The orphan's pension

Eligibility

The person who supports a minor child of the deceased person is entitled, if the latter contributed sufficiently to the Plan, to be paid an orphan's pension until the child turns 18.

Good to know...


We consider a deceased person's child to be:

  • his or her minor biological or adopted child;
  • a minor child who was living with the deceased for at least one year, if the deceased served as mother or father to the child.

A child is not considered to be the deceased person's child if he or she was placed in foster care in that person's home and the deceased was receiving amounts for his or her care.


Conditions of payment

When does the orphan's pension under the Québec Pension Plan start being paid?

The orphan's pension is paid as of the month following the month of death. The pension can be paid retroactively for only up to 12 months, except in rare cases. The orphan's pension ends when the child turns 18.

A fixed monthly amount for each child

In 2024, the amount of the orphan's pension is $294.12 a month for each child. The pension is taxable.You must therefore declare it in the child's income. It is adjusted every year based on the cost of living. Payment ends when the child turns 18.

How often are payments made?

The pension is paid on the last working day of the month. If a person is receiving a surviving spouse's pension under the Québec Pension Plan, this pension and the orphan's pension are paid in a single monthly amount.

Also see...

Top of page