Surviving spouse's pension (Quebec Pension Plan)

Responsibility: Régie des rentes du Québec

If you are the spouse of a deceased person who contributed to the Quebec Pension Plan, you may receive a surviving spouse's pension from the Régie des rentes du Québec. To receive this pension, your spouse must have made sufficient contributions.

To apply
You must complete the Application for Survivor's Benefits form and attach the required documents.

Note: If you are a common-law spouse, to receive the surviving spouse's pension, you must have lived in a conjugal relationship with the contributor for three years or, if a child was born to you or adopted, for one year.

The Surviving Spouse's Pension is a benefit that provides a basic income to the spouse of a deceased worker. It is payable by the Régie des rentes du Québec only if the deceased had made sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan (QPP).

The amount of this pension varies according to certain factors, such as

  • the deceased's contributions to the QPP
  • the age of the surviving spouse
  • the presence of dependent children of the deceased;
  • the disability of the surviving spouse;
  • receipt of a retirement or disability pension.

RATES AS OF JANUARY 1, 2009

The surviving spouse's pension is paid monthly. Depending on the surviving spouse's situation, the maximum amount can be as high as :

  • if the spouse is under age 45 and :
  • has no dependent children: $449.47;
  • has dependent children: $734.82
  • is disabled, with or without dependent children: $765.18
  • if the spouse is between 45 and 64 years of age: $765.18.

When the surviving spouse reaches age 65, the Régie des rentes du Québec (RRQ) revises the amount of the benefit based on his or her retirement pension. The maximum payable for the surviving spouse's pension is then $545.25.

If the recipient receives the surviving spouse's pension at the same time as another QPP pension, the benefits are paid in one monthly payment, called a combined pension. The amount of the combined pension is not necessarily equal to the sum of the 2 pensions, as it is subject to a maximum determined by law.

These amounts are taxable and indexed annually.

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