Inventory of means-tested social benefits for poverty reduction

The inventory of social assistance in a broader sense lists the various cantonal means-tested benefits and summarises them in a benefits classification. It collects the corre-sponding legal bases and organises the information they contain under uniform head-ings. This enables users to get a quick overview of a canton's range of benefits and to make comparisons between the cantons.

The following criteria are significant for the inclusion of a social benefit in the inventory: it must be a cash benefit that is:

• means-tested
• personal
• regulated by cantonal law
• in the form of a general maintenance payment
•  targeted at combating poverty and
• to which access is ensured if the personal eligibility criteria are fulfilled.

The inventory can be found at: www.sozialhilfeiws.bfs.admin.ch