Family Allowance
Financial assistance for all families
Family Allowance provides financial assistance to all
eligible families who have a dependent child under age 18 who lives with them.
In the case of a
birth in Québec, no application is required from the parent in order to receive Family Allowance payments. The child is automatically signed up for the Family Allowance measure when the birth is declared to the
Directeur de l'état civil 
. The parent will receive the first Family Allowance payment within a maximum of
45 days after we have received the child's declaration of birth from the Directeur de l'état civil.
In certain
other situations, an individual must file an
Application for Family Allowance if:
- he or she adopts a child;
- he or she is an immigrant or becomes a resident of Québec;
- his or her child arrives in or returns to Québec;
- he or she lives in Québec, but his or her child was born outside Québec;
- he or she obtains custody of a child;
- he or she shares custody of a child;
- he or she retains custody of a child following a separation and he or she is not already receiving Family Allowance payments in his or her name;
- Retraite Québec requires an application to be filed.
The amount varies for each family
We determine the amount of Family Allowance payments based on family income and conjugal status, on 31 December of the previous year, which are indicated on the income tax return sent to Revenu Québec. The income tax return must be filed every year, by 30 April at the latest, even if there is no income to declare. This is to avoid any late Family Allowance payments. If an income tax return is filed
late, Family Allowance payments can be made retroactively to the beneficiary
only for a
maximum period of three years.
Therefore, the amount of Family Allowance payments varies from one family to another. It is updated each year in July depending on:
- the number of children dependent under age 18 who live with the family;
- the number of children in shared or sole custody;
- conjugal status (single or with a spouse);
- family income, calculated based on one of the following situations:
- the total income of both parents who form a couple;
- the total income of two spouses who form a blended family;
- the parent's personal income in the case of a single-parent family.
The beneficiaries must notify us of any change in their family situation in order to receive the amounts to which they are entitled.
The new amounts of the payments can be seen each year in mid-June on the annual notice uploaded to
My Account. The notice concerns the amounts that beneficiaries will receive for a period of 12 months, from July to June. It is important to verify the accuracy of the information about the family situation, because the amounts paid vary depending on the number of dependent children and the number of children in shared custody.
In My Account, it is recommended to choose the 100% digital option to not miss out on anything thanks to notifications. Therefore, beneficiaries are informed as soon as their annual notice is available in their digital file.
The amount of the Family Allowance payment is also adjusted to the cost of living each year in January. Family Allowance is not taxable. Therefore, we do not send income tax slips for that tax credit.
Payment methods
Family Allowance is
paid to only one person per family. If the child is in shared custody, each parent receives his or her part of Family Allowance. We consider that a child is in shared custody when the child lives alternately with each parent between 40% and 60% of the time per month. The
Steps to take in the event of a separation web section specifies how to inform us of a change in custody.
Family Allowance is paid four times a year, that is, in January, April, July and October, on the scheduled
payment dates. To receive monthly payments, beneficiaries must complete a
Change in Frequency of Family Allowance Payments.
It is recommended to sign up for
direct deposit to receive their payments.
Retroactive payment
Family Allowance can be received retroactively if all the defined requirements are met. Therefore, beneficiaries can receive amounts equal to the payments they would have received for a maximum period of 11 months as of the date on which we received their application.
Change in the family situation
Following a change in conjugal status, the amount of Family Allowance is recalculated. To avoid receiving overpayments and having to repay some, certain steps must be taken. The
Steps to take in the event of a separation or
Steps to take during a union sections on our website explain how to inform us of a change in conjugal status.
Child placed or institutionalized by an institution in the health and social services sector
Placement or institutionalization of a child by an institution in the health and social services sector may have an impact on the Family Allowance payment received. The
Child placed or institutionalized by an establishment in the health and social services sector web page provides information on the matter.
Also consult