Disability pension under the Québec Pension Plan

Have you stopped working or have your employment earnings decreased considerably due to your state of health? You could be entitled to a disability pension.

• Can you receive a disability pension?
• Amount and payments
• Application for a disability pension

Can you receive a disability pension?

You can file an application for a disability pension if:

• you stop working or your employment earnings decrease considerably due to your state of health;
• you earn less than $20 746 gross (before taxes) per year;
• you are under age 65.

To receive a disability pension, you must:

• be deemed to be disabled by Retraite Québec's medical advisors;
• have sufficiently contributed to the Québec Pension Plan (QPP);
• not be entitled to an income replacement indemnity from the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST);
• not be receiving a retirement pension under the Canada Pension Plan.

If you become disabled because of a traffic accident, you must contact the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

Could you be deemed to be disabled by Retraite Québec's medical advisors?

Retraite Québec's medical advisors can deem you to be disabled if your medical condition is severe. It must prevent you from doing any type of work on a full-time basis. In addition, it must be permanent, that is, it must be of indefinite duration, without any possibility for improvement.

Your disability is not considered severe if:

• you can do work adapted to your limitations;
• you earned $20 746 or more gross (before taxes) in 2024.

If you are between ages 60 and 65, we can deem you to be disabled if your state of health prevents you from doing your usual work or requires you to reduce your working hours for at least 3 months. For each of these months, your employment earnings must not exceed $1728.

Temporary disability (or temporary inability to work) is not covered under the QPP.

The following elements are not taken into consideration when your ability to work is assessed from a medical standpoint:

• your language;
• your place of residence;
• the different jobs offered in your area.

Did you make sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan?

You are contributing to the QPP if:

• you are age 18 or over;
• your employment earnings exceed $3500 per year.

Are you under age 60? You made sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan to receive a disability pension if you are in one of the following situations:

• You have contributed for at least two of the last three years in your contributory period.
• You have contributed for at least five of the last 10 years in your contributory period.
• You have contributed for half of the years in your contributory period and for at least two years.

If you are between ages 60 and 65, you could receive a disability pension if you contributed at least three of the last six years in your contributory period.

It begins in the month following your 18th birthday and ends in the month during which Retraite Québec deems you to be disabled.

If you have contributed to the Canada Pension Plan, your contributions will allow us to determine your entitlement to a disability pension and the amount of your pension.

Have you contributed to the pension plan of a country with which Québec has a social security agreement? Your contributions could allow you to receive a disability pension under the QPP.

Consult your Statement of Participation under the Québec Pension Plan. to find out whether you made sufficient contributions to be entitled to disability benefits.

Amount and payments

If you are under age 60, the disability pension under the QPP that you will receive each month varies based on your situation. It is made up of:

• an amount of $583.29, which is the same for all beneficiaries;
• an amount that varies based on employment earnings entered in your file under the Québec Pension Plan.

In 2024, the disability pension under the QPP can reach a maximum of $1606.75 per month. It is indexed each year in January, which is adjusted to the cost of living. It is readjusted the year following the first payment.

If you are between ages 60 and 65, each month you will receive:

• a disability pension for which the amount is identical for all beneficiaries. For 2024, the amount is $583.29 and is adjusted to the cost of living each year;
• a retirement pension under the QPP. Your retirement pension is calculated based on the employment earnings you have had since you turned 18. It also varies based on the age at which you begin receiving it.

Your retirement pension replaces the portion of the disability pension that varies based on employment earnings entered in your file and which you will no longer receive as of age 60.

Your retirement pension decreases for each month during which you receive it before age 65. Based on your situation, it could also decrease for each month during which you receive a disability pension between ages 60 and 65 before January 2024. For more information consult the Adjustment of the retirement pension for disabled persons page.

If you are already receiving a disability pension and you are under age 60

Payment of your disability pension will change once you turn 60. You will automatically start receiving your retirement pension. No action is required on your part.

If you are receiving other benefits

If you are receiving a surviving spouse's pension, your disability pension can reduce the amount.

If you are receiving an income replacement indemnity from the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), special rules apply to your pension payment. For more information, call us.

Benefits paid by another country cannot reduce the amount of your disability pension under the QPP. However, the benefits may be reduced if you are receiving a disability pension.

Private disability insurance

You might already be receiving disability benefits from a private insurance company. The benefits could be integrated with the disability pension and the retirement pension under the QPP. In other words, based on the date on which we deem you to be disabled, your insurance company could reduce or cancel your benefits. You could also have to repay the benefits you already received, in whole or in part. For more information on your insurance contract, contact your insurance company.

Taxable amount

Your disability pension is taxable. You must therefore pay income taxes. We will not automatically deduct taxes from your pension. However, you can request source deductions.

At the beginning of each year, you receive a taxation slip to enclose with your income tax return. The slip indicates the amount of disability benefits that you received the previous year. The amount affects the calculation of the taxes, because it is added to your income. If you receive a retroactive payment, that is, for previous years, the payment and related interest are also taxable. Therefore, they are added to your income of the corresponding years.

First payment

Once your application has been sent, you will receive a decision. If your application is accepted, the letter will show you the amount of your first payment and the date on which you will receive it. Please note that there is a waiting period during which you will not receive any pension. Usually, you will receive the first payment on the fourth month following the one during which we deemed you to be disabled.

Thereafter, you will receive your disability pension on the last working day of each month. Consult the Payment dates.

We could deem you to be disabled again for the same reason within five years after payment of your disability pension has ended. In that case, you will receive your disability pension without waiting.

Were you entitled to an income replacement indemnity from the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST)? You could receive your disability pension as of the month following the month during which you stopped being entitled to that indemnity.

End of your pension payment

Payment of your disability pension ends when you reach age 65. It also ends if you are no longer disabled or if your employment earnings increase.

Your employment earnings increase or you are returning to work

Any employment earnings of $20 746 or more in 2024 have an impact on your disability pension. If you believe that your employment earnings could exceed that amount, please contact us. That way, you can avoid having to repay amounts to which you were not entitled. Payment of your disability pension could end before you turn 65. If your earnings no longer allow us to deem you to be disabled, the disability pension will end in the month during which the amount of $20 746 has been reached.

Your state of health is improving

You will no longer be receiving a disability pension if you are no longer disabled. In that case, payment of the pension for a disabled contributor's child will also end. Notify us of any change related to your state of health. That way, you can avoid having to repay amounts to which you were not entitled.

As of age 65

You will no longer receive your disability pension. You will only receive your retirement pension. The change will be made automatically.

You could also receive the Old Age Security pension  paid by the Canadian government. However, you will need to apply for it.

Application for a disability pension

Would you like to file an application for a disability pension? Consult the Application for Disability Benefits page to find out the steps to take.

Other useful information

• Pension for a disabled contributor's child
• To question or contest a decision
• Reimbursement of travel, meal and lodging expenses