Children and young people are disproportionately affected by poverty. You suffer disadvantages as a result. This is the conclusion reached by a study by the BASS office. The support services are therefore insufficient. The study suggests measures. You will now be checked. Domestic editor Andrea Jaggi on details and sticking points.
Andrea Jaggi is a domestic editor at Radio SRF specializing in education and health.
Does the study provide new insights?
Not really. It has long been known that children and young people are disadvantaged if their family is dependent on social welfare. The Study by the BASS office but now shows scientifically what was previously an assumption. And it provides the basis for a discussion about the proposed solutions. The study was commissioned by the Conference of Cantonal Social Directors, the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare and the Urban Social Policy Initiative.
How many are affected?
Almost a third of those receiving social assistance are children and young people. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 76,000 children and young people were supported by regular social assistance in 2022. In total, 228,000 people received social assistance at least once this year. In the asylum area, the deeper asylum care is paid out. According to the study, around 35,000 children and young people are affected.
What are children and young people missing from social assistance?
Simply put: money. They are sometimes excluded from social life. A holiday camp, music lessons and the sports club are too expensive. There is also not enough money left for education. Tutoring or secondary school are not included. Children from poor families often remain poor as adults.
Legend:
Children and young people on social assistance should receive more money.
KEYSTONE/Christoph Schuerpf
What measures does the study suggest?
Social assistance payments for older children should be increased. Now every child and young person is paid the same amount. However, older children are more expensive than small children. Families with several children should also receive more money. To do this, the calculation of the basic needs for a family would have to be adjusted. In addition, the social advisors should also listen to the children.
Are the measures now being implemented?
That remains to be seen. The demand for more money for families with large children is explosive. This is a political issue. The SVP called for cuts in social assistance in various cantons. Five years ago, for example, today’s SVP National Councilor Martina Bircher demanded in the Aargau cantonal parliament that social assistance should be paid for a maximum of three children per family.
The social directors of the municipalities and cities found the 14 recommendations to be essentially good. The Swiss Conference on Social Welfare is now examining the measures in more detail. The social directors and, if necessary, the cantonal parliaments will then decide on their concrete proposals again.
