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Death benefit of the Québec Pension Plan
Eligibility for survivors' benefits

Eligibility for survivors' benefits

Did the deceased person make sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan?

We take into account all the contributions made by the deceased before and after he or she began receiving his or her retirement pension under the Québec Pension Plan. Therefore, a person's death gives entitlement to survivors' benefits if he or she contributed to the Plan, as the case may be:

for 10 years;
for at least one third of his or her contributory period, for a minimum of three years.
Consider, for example, the case of a person who died at age 29. His or her contributory period is 12 years and corresponds to the period during which the person was between ages 18 and 29. Therefore, the deceased's family is entitled to survivors' benefits if the deceased contributed for at least one third of his or her contributory period, that is, 4 years (12 years x 1/3 = 4 years).

A deceased persons who had a severe impairment during his or her contributory period can give entitlement to survivors' benefits even if he or she did not accumulate enough years of contribution. However, the deceased must have met the following three conditions:

having contributed for at least a quarter of his or her contributory period, for a minimum of three years;
having received an Amount for a Severe and Prolonged Impairment in Mental or Physical Functions (or an equivalent deduction);
not have been receiving a retirement pension or a disability pension under the Québec Pension Plan or the Canada Pension Plan.

If the deceased did not contribute for the required number of years, a death benefit can still be paid if he or she:

made contributions of at least $500 to the Québec Pension Plan or the Canada Pension Plan;
did not receive a retirement pension or a disability pension under the Québec Pension Plan or the Canada Pension Plan.

The amount of the death benefit is equal to the contributions made, up to a maximum of $2500. The estimate of the death benefit is indicated on the deceased contributor's Statement of Participation.

What is the contributory period?

The employment earnings used for the calculation of the death benefit are the ones the deceased earned between the month during which he or she turned 18 and the end of the first of the following months:

the month preceding the one during which payment of a retirement pension under the Québec Pension Plan began;
the month of his or her 72nd birthday;
the month of his or her death.

Which earnings are not used for the calculation of the benefits?

We do not take into account the months during which the deceased did not have earnings while he or she was entitled to, as the case may be:

a disability pension under the Québec Pension Plan or Canada Pension Plan;
an unreduced income replacement indemnity from the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST);
family benefits paid by the Québec government or the Canadian government for a child under age 7. The period can be extended up to the year during which the child turns 18. That is the case if you are receiving the Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care for that child.

In addition, if this benefits you, we do not take into account the months during which the person earned employment earnings that were lower during the same periods.

We can also exclude up to 15% of your lowest employment earnings from the calculation of your benefits.

Why are these earnings not used to calculate the benefits?

Avoiding taking these earnings into account increases the average used to calculate the benefit. Your benefit could therefore be higher. This measure could also allow you to obtain certain benefits under the Québec Pension Plan or increase their amounts.

Other eligible contributions

If the deceased contributed to the Canada Pension Plan, we take those contributions into account when determining entitlement to benefits and calculating the amount of the pension.
If the deceased already contributed to the pension plan of a country with which Québec has a social security agreement, those years of contribution can be added to his or her membership under the Québec Pension Plan or the Canada Pension Plan, possibly granting entitlement to survivors' benefits.

Three sections to consult following the death of a family member

First steps

Pensions and benefits

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