Can I apply for the subsidy mid-year after a drop in income?

Yes. An update request to the SAM adjusts your subsidy to your current income, backdated to the start of the year.

Does a birth change the subsidy amount in Geneva?

Yes. Each dependent child adds CHF 132 per month of subsidy (groups 1 to 8 of the 2026 scale) and raises the income thresholds by CHF 6,000.

Home › Subsidy after a change in financial or family circumstances

Subsidy after a change in circumstances, financial or family

Your RDU is calculated from a past tax assessment: it doesn't always reflect your reality today. After a drop in income, job loss, a separation or a birth, you can ask for your subsidy entitlement to be updated, during the year.

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🔒 Free estimate, no obligation · The final decision rests with the SAM.

Financial situation · Family situation

Which changes can open up or increase an entitlement?

Lower income: reduced working hours, end of a contract, falling self-employed income
Job loss: unemployment, end of benefits, social assistance
Separation or divorce: your tax household changes, and so does your individual RDU
Birth or adoption: each dependent child adds CHF 132 per month of subsidy and raises the thresholds by CHF 6,000
Retirement: your income often drops significantly

Why act without waiting for the next tax assessment?

The RDU used by the SAM is based on your latest tax assessment, sometimes two years old. Without action on your part, an entitlement created by your new situation can stay unused for months. An update request adjusts your subsidy to your current income, backdated to the start of the year.

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Example: a couple with two children whose income falls from CHF 110,000 to CHF 75,000 moves from group 7 to group 4 of the 2026 scale: their monthly subsidy rises from about CHF 438 to CHF 656.

Documents you'll need

Proof of the change: termination letter, unemployment statement, separation ruling, birth certificate
Proof of the household's current income
Proof of LAMal enrolment

How we help you, free of charge

Our advisers assess how your change in circumstances affects your scale group, put together the update file and submit it to the SAM with the right supporting documents. You pay nothing.

Frequently asked questions

File the update request as soon as possible with your supporting documents (termination letter, unemployment statements). The SAM processes files within 4 to 6 weeks and the new entitlement is backdated to the start of the year.

Each dependent child qualifies for a subsidy of CHF 132 per month (groups 1 to 8) and raises the income thresholds by CHF 6,000: your household may therefore change group and see its subsidy increase on two fronts.

Yes. If your situation improves on a lasting basis, the subsidy may be reduced or withdrawn at the next RDU update. Reporting the change protects you from being asked to repay later.

File your 2026 subsidy application without the paperwork

Leave your details and an adviser will call you back within 24 hours to check your subsidy entitlement and prepare your file for the SAM.

✓ Answers to all your questions within 24 hours

✓ We put together and submit your file for you

✓ 100% free, no obligation

✓ Private, independent advice, FINMA-registered