job means that you will also leave the occupational benefits scheme of your employer (pension fund). If you are receiving unemployment benefits, your retirement savings will be insured by the Substitute LPP/BVG Pension Plan.

Attention: the Substitute Pension Plan will only cover you in the event of death or disability. Therefore, you will not be saving for your retirement. It will also not be possible to transfer your retirement benefits or savings (vested benefits) to the Substitute Pension Plan. Instead, you will have to allocate these funds to a vested benefits account or policy.

Open a vested benefits account
Send us the full details of your new fund/institution using the following Vested termination benefits form to allow us to transfer your vested benefits:

Vested termination benefits Groupe Mutuel

You will find more information on occupational benefits for unemployed persons on the following website: work.swiss.