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Products and benefits
Circumstances change in life, and so do pension needs. With unpaid leave, insured persons have various options for shaping their occupational benefits. We now also offer partial unpaid leave, which provides even greater flexibility.
Products and benefits
Partial unpaid leave – new opportunities for individual circumstances
Flexible working models are becoming increasingly relevant, whether for personal development in the context of further education and training or for family matters such as caring for relatives.
From 1 January 2026, Helvetia’s new solution will make it possible to voluntarily continue insuring the gaps in benefits that arise when working hours are temporarily reduced. This gives people the freedom to choose – whether to continue with both savings and risk benefits or only with risk benefits, within the scope of the reduction in working hours.
The aim is to provide better support for personal circumstances and make everyday working life more flexible, without neglecting pension provision.
Advance withdrawals and pledging for the promotion of home ownership now possible until retirement
From 1 January 2026, advance withdrawals and pledging for the promotion of home ownership will be possible up to the point of ordinary or early retirement. The previous three-year period will no longer apply. This will create more flexibility for insured persons who wish to purchase, renovate or secure their own home in the run-up to retirement.
Retirement: simplified application process for capital withdrawals
Those who have their pension fund with Helvetia no longer have to give advance notice of any capital withdrawals or partial capital withdrawals from their retirement benefits.
In future, the insured person can notify us of their wish to withdraw their retirement capital up to the day before their first pension payment is made.
From the second quarter of 2026 onwards, the insured person will receive a letter from us approximately three months before they reach ordinary retirement age with details on the amount of their retirement capital or retirement pension. The letter will also indicate where all the essential resources concerning retirement can be accessed online, including the “Withdrawal of your retirement benefits” form, payment methods and important information on insurance certificates and pension and capital withdrawals.
If we are notified of early retirement, we will send the letter announcing the retirement benefits as soon as we have been notified.
Once they have received this letter, the insured person has until the day before their first pension payment to inform us if they wish to make a capital withdrawal.
If, for legal or regulatory reasons, only a retirement pension or capital withdrawal is possible, we will inform the insured person accordingly in the aforementioned letter.
Author: Caroline Kresta