Eligibility for 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?

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

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