The QPP provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits similar to those offered by the CPP. To qualify, you must have contributed to the QPP for at least one year. Everyone over 18 who works in Quebec and earns more than the basic exemption amount—$3,500 in 2025—must contribute to the QPP. Quebec has both a basic plan and an additional plan, both funded by compulsory contributions. Employers match their employees’ contributions, while self-employed people pay both the employee and employer amounts. The supplemental plan was added in 2019 to enhance retirement income.
CPP and QPP have sharing agreements, so a person’s benefits do not change if they move into or out of Quebec. Even people who move out of the country can still receive benefits.
How much do you receive from the QPP?
The amount you receive from the QPP depends on your employment earnings from age 18 to either the month before your pension begins or else the month of your 72nd birthday, whichever comes first. Retirement benefit calculations assume you retire at age 65.
When can you apply for the QPP?
You can apply to start your pension as early as age 60, but you’ll receive a lower amount per month for the rest of your life. If you wait until you’re 72, you’ll receive a higher monthly amount for life.
Like CPP payments, QPP payments are taxable and adjusted for inflation.
Example: “Mireille applied for QPP benefits when she was 62. She knew she’d receive lower monthly payments than if she waited three years, but she needed the money.”
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