You can make your change of address by using the online services of the Québec Parental Insurance Plan or by telephoning the Centre de service à la clientèle.
The Québec Parental Insurance Plan provides for the payment of benefits to all eligible workers who take:
- maternity leave;
- paternity leave;
- adoption leave;
- parental leave.
Qualifying period
Period over which insurable earnings are considered in determining the amount of benefits to which a person is entitled. This period is usually 52 weeks, regardless of the number of hours worked.
Clientele
Workers (wage earners and self-employed) who meet the eligibility conditions of the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP).
General conditions
To be eligible for the QPIP, you must satisfy the following general conditions:
- have recently given birth or be expecting a child (this condition also applies to adoptive parents);
- have paid premiums to the QPIP;
- have earned at least $2,000 in insurable income during the qualifying period (see definitions), regardless of the number of hours worked.
Special conditions
You must also satisfy the following special conditions:
- if you are a wage earner:
- be a resident of Québec at the start of the benefit period,
- have stopped working or seen a reduction of at least 40% in your usual weekly earnings;
- if you are self-employed:
- be a resident of Québec at the start of the benefit period, in addition to residing in Québec on December 31 of the calendar year preceding the start of the benefit period,
- have ceased your business activities or reduced the time devoted to them by at least 40%;
- if you are both a wage earner and self-employed:
- be a resident of Québec at the start of the benefit period, in addition to residing in Québec on December 31 of the calendar year preceding the start of the benefit period,
- have stopped working or seen a reduction of at least 40% in your usual weekly earnings and have ceased your business activities or reduced the time devoted to them by at least 40%.
Note
Farmers who earn income either on or off a farm and who hold shares in a farming business may also be eligible.
Choice of benefit plan
In all cases, a basic plan and a special plan are offered. They differ in the duration of the leave and the percentage of income replaced.
The first parent to receive benefits chooses the plan. This decision binds the other parent, even in cases of joint custody. The choice of plan is irrevocable and applies to all types of benefits for the same event.
Benefits are taxable and cannot be seized or assigned.
Amount of benefits
The amount of benefits granted is determined on the basis of the person’s insurable earnings from employment during the qualifying period. It can be equal to up to 75% of average weekly earnings.
Type of benefits |
Maximum number of benefit weeks |
Percentage of income replacement |
Maximum number of benefit weeks |
Percentage of income replacement |
Maternity |
18 weeks |
70% |
15 weeks |
75% |
Maternity benefits are for the mother only and may not be shared between the two parents. |
Paternity |
5 weeks |
70% |
3 weeks |
75% |
Paternity benefits are paid to new fathers only and may not be transferred to the mother.
Couple comprising 2 women
The same-sex spouse of a woman who gives birth may be entitled to paternity benefits if she is recognized as the parent on the child’s act of birth and if having the child is a joint parental project.
|
Parental |
7 weeks
25 weeks
Total = 32
weeks |
70%
55% |
25 weeks
|
75% |
Couple comprising 2 women
Parental benefits are granted to either the biological mother or her spouse if the latter is recognized as the parent on the child’s act of birth and if having the child is a joint parental project. Benefits may be shared between the two parents upon agreement between the biological mother and her spouse if the latter is recognized as the parent on the child’s act of birth and if having the child is a joint parental project.
Couple comprising 2 men
Parental benefits are granted to the biological father only.
|
Adoption |
12 weeks
25 weeks
Total = 37
weeks |
70%
55% |
28 weeks |
75% |
| As agreed between the parents, the total number of weeks of parental or adoption benefits may be taken by either parent or shared between the two. In the latter case, they may be taken concurrently or in succession. |
The amount of the benefit is indexed on January 1 of each year according to the rate set by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail.
Insurable earnings for 2012
Regardless of the number of hours worked, insurable earnings (earnings taken into account for benefit-calculation purposes) must be at least $2,000 and not more than $66,000.
Qualifying period
The qualifying period is normally 52 weeks. However, it can be extended to as many as 104 weeks if the applicant has not had insurable earnings for one of the following reasons:
- the applicant received indemnities from the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail;
- the applicant received Employment Insurance benefits.
If the time elapsed between pregnancies or adoptions was not long enough for the parents to accumulate enough insurable earnings, the earnings used to calculate the benefit amount may, under certain conditions, be the same as those used to calculate the amount of benefits granted following the birth or adoption of the previous child.
Payment of benefits
Benefits are payable as of the first day of eligibility, which varies according to the type of benefits. They are paid on Sundays and cover two calendar weeks (from Sunday to Saturday). Benefits are payable by direct deposit or by cheque. If paid by direct deposit, the deposit is made three or four days after the benefit payment date. Payments by cheque are delivered according to standard Canada Post delivery times.
Payment of maternity benefits begins no earlier than the 16 th week preceding the expected date of birth and ends no later than 18 weeks after the week of birth.
Notes
If a woman’s pregnancy terminates in or after the 20 th week of pregnancy, she is eligible for maternity benefits. Payment of the benefits may begin when the pregnancy terminated and ends no later than 18 weeks after the week the pregnancy terminated.
Payment of paternity benefits begins no earlier than the week of the child’s birth and may not extend beyond the 52 nd week after the week of birth.
Payment of parental benefits begins no earlier than the week of the child’s birth and may not extend beyond the 52 nd week after the week of birth.
Payment of adoption benefits begins no earlier than the week the child comes into the care of one of the parents with a view to adoption (or, in the case of an adoption outside Québec, two weeks before the child comes into the care of one of the parents) and may not extend beyond the 52 nd week after the child comes into the care of one of the parents.
Payment of parental insurance benefits does not necessarily end at the end of the parental leave. A parent may receive the last benefits payment, but still be entitled to take several more weeks of parental leave.
Frequency of payment
A person can decide when he or she will receive the benefits, provided it does not exceed the time period for the type of benefit in question. For example, payments can be interrupted and received again at a later date.
Supplement for low-income families
For families with a net annual family income of less than $25,921, there is no two-week waiting period before payment of benefits begins and an increase in benefits may be granted.
Premiums and tax treatment
Benefits received under the QPIP are taxable and must be reported in income tax returns. The amount of QPIP benefits received annually is indicated on the RL-6 and T4E slips sent to recipients.
The Québec Parental Insurance Plan came into effect on January 1, 2006.
