Survivors' benefits

If a deceased person contributed sufficiently to the Québec Pension Plan, his or her family can qualify for survivors' benefits of 3 types:

• death benefit 
• surviving spouse's pension 
• orphans' pensions 

Did the deceased person contribute sufficiently?

For deaths before 1 January 2013, the Régie takes into account only the contributions made by the deceased before he or she began receiving a retirement pension under the Plan. The death of a worker gives entitlement to survivors' benefits if the worker contributed to the Québec Pension Plan:  

• for at least one third of the period during which he or she could have contributed and for at least three years
  or
• for 10 years

For deaths on or after 1 January 2013, all contributions made by the deceased are taken into account to determine eligibility for survivors' benefits, regardless of whether the contributions were made before or after a retirement pension began being paid. 

What is the "contributory period"?

For everybody, whether or not they work, the contributory period begins in the month following the 18th birthday, or on 1 January 1966 if a person turned 18 before that date.  

The contributory period ends at the end of the first of the following months:  

• the month preceding the one in which a retirement pension begins
• the month of the 70th birthday
• the month of death