After Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, there have been some fundamental changes announced regarding the Free Movement of People (FMOPA) between the UK and Switzerland. This article refers to EU regulations (EC) No. 883/2004 and (EC) No. 987/2009 which deal with the coordination of social security systems between the two countries, and which no longer applied since 01 January 2021.
In order to regulate the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the FMOPA and guarantee the rights insured people acquired under FMOPA, Switzerland and the UK have now concluded an agreement regarding these rights.
This agreement is valid retroactively from 01 January 2021 and maintains the rights of people who were subject to the FMOPA before that date.
The framework of the social security agreement contains the same coordination principles as the FMOPA, with the individual provisions tailored to meet the specific needs of Switzerland and the UK.
The following areas are covered for persons legally residing in Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
- Old Age survivor’s insurance
- Maternity and paternity benefits
- Invalidity Insurance
- Family Benefits including death grants and survivor’s benefits
- Occupational Benefits
- Information on Health Insurance
- Information on Accident Insurance
- Instruction of the SECO unemployment Insurance
There are numerous exceptions and special cases in the agreement. If you are affected we recommend you read the advisory in detail. Because the Agreement document is very detailed at over 70 pages, we are directing our readers in the first instance to the Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office for access to all the specific clauses of interest.
As Switzerland’s most trusted payroll provider, Accurity GmbH has over 20 years’ experience providing clients with the best advice about their payroll, pensions and social security, thereby ensuring they make the right decisions. In the time since we were founded, our team has worked with clients from all industry sectors – and with both established and start-up companies.
If you would like to speak with one of our team of experts, simply contact us now. Contact our team today to see how we can make Switzerland easy for you!
