Life insurance under a public-sector pension plan

Subject to the deceased's working conditions and provided that he or she was still working at the time of his or her death, a life insurance benefit could be paid to the deceased's heirs. The amount of the benefit is determined depending on the type of employment that the deceased held and the percentage of time during which he or she worked.

Payment of the life insurance benefit

Retraite Québec is responsible for administering the life insurance benefit and payment to the heirs. Following the death of a person eligible for the benefit, the employer will receive a letter from Retraite Québec asking him or her to provide the information necessary to assess the provisions and provide confirmation of the life insurance benefit.

Life Insurance – Eligibility Requirements

Provisions of the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (RREGOP) and the Pension Plan of Management Personnel (PPMP)

Employees in the public and parapublic sectors are entitled to basic life insurance if so provided for in their working conditions. The benefit is payable to their heirs. In accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement, the benefit is $3200 or $6400. The amount of the life insurance benefit is determined according to the type of employment the deceased held and the percentage of time he or she worked.

Please note that even if the deceased held several positions or was covered by more than one collective agreement, the benefit paid under his or her basic life insurance cannot exceed $6400.

Life insurance can also be paid to the heirs of:

• a person who had a terminal illness and was receiving benefits under the RREGOP or the PPMP and had maintained his or her employment ties until his or her death
• an employee whose name was still on a recall list at the date of his or her death and he or she did not hold a position covered under the RREGOP or the PPMP at that time
• a person taking progressive retirement, if the employer establishes that at the time of his or her death, he or she had employment ties within the meaning of his or her work conditions.

Please note that any death occurring during the third year of an exemption period does not necessarily lead to the payment of a life insurance benefit. The heirs are only entitled if the person had maintained his or her employment ties until his or her death.

Certain agency employees in the public and parapublic sectors are not covered by a life insurance policy:

• In the public service, a person whose employment status is casual or seasonal and whose contract is less than a year, and someone who works part-time at 25% or less of the schedule of a full-time employee in an equivalent position
• In the health and social services sectors, a person who works part-time at less than 25% of the schedule of a full-time employee in an equivalent position (Unless the person chose to join the insurance plan.)
• In the education sector, primary and secondary school teachers, support staff (i.e.: people working 10 hours or less per week, 4 months or less per year, etc.), lecturers and employees that work in the adult education sector.

For further details, please contact the Direction générale des relations du travail ou des relations professionnelles of the employer for which the deceased worked.

Three sections to consult following the death of a family member

First steps

Pensions and benefits

Online services and forms

Other useful link

• The Death  section on Québec.ca indicates the steps to take following a person's death.