Unclaimed benefits & grants in Switzerland
92 real support programmes from national, regional and city bodies — each with the published eligibility rules, an official source and the date we last checked it. 10 of them pay out automatically; the other 82 need an application.
Family & children
17 family & children programmes15 more family & children programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
- Paternity / other parent's leave allowance (EO)
- Adoption leave allowance (EO)
- Care leave allowance for parents of seriously ill children (EO)
- Child allowances (cantonal family allowances)
- Education allowances (cantonal family allowances 16-25)
- Family allowances in agriculture
- Cantonal birth and adoption allowances
- Child maintenance advances (cantonal)
- Subsidised childcare vouchers (City of Zurich)
- Subsidised childcare (Canton of Bern)
- Ticino early-childhood allowances (API)
- Ticino supplementary family allowances for low-income workers (AFI)
- Geneva advance and recovery of maintenance payments (SCARPA)
- Geneva cantonal maternity allowance (16 weeks)
- Zurich city bridging assistance during pending maintenance proceedings
Income support
16 income support programmes14 more income support programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
- Survivors' pensions (widow's/widower's pension AHV)
- Supplementary benefits to AHV/IV (EL/PC)
- AHV helplessness allowance
- IV helplessness allowance
- IV personal assistance contribution
- Bridging benefits for older unemployed (ÜL)
- Social assistance (cantonal/municipal)
- Asylum-seeker and refugee social assistance
- Caritas Switzerland hardship aid (charity)
- Swiss Winter Aid (charity)
- Swiss Food Bank (Schweizer Tafel)
- Tischlein deck dich food distribution
- Pro Senectute free advice and financial aid for the elderly
- Victim support under the Victim Support Act (OHG)
Education & training
16 education & training programmes14 more education & training programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
- Canton of Vaud scholarships
- Canton of Geneva scholarships
- Canton of Basel-Stadt education grants
- Canton of Bern scholarships and loans
- Subsidised language courses and integration programmes
- Free career and study counselling
- Youth+Sport subsidised courses and camps
- Subsidised municipal music schools
- Swiss Museum Pass (private association)
- KulturLegi discount card Canton Bern
- KulturLegi discount card Canton Zurich
- KulturLegi discount card Basel-Stadt / Basel-Landschaft
- KulturLegi discount card Central Switzerland
- Nursing education grants Basel-Stadt / Basel-Landschaft (Pflegeinitiative)
Business & self-employment
11 business & self-employment programmes9 more business & self-employment programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
- BRIDGE funding (Innosuisse & SNSF)
- Innosuisse innovation cheque
- Venture Kick seed funding (private foundation)
- New Regional Policy (NRP) project grants
- Direct payments to farmers
- Export promotion (Switzerland Global Enterprise)
- SME loan guarantees (guarantee cooperatives)
- SAFFA guarantee cooperative for women entrepreneurs
- Agricultural investment and operating aid
Work & employment
9 work & employment programmes7 more work & employment programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Health & care
7 health & care programmes5 more health & care programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Tax relief
6 tax relief programmes4 more tax relief programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Energy & utilities
4 energy & utilities programmes2 more energy & utilities programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Housing & rent
3 housing & rent programmes1 more housing & rent programmes is on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Transport
3 transport programmes1 more transport programmes is on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.
Regions covered: Basel-Landschaft · Basel-Stadt · Bern · Genève · Luzern · Nidwalden · Obwalden · Schwyz · Solothurn · St. Gallen · Ticino · Uri · Valais · Vaud · Zug · Zürich. City and regional schemes are the ones people miss most — if yours isn't listed, the national programmes above still apply.