The Family Allowance [Allocation famille] is a tax-free payment from Retraite Québec for families with children under 18. It is paid four times a year unless you ask for monthly payments, and the amount depends on your family income. In 2026, it is up to $3,068 a year for each child.
How much you’ll get
These are the yearly amounts for 2026:
| Family Allowance measure | Yearly amount in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Maximum for each child | $3,068 |
| Extra maximum for a single-parent family | $1,077 |
| Minimum for each child | $1,221 |
| Extra minimum for a single-parent family | $430 |
| Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies, per child (paid in July) | $127 |
| Supplement for Handicapped Children, per child | $2,892 ($241 a month) |
| Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care | $14,580 (tier 1) or $9,696 (tier 2) |
Your family income is the amount on line 275 of your Québec tax return, plus your spouse’s if you have one. For 2026, you get the full amount if your family income is $60,398 or less for a couple, or $44,032 or less for a single parent (the thresholds set by Québec’s Ministère des Finances). Above that, the amount goes down gradually, but it never drops below the minimum.
Retraite Québec’s 2026 table for a family with one child gives these yearly amounts:
| Family with one child | Family income | Family Allowance for the year |
|---|---|---|
| Two parents | $60,000 or less | $3,068 |
| Two parents | $107,000 or more | $1,221 |
| Single parent | $44,000 or less | $4,145 |
| Single parent | $107,000 or more | $1,651 |
Example: a couple with one child. With a family income of $55,000, they get the maximum of $3,068 for the year. Paid four times a year, that is about $767 each time.
Example: a single parent with one child. With an income of $40,000, the parent gets $3,068 plus the $1,077 single-parent amount, or $4,145 for the year. That’s about $1,036 each quarter.
The amount is recalculated every July from your tax returns. Your annual notice in My Account, posted in mid-June, shows what you’ll get from July to June.
Who qualifies
You or your spouse must:
- be responsible for the care and education of a child under 18
- live with the child (or have lived with the child before a temporary placement by a health and social services institution)
- live in Québec for tax purposes
- be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the last 18 months
- file a Québec tax return every year, both of you, even if you have no income
You can’t get the Family Allowance for a child if you are the child’s foster family, if you don’t have to pay tax in Québec, or if you are waiting for protected person status (a refugee claimant).
How to get it
If your baby is born in Québec, you usually don’t need to apply. At the hospital, you fill out the Application for Simplified Access to Birth-related Government Programs and Services with the declaration of birth. Retraite Québec is told automatically and can start paying within 45 days. After a first birth, the payment goes to the mother.
In other cases, such as moving to Québec, adopting, or a change in custody, apply to Retraite Québec online in My Account or with its form. Payments can be backdated up to 11 months from the date Retraite Québec gets your application.
Other things to know:
- Monthly instead of quarterly. Send Retraite Québec the Change in Frequency of Family Allowance Payments form. Monthly payments arrive on the first working day of each month.
- Shared custody. If your child lives with each parent 40% to 60% of the time, both parents get payments at the same time.
What changed in 2026
- The Family Allowance and its supplements went up 2.05% on January 1, 2026. The maximum per child rose from $3,006 to $3,068, and the minimum from $1,196 to $1,221.
- The school supplies supplement went up from $124 to $127, and the Supplement for Handicapped Children from $2,832 to $2,892 a year.
- Québec paid a one-time special grocery and energy payment starting June 4, 2026, to people getting the solidarity tax credit. It included an extra $50 per household with children under 18, based on the Family Allowance paid for April 2026.
Payment late, missing or different?
If a payment isn’t there on the date shown in the calendar at the top of this page, check My Account at Retraite Québec, then your bank.
Common reasons a payment stops or changes:
- A missing tax return. If you or your spouse didn’t file a Québec return by Revenu Québec’s deadline (April 30, 2026 for the 2025 return), payments are suspended. After you file and get your notice of assessment, allow 20 working days for payments to restart.
- A change you didn’t report, such as a separation, a new spouse or a change in custody.
- Paying back an overpayment. Retraite Québec takes 50% of your next payments if your family income is $50,000 or less, and 100% if it’s higher.
- Your child turned 18. Payments stop the month after the 18th birthday.
- A new bank account or address. Update it in My Account.
Call Retraite Québec about the Family Allowance, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: 418 643-3381 (Québec area), 514 864-3873 (Montréal area) or 1 800 667-9625 (toll-free).
Watch out for scams. Retraite Québec doesn’t ask for personal information by email or text, and its notifications have no links. No government office will ask for a fee, gift cards or passwords to release a payment.
Other help you might be missing
- Canada Child Benefit: a separate federal payment from the Canada Revenue Agency, which you can get on top of the Family Allowance.
- Quebec Solidarity Tax Credit: a refundable credit that adds an amount for each child if you rent or own your home.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit): a federal payment for low- and modest-income households, based on your tax return.
- Quebec Shelter Allowance: up to $170 a month for low-income families with children who spend at least 30% of their income on housing.
- Quebec Social Assistance: monthly help for families with little or no income.
Common questions
Is the Quebec Family Allowance the same as the Canada Child Benefit?
No. The Family Allowance comes from Retraite Québec, and the Canada Child Benefit comes from the Canada Revenue Agency. You can get both for the same child.
Is the Family Allowance taxable?
No. The Family Allowance, the school supplies supplement and the Supplement for Handicapped Children are not taxable, so you won’t get a tax slip for them.
Why did my Family Allowance stop?
The most common reason is a missing tax return, for you or your spouse. File the return, then allow 20 working days after your notice of assessment.
When does the Family Allowance end?
It stops the month after your child turns 18.
Who gets the school supplies supplement?
Families getting the Family Allowance, for each child aged 4 to 16 on September 30 (up to 17 if the child gets the Supplement for Handicapped Children). It’s added to the July payment automatically.