The 13th old-age pension

Since when it exists

The 13th old-age pension has been in force since 1 January 2026 (Art. 34ter AHVG, inserted by the Federal Act of 21 March 2025). The first payment therefore falls in December 2026.

Entitlement and payment

It goes to anyone entitled to an old-age pension in the month of December (Art. 34ter para. 1 AHVG). It is paid in December.

Survivors’ pensions, invalidity pensions and children’s pensions continue to be paid twelve times a year. The 13th pension reaches the old-age pension only.

It is not an extra month’s pension

The 13th old-age pension equals 8.33% of the old-age pension DRAWN across that calendar year (Art. 34ter para. 2 AHVG) — not one twelfth of the December pension, and not a flat extra month.

Someone who retires part-way through the year therefore receives proportionately less. Someone who drew early or deferred receives it computed on the reduced or increased amount actually paid to them.

For married couples the ceiling comes first

Article 34ter says nothing about Article 35, whereas the transitional generation’s pension supplement is exempted from the ceiling in terms by Article 34bis paragraph 4. The 13th pension is therefore computed on an already-capped pension. That asymmetry between the two additions is easy to miss.

Widowed recipients

In the comparison between a widow’s or widower’s pension and an old-age pension, the 13th pension and any pension supplement count towards the annual old-age pension (Art. 24b AHVG). That can move the comparison in favour of the old-age pension.