Receiving benefits from a country that signed a social security agreement with Québec
Did you work in a country with which Québec signed a social security agreement and are you now living in Québec? You could apply for a retirement pension or disability benefits from that country. When you die, your family could receive a surviving spouse's pension or an orphan's pension from that country.
Please note that receiving benefits from another country does not reduce the amount of the benefits provided by the Québec Pension Plan.
How to apply
To apply for benefits from a foreign country, please contact the Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale (BESS).
Every agreement is different. The amount to which you could be entitled depends on various factors, such as the contributions you paid to the plan, the type of plan, etc.
Example of a possible situation
David lives in Saint-Georges, in the Beauce region of Québec. He worked in the United States every winter, in the lumber business, for 10 years. During that time, he contributed to the U.S. social security plan. When he retired, he contacted the Bureau des ententes de sécurité sociale to obtain information from the agent responsible for the Québec-U.S. social security agreement. He completed the required forms and is now receiving a retirement pension from the United States.
Benefits that can be paid from a country that has signed a social security agreement with Québec