Frequently asked questions
Benefits
You can find answers to your questions rapidly in the FAQ. For further information, consult the section Québec Pension Plan.
You can apply for a retirement pension as of age 60 if you have contributed to the Plan for at least one year and meet one of the following three conditions:
- you have stopped working
- you expect your earnings for the 12 months following the date of your application to be less than 12 525 $, or
- you are not self-employed and have signed an agreement with your employer to reduce your salary by at least 20% for the purpose of phased retirement.
It is equal to 25% of the average monthly earnings on which you contributed if you apply at age 65.
The maximum is 986,67 $ in 2012 and the amount is indexed each year.
Pensions are fully indexed each year. The indexation rate is set according to the rise in the cost of living as established by the Régie on the basis of information provided by Statistics Canada. Pension indexing ensures that beneficiaries maintain the same purchasing power. In January 2012, for example, pensions under the Québec Pension Plan were increased by 2.8%.
Pensions under the Québec Pension Plan are paid by cheque or direct deposit on the last working day of each month. See the payment dates for retirement pensions.
To give entitlement to survivors' benefits, the deceased must have contributed for at least one third of his or her contributory period, but never less than three years. The contributory period usually begins at age 18 or in 1966, when the Plan took effect, and it ends when the worker retires, dies or reaches age 70. Therefore, if the deceased contributed to the Plan for 10 years, survivors' benefits can be paid to his or her survivors provided the eligibility requirements for each benefit are met.
A death benefit for a contributor who has made sufficient contributions to the Plan is 2 500 $.
A surviving spouse's pension can be paid to the person who lived in a conjugal relationship with the deceased, provided the latter made sufficient contributions to the Plan. The conjugal relationship can be as either married or de facto spouses.
If the deceased was not married or was legally separated, the surviving spouse's pension is paid to the person who is deemed to be the de facto spouse. To be deemed to be a de facto spouse, you must have been living in a conjugal relationship for at least three years at the time of the death, unless a child was born or is to be born of your union, or the couple adopted a child or the surviving spouse adopted the child of the deceased spouse. In that case, you are required to have lived together for only one year.
The amount of the pension varies according to the following factors:
- the contributions your spouse made to the Québec Pension Plan
- your age
- whether you care for your spouse's dependent children
- whether you are disabled
- whether you are receiving a retirement or disability pension.
Consult the monthly amounts in effect until 31 December 2011.
Until age 18, children of the deceased are entitled to an orphan's pension. The pension is indexed each year. Since 1 January 2012, the allowance granted to orphans has increased. The increase also applies to orphans' pensions already being paid. In 2012, the amount of the orphan's pension is 224,62$ a month for each child. The pension is taxable and must be reported in the child's income. It is indexed every year.
It is 1 185,47 $ in 2012 and is indexed each year.
Yes, it is possible, which is why it is important to contact Services Québec 
for information.