The cantons are responsible for assessing and granting social welfare and emergency aid to persons in need of support. Under the law, the federal authorities must subsidise these payments, i.e. reimburse the cantons for these expenditures. <br />The Confederation grants subventions to the cantons for all asylum seekers and provisorily admitted persons up until seven year after their arrival in Switzerland. The Confederation grants subventions to the cantons for recognized refugees (during five years following the date of the request) and maximum during seven years after the arrival in Switzerland for the temporarily admitted refugees.