Québec’s last-resort financial assistance [aide financière de dernier recours] is monthly help for people with little or no income. It includes the Social Assistance Program [Programme d’aide sociale], the Social Solidarity Program [Programme de solidarité sociale] for people with severe health limits, and the Basic Income Program. Benefits are paid once a month, usually on the 1st, and a single adult on Social Assistance gets up to $845 a month in 2026.
How much you’ll get
The amount depends on your household, your housing, your income and what you own. Benefits go up every January 1. These are Québec’s 2026 monthly amounts for the Social Assistance Program:
| Social Assistance household (2026) | Basic benefit | Health-related limitations allowance | Adjustment | Total per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | $800 | none | $45 | $845 |
| 1 adult with health-related limitations | $800 | $169 | $45 | $1,014 |
| 2 adults | $1,238 | none | $45 | $1,283 |
| 2 adults, one with limitations | $1,238 | $169 | $45 | $1,452 |
| 2 adults, both with limitations | $1,238 | $291 | $45 | $1,574 |
| Spouse of a student | $220 | $169 if it applies | $45 | $265 or $434 |
Families with children can get extra amounts for dependent children. You may also get special benefits for things like dental care, glasses, medication cost estimates, medical transportation, moving costs and funeral expenses. Your monthly claim slip lets you get certain medications and health services at no cost.
Social Solidarity pays more than Social Assistance. Québec’s Social Solidarity amounts page hadn’t been updated for 2026 when we checked, so your notice of decision or online file is the best place to see your amount.
Basic Income Program (2026). The basic benefit is $1,336 a month. A single person also gets an adjustment of $371, for a total of $1,707 a month. There are extra amounts for children ($22 a month for a minor child and $381 for an adult child in post-secondary school). The rules are more generous:
- You can earn up to $16,032 a year from work without any cut. Above that, each extra dollar lowers your yearly benefit by 55 cents.
- You can have up to $20,000 in cash and savings (including a TFSA). Each dollar above that lowers the next month’s benefit by $1.
- You can own up to $500,000 in property, not counting your home. Above that, each dollar lowers your yearly benefit by 15 cents.
- A spouse’s income counts only above $30,881 a year.
Example: working part-time on Social Assistance. You can earn $200 a month from work ($300 for a couple) without losing any benefit. Above that, your benefit goes down by the extra amount, but you get 25% of that extra back as a work income supplement. Québec’s example: a single person gets $845 and earns $360. The $160 over the limit comes off ($845 − $160 = $685), then $40 (25% of $160) is added back, so the benefit is $725.
Who qualifies
- You live in Québec.
- You are 18 or older. If you’re under 18, you must be married (or have been married) or have a dependent child.
- Your money, property, earnings, benefits and other income are at or below the limits set by regulation.
Which program you’re in depends on your health:
- Social Assistance is for adults and families without a severely limited capacity for employment. You may get the extra health-related limitations allowance ($169 a month for a single adult in 2026). Québec.ca lists situations that can qualify for this temporary allowance, such as: a health problem that stops you from job-related activities for at least a month, being at least 20 weeks pregnant, being 58 or older, having a dependent child under 5 (or older with no full-time kindergarten place), caring for a child who gets the Supplement for Handicapped Children, staying in a shelter for victims of violence, or giving constant care to someone with a severe loss of autonomy.
- Social Solidarity is for adults with a severely limited capacity for employment. This means serious physical or mental health problems, confirmed by a doctor in a medical report.
- Basic Income is for Social Solidarity recipients who have had severe health-related limitations for at least 66 of the past 72 months. Admission is automatic, with a notice a few weeks ahead.
How to apply
- Check if you might qualify with Québec.ca’s simulator.
- Fill out the application forms. Some situations, such as refugee claimants or young people, need extra forms or documents.
- Send the forms online, by mail, or in person at a Services Québec office. Either way, you’ll need to go to a Services Québec office with government-issued photo ID so your identity can be checked.
- Answer questions from your agent. A financial assistance officer may ask for more documents about your income or what you own.
- Get your decision. You’ll receive a notice of decision by mail within five business days after the office has all the documents it needs. If you qualify, your benefits count from the day the office received your forms.
Basic Income needs no application. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask for a review with the Application for Review form (0023A), online or on paper.
To get paid by direct deposit, fill out the Direct Deposit Registration Form (SR-2301-01A) and mail it or drop it off at a Services Québec office.
What changed in 2026
- Indexing on January 1, 2026. Benefits went up at the start of the year. The Basic Income basic benefit is $1,336 a month in 2026.
- New wording. Québec now calls the extra amount a “health-related limitations allowance”, as part of a reform of social assistance.
- Special grocery and energy payment. From June 4, 2026, Québec sent a one-time $100 (single) or $150 (couple), plus $50 for households with children, to people who got the solidarity tax credit for July 2025 to June 2026. That included people on last-resort assistance who got its automatic QST amount.
Québec.ca posts next year’s payment dates on its “Information on financial assistance” page. The 2026 list appeared there in December 2025.
Payment late, missing or different?
Your online file shows the date and amount of your next payment. Social Assistance and Social Solidarity are paid on the same day each month, usually the 1st. When the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment comes earlier, often at the end of the month before. The calendar at the top of this page shows each date.
If your money hasn’t arrived by the end of the payment day:
- Check your online file for the date and amount.
- Check with your bank. Cheques by mail can take longer than direct deposit.
- Call the Ministère: 514-873-4000 (Montréal area) or 1-877-767-8773 (toll-free elsewhere in Québec). Lines are open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, except Wednesdays, when they open at 10:00 a.m. Have your Social Insurance Number and your five-digit telephone access code ready. The code is on the “Important Note” form you get each month.
Common reasons a payment is late, lower or stopped:
- A change you didn’t report, such as a birth, a separation, a new job or new income. You must tell the Ministère right away.
- Paying back an overpayment after an incomplete or wrong declaration.
- For Basic Income: your tax returns. The Ministère uses last year’s income from your returns, so file with both Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency every year.
Watch out for scams. The Ministère and Services Québec will never ask for a fee, gift cards or your passwords by text or email. Don’t reply to a message like that. Call one of the numbers above yourself.
Other help you might be missing
- Quebec Solidarity Tax Credit: part of it is paid automatically to people on last-resort assistance, but filing your tax return with Schedule D can get you more.
- Quebec Shelter Allowance: up to $170 a month if you’re 50 or over, or have a child, and spend at least 30% of your income on housing.
- Canada Disability Benefit: a federal monthly benefit for working-age adults with a disability. Worth checking if you’re on Social Solidarity or Basic Income.
- Quebec Family Allowance and the Canada Child Benefit: tax-free payments for children under 18.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit): a federal payment for low-income households, based on your tax return.
- Guaranteed Income Supplement: extra monthly money from 65 for Old Age Security pensioners with a low income.
Common questions
What day is welfare paid in Québec?
Usually on the 1st of the month. If the 1st is a weekend or holiday, it’s paid earlier, often at the end of the month before. Your online file shows your next date.
How much is social assistance for a single person in Québec in 2026?
$845 a month for a single adult on the Social Assistance Program, or $1,014 with the health-related limitations allowance. Basic Income pays $1,707 a month to a single person.
Can I work while on social assistance in Québec?
Yes. The first $200 a month is not deducted ($300 for a couple). Above that, your benefit goes down, but you get 25% of the extra back as a supplement.
What’s the difference between Social Assistance and Social Solidarity?
Social Assistance is for people without a severely limited capacity for employment. Social Solidarity is for people whose health severely limits their ability to work, confirmed by a medical report, and it pays more.
Do I need to apply for the Basic Income Program?
No. If you’re on Social Solidarity and have had severe health-related limitations for at least 66 of the last 72 months, you’re admitted automatically.