Family Allowance
Family Allowance is paid to all
eligible families who have one or more dependent children under age 18.
If your child is born in Québec,
you do not need to file an application for Family Allowance. When the birth of your child is declared to the
Directeur de l'état civil 
, the child is automatically signed up with Retraite Québec. You will receive your first Family Allowance payment within a
maximum 45-day period after we have received your child's declaration of birth from the Directeur de l'état civil.
Access
My Account to see the amounts that will be paid to you. Take the time to choose the 100% digital option and not miss anything thanks to notifications. Therefore, you will find out right away when your annual notice will be available in your digital account. The notice concerns the amounts you will receive for the period from July to June.
When to file an application?
You must file an application for Family Allowance Payments if:
- you adopt a child;
- you are an immigrant or become a resident of Québec;
- your child arrives in or returns to Québec;
- you live in Québec but your child was born outside Québec;
- you obtain custody of a child;
- you obtain shared custody of a child;
- you retain custody of a child following a separation or the death of your spouse and you are not already receiving Family Allowance in your name;
- Retraite Québec requires an application to be filed.
Retroactive payment
You can receive Family Allowance retroactively if all the defined criteria are met. Therefore, you will receive amounts equal to the payments you would have received if you had applied for Family Allowance
up to 11 months before the date on which we received your application.
Calculation of the amount
The
amount of Family Allowance varies from one family to another. It is calculated based on:
- the number of children under age 18 who are living with you;
- the number of children in shared custody;
- your family income;
- your family situation (single-parent or two-parent).
To receive Family Allowance, you and your spouse must file your
income tax return each year, even if you have no income to declare.
Terms of payment
Family Allowance is
paid to one person per family. In the case of shared custody, each parent receives half of Family Allowance depending on the chosen frequency of payment. You will receive Family Allowance 4 times a year, that is in January, April, July and October, on the scheduled
payment dates. If you would like to receive your payments on a monthly basis, you must complete a
Change in Frequency of Family Allowance Payments form.
Change in your family situation
Following a
change in your family situation, we recalculate the amount of your Family Allowance. If you received overpayments, you will have to
repay them.
Handicapped children
If you are responsible for the care and education of a child whose impairment or mental function disability significantly limits him or her in carrying out life habits for a period expected to last for at least one year, you could be entitled to the
Supplement for Handicapped Children.
A child eligible for the Supplement for Handicapped Children could also be eligible for the
Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care. The measure provides parents with financial assistance in assuming extraordinary responsibilities in administering care to or being constantly present for a child with a serious illness or severe disabilities.
Other useful information