Quebec Parental Insurance Plan

How to Apply

If you are a resident of Quebec and would like to file a new claim for benefits for a birth or adoption, there are two ways to apply for benefits:

• by using the Québec Parental Insurance Plan online services, or;
• by calling the customer service centre, at 1 888 610-7727.

Parents Sharing Benefits

Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) and Employment Insurance (EI) offer parents the opportunity to share parental benefits. In most instances, both parents will receive benefits from the same program — either EI or QPIP. In a few cases, when parents don't reside in the same province when the first claim for benefits is made for a birth or adoption, the parents will have to apply for benefits from different programs. Parents who wish to share benefits must decide how benefits will be shared when the first parent files a claim for parental or adoption benefit. If the claim is filed in Quebec, the parent should contact the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity of Quebec (MESSQ). If the claim is filed outside Quebec, Service Canada should be contacted.

If the parents cannot decide how to share benefits when a claim is filed, the parent residing in Quebec will contact MESSQ and the other parent residing outside of Quebec will contact the Service Canada Office. A formula, agreed upon by the Governments of Quebec and Canada, is in place to divide the weeks between the parents.

Place of Residence, Place of Work, and Mobility

If you are moving to Quebec and are currently receiving EI maternity or parental benefits, you will continue to receive benefits from EI.

If you are moving out of Quebec and are currently receiving Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits, you will continue to receive QPIP benefits.

If you work in Quebec but live in another province, you will not be eligible for QPIP. You must apply to the EI program.

If you live in Quebec but work in another province, you must apply for the QPIP benefit plan.

Combining QPIP and EI Benefits

You may be entitled to EI benefits, such as regular benefits, sickness benefits, compassionate care benefits, the Family caregiver benefit for children or the Family caregiver benefit for adults for weeks that you are not receiving benefits from the Quebec plan. Benefits paid under the Quebec Plan can also extend the EI benefit period to allow the claimant to receive the maximum number of weeks of other EI special benefits, such as sickness or compassionate care. Each week of benefits paid under the provincial plan will be taken into consideration when calculating the number of weeks of EI benefits to be paid per benefit period.

For more information, please call our telephone information service at 1-800-206-7218 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm to speak to a representative. You can also visit the Service Canada Centre nearest you.

Benefits and Income Tax

Like Employment Insurance (EI), Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) benefits are considered taxable income and will be withheld at the source. To learn more about the tax implications of QPIP, consult the Canada Revenue Agency and Revenue Quebec.

Information for Employers

Employers must still meet their obligation to complete and issue a Record of Employment (ROE) when employees stop working to go on leave related to the birth or adoption of a child. The Government of Canada has agreed that Quebec can use the ROE to administer its Parental Insurance Plan.

There are no changes planned to the ROE as a result of QPIP. Employers must continue to complete and submit the ROE in the same manner required by the EI program.

Employers who have employees working in Quebec must deduct EI premiums for those workers at a reduced rate. Employers who have employees working outside of Quebec must use the regular rate in accordance with their employee's province of employment. The Canada Revenue Agency publishes tables of the reduced EI rate for Quebec employees and tables of the regular EI rate for employees outside of Quebec.

The employer's EI premium rate is not affected by the province of employment or QPIP. It is maintained at 1.4 times the employee rate, except where the employer is entitled to a reduced rate.

Working Together

To ensure that both benefit programs run smoothly and to prevent fraud, the Province of Quebec and the Government of Canada have agreed to share information. This information includes Records of Employment, requests for benefits, and Social Insurance Numbers. The agreement complies with the Privacy Act.

Related services and information

• Canada Revenue Agency
• Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity