Social security contributions for unemployment insurance recipients

My company informed me that I will be let go in three months time. I expect to receive unemployment money for several months after that before I find another job. How will my old age pension and other social security insurances be affected? Can I keep making AHV contributions to avoid gaps in my pension?

When you are unemployed and receive benefits from compulsory unemployment insurance, your social security contributions will be paid in much the same way as they are when you are employed. The unemployment insurance office covers half of contributions and deducts the remaining half from your benefits.

It is worth noting that in some cantons (namely Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino and Appenzell Ausserrhoden) unemployed persons may be required to pay child benefit scheme contributions on top of their regular social security contributions. The reason for this is that in most cantons, child benefit scheme contributions are covered entirely by employers. When you become unemployed, your contributions can no longer be covered by an employer, so they must be covered by you.