Causes and risks
Poverty is not an individual problem but a structural one. It is generally the result of societal circumstances, which those affected have little influence over. An individual’s poverty risk is determined by a combination of different factors.
Crucial early years
Children need to be able to move, discover things and try things out. In disadvantaged families, their apartments are often much too small, the environment is dangerous and the parents lack the time and money to be able to support their children appropriately. This means that these children already have poorer initial chances of success when they start kindergarten. This has serious consequences because a poor education dramatically increases the risk of poverty.
Every twelfth child in Switzerland is living in poverty
In 2021, that equated to 134,000 children.
Precarious working conditions
People who don’t have recognised qualifications have fewer opportunities to earn an income that covers the basic cost of living and generally have to work in precarious jobs at lower wages and low hours. Often, that is not enough to support the worker and their family, it reduces social acceptance and it leads to a low pension in old age. In many precarious jobs, such as hourly paid work, there are poor social security benefits. Only very few can afford further education or training to improve their prospects of finding a good job.
Good health doesn't come cheap
Health insurance premiums have been rising for years and are barely manageable for low-income households. Even the insurance excess of 10% is beyond their financial resources. Many choose a higher deductible to ensure a lower premium. With fatal consequences: they skip necessary medical appointments and do without necessary medication because they have to cover the costs themselves. Or they run into debt.
A high deductible can be a debt trap
Health insurance premiums are a constant topic of discussion in the social advisory service sessions provided by Caritas. They are one of the biggest sources of worry for people with limited financial resources.
Poverty risk for families
Children themselves are a poverty risk. Many parents – particularly mothers – reduce their hours because childcare is much too expensive or, in the case of shift work, it isn’t a viable option. This means lower income and later leads to very low pensions in old age.
Further information
Header image: Family poverty is also an issue in Switzerland. © Dominic Wenger