Surviving spouse’s pension paid by the Régie des rentes

The surviving spouse’s pension ensures a basic income to the spouse of a deceased person. It is paid by the Régie des rentes du Québec only if the deceased person contributed sufficiently to the Québec Pension Plan.

The amount of the pension varies based on

• the contributions that the deceased paid to the Québec Pension Plan;
• the surviving spouse's age;
• whether the deceased left any dependent children;
• whether the surviving spouse is disabled;
• whether the surviving spouse is already receiving a retirement or disability pension.

If the deceased was a worker who had left Québec
The location of the deceased’s permanent domicile at the time of death determines whether the application for a pension will be processed by the Québec Pension Plan or the Canada Pension Plan. For example,

• if the deceased contributed to both plans and lived in Québec at the time of death, benefits will be paid by the Québec Pension Plan;
• if the deceased contributed to both plans and lived in Canada outside Québec at the time of death, benefits will be paid by the Canada Pension Plan;
• if the deceased contributed to only one of the plans, benefits will be paid by that plan regardless of where he or she lived at the time of death.

Note
The plan to which a person contributes (the Canada Pension Plan or the Québec Pension Plan) depends on the location where the person works, not where the person lives. If the deceased worked in Québec, he or she contributed to the Québec Pension Plan. If the deceased worked in another province or a territory, he or she contributed to the Canada Pension Plan. 

Exceptions
A deceased person who worked for the Canadian Forces (the army) or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is subject to the Canada Pension Plan even if he or she worked in Québec.

Clientele
Any surviving spouse who, at the time of the death, 

• was married or in a civil union with the deceased, unless they were legally separated;
• qualified as the de facto spouse of the deceased and had lived with the deceased for at least three years, or for one year if a child was born of their union or if they adopted a child;
• is legally separated from the deceased, under certain conditions.

Conditions
The deceased must have sufficiently contributed to the Québec Pension Plan, that is, for at least one third of the period during which he or she could have contributed or for at least three years, or for 10 years.

If the deceased person contributed to a pension plan in a country that has signed an international social security agreement with Québec, the number of years the person participated in that plan is taken into account in determining whether he or she contributed sufficiently.

The surviving spouse’s pension is paid on the last working day of each month.

Monthly payments
The amounts shown below are valid from January 1 to December 31, 2012.

When the surviving spouse turns 65, the Régie des rentes du Québec revises the amount of the pension based on his or her retirement pension. The maximum amount of a surviving spouse’s pension at 65 or over is $592.00.

If the spouse receives a surviving spouse’s pension at the same time as another pension from the Régie, the benefits will be combined into a single monthly payment, referred to as a combined pension . The amount of a combined pension is not necessarily equal to the sum of the two pensions, since it is subject to a maximum fixed by law.

The surviving spouse’s pension is taxable and is indexed annually.

• What to do in the event of death (PDF, 11653 KB)

An Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan , R.S.Q., chapter R-9