What if I have a 5-year contribution gap in my career?

The Uri canton compensation fund will reduce the AVS annuity in proportion to the missing years. If you have paid for 40 out of 45 years of your career, the annuity will be calculated on a 40-year basis. You can fill the gap through voluntary redemption, but it's generally expensive. If the income is still insufficient, the supplementary benefits will supplement the difference up to the living minimum set by the canton.

At what age can I apply for the AVS annuity in canton Uri?

The ordinary retirement age is 65 years for men and 64 years for women (from 2025, with increases planned towards 65 for all women). It is possible to apply for an early pension from the age of 62, but the benefit will be permanently reduced according to the months of advance compared to the ordinary age.

How do I verify my contributions paid to the URI Compensation Fund?

You can request a contribution statement directly from the Canton Uri Compensation Fund. This document, provided free of charge, shows all recorded contribution periods and identifies gaps. It is advisable to check it at least 3 years before retirement to have time to correct any errors or evaluate redemptions.

Are the supplementary benefits a subsidy or a loan that I have to repay?

Supplementary benefits are a subsidy, not a loan. They are financed by the cantons and municipalities and must not be returned. However, the right to benefits depends on the verification of the balance sheet: if the assets or income increase beyond the set thresholds, the benefits can be reduced or revoked.

Can I combine the AVS annuity with other income, such as continuous work or the third pillar?

Yes, the AVS annuity can be combined with income from continuous work (if you choose not to stop working) and with withdrawals from the third pillar (plan 3a). However, additional income may affect eligibility for supplementary benefits, as it increases the overall income assessed by the cantonal office.

AVS and complementary services in canton Uri (cross-border guide)

Di Laura Bianchi · Published on 22 August 2026

Uri cantonal compensation fund office managing AVS pensions and complementary benefits

Compensation fund, pension calculation and contribution gaps in the first pillar: how URI supplementary benefits work

Context

In a nutshell

First pillar (AVS): the cantonal compensation fund calculates the pension based on contributions paid during the career
Contribution gaps: periods without payments reduce the amount of the final pension
Complementary benefits: supplement the AVS annuity up to the vital minimum if insufficient

Key facts

What: First Pillar of Swiss Social Security (AVS/AHV) managed at federal and cantonal level
Where: Canton Uri, like every Swiss canton, has a compensation fund
Who: Uri Cantonal Compensation Fund; UFAS (Federal Office of Social Insurance)
Contributions: 5.3% employee salary, 10.6% total with employer
Retirement age: 65 years old men, 64 years old women (since 2025)

The first pillar of Swiss social security, known as AVS (Old Age and Survivors Insurance) or AHV in German, represents the basis of social protection for those who live and work in Switzerland. In the canton of Uri, as in any other jurisdiction, the cantonal compensation fund plays a central role in the calculation and payment of the old-age pension. This institution collects contributions from workers and employers, manages tax records, and determines the monthly benefit amount upon retirement.

The role of the clearing house

The Uri cantonal clearing house is not an autonomous body, but operates according to the federal rules established by the UFAS. Each

Operational details

How the compensation fund calculates the annuity

The cantonal compensation fund of Uri follows the federal pension calculation mechanism. The system is based on two main elements: the amount of contributions paid during the working career and the number of years of contribution recognised.

For each year of contribution, the cash register records the amounts paid. These contributions are indexed according to the evolution of the Swiss average wage, which means that payments from past years are adjusted upwards to take into account wage inflation. At the time of retirement, the fund calculates the average income over the last 15 years and, from this, determines the annual income according to federal rates.

Contribution gaps have a direct impact on this calculation. A gap of a full year results in a percentage reduction in annuity. In Uri, as everywhere in Switzerland, gaps can result from:

Periods of unemployment not covered by unemployment insurance
Sickness or temporary disability
Voluntary interruptions of work for training or personal reasons
Self-employment without compulsory payments
Periods of care for dependent family members (in some cases managed through remediation contributions)

How to Redeem Tax Gaps

Some gaps can be filled through voluntary payments, called redemptions. The Uri Compensation Fund provides advice on

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

What to do before retirement

Several years before reaching retirement age (65 for men, 64 for women from 2025), it is advisable to verify your contributions statement from the Uri canton compensation fund. This document shows a summary of all payments registered during your career and identifies any gaps. Many citizens discover forgotten or incorrectly recorded periods at this stage, and have the opportunity to request corrections.

The concrete steps are as follows:

1. Contact the Uri canton compensation fund to request your contributions statement (the service is free) 2. Review the document to identify periods without contributions or with reduced contributions 3. If there are gaps, evaluate whether to buy them out (calculate the costs and benefits of the solution) or accept them and plan supplementary benefits 4. Approximately 3-6 months before retirement, submit your old-age pension (AVS) application to the compensation fund

The Uri canton compensation fund also provides an estimate of your future pension during the pre-retirement phase, useful for concretely planning the transition to retirement and for assessing whether supplementary benefits will be necessary.

Requesting supplementary benefits

If the estimated old-age pension (AVS) is insufficient compared to the minimum living standard established in Uri canton, it is important to submit an application for supplementary benefits to the competent Uri canton office. Municipal administrations have dedicated counters or centralized cantonal offices. The procedure requires:

…

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I have a 5-year contribution gap in my career?: The Uri canton compensation fund will reduce the AVS annuity in proportion to the missing years. If you have paid for 40 out of 45 years of your career, the annuity will be calculated on a 40-year basis. You can fill the gap through voluntary redemption, but it's generally expensive. If the income is still insufficient, the supplementary benefits will supplement the difference up to the living minimum set by the canton.
At what age can I apply for the AVS annuity in canton Uri?: The ordinary retirement age is 65 years for men and 64 years for women (from 2025, with increases planned towards 65 for all women). It is possible to apply for an early pension from the age of 62, but the benefit will be permanently reduced according to the months of advance compared to the ordinary age.
How do I verify my contributions paid to the URI Compensation Fund?: You can request a contribution statement directly from the Canton Uri Compensation Fund. This document, provided free of charge, shows all recorded contribution periods and identifies gaps. It is advisable to check it at least 3 years before retirement to have time to correct any errors or evaluate redemptions.
Are the supplementary benefits a subsidy or a loan that I have to repay?: Supplementary benefits are a subsidy, not a loan. They are financed by the cantons and municipalities and must not be returned. However, the right to benefits depends on the verification of the balance sheet: if the assets or income increase beyond the set thresholds, the benefits can be reduced or revoked.
Can I combine the AVS annuity with other income, such as continuous work or the third pillar?: Yes, the AVS annuity can be combined with income from continuous work (if you choose not to stop working) and with withdrawals from the third pillar (plan 3a). However, additional income may affect eligibility for supplementary benefits, as it increases the overall income assessed by the cantonal office.