Income and Pension

Income Tax

All residents of Quebec must submit a federal and provincial tax report by April 30 of each year. These forms are available in most post offices but can also be downloaded free from the Revenue Quebec website. Forms are available in English and French, as are guides to help you complete the forms.

Your employer(s) must provide you with a receipt (a T4 or T4A from the federal government and a Relevé 1 or Relevé 2 from the provincial government) stating your earnings and deductions. These receipts must be mailed to you by February 28 for the previous calendar year. You must in turn file your tax returns by April 30 of every year. Even if you have not worked during the year of your tax return, you must still complete a form in order to continue receiving benefits you may be entitled to.

You can get federal tax forms in English at some post offices, banks, or directly from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): call 1 800 959-8281 or visit their website.

Income Assistance

If you are not eligible for Employment Insurance, have been without work for more than a year or your income is very low, you may be able to get Social Assistance as a financial last resort. This program can help you in your efforts to find work, and special benefits are available for low-income families and young people under 21.

To apply, you need to meet certain conditions. The amount you receive will be dependent on your circumstances. For more information, visit your nearest Centre local d’emploi (CLE), with two pieces of ID, all documents to prove your income (paycheque stubs, proof of termination of employment, EI benefits stubs, lease, city tax bill, and similar), as well as your current bank account records.

Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP)

QPIP is an effective means for workers to balance work and family responsibilities. It is designed to support new parents, encourage Quebecers in their desire to have children, and support them as they devote more time to their children in the first months of their babies’ lives. The QPIP pays benefits to all eligible workers—salaried and/or self-employed—who take maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, or adoption leave. The QPIP replaces the maternity, parental, or adoption benefits previously provided to Quebec parents under the federal employment insurance plan.

The QPIP is an income replacement plan: to be eligible, you must have received work income in the preceding year. For more information, please visit the QPIP website or call 1 888 610-7727

Retirement and Pension

For information on provincial or federal retirement benefits, please contact the following agencies or visit their websites:

Canada Pension Plan & Old Age Security

1 800 277-9914

Québec Pension Plan (Régie des Rentes)

1 800 463-5185

Tax Credit for Home-Support Services for Seniors

Tax Credits

If you are 70 or older, the tax system provides financial assistance in the form of a refundable tax credit for expenses relating to home-support services.
How much is the tax credit worth?

The tax credit for home-support services for seniors is equal to 34% of eligible expenses.
The type of dwelling in which you live affects how the tax credit is calculated.
If you are a couple (and both are aged 70 or over) only one of you can apply for this tax credit.

Many, but not all, services are eligible for the tax credit. The following are examples of services that qualify:

Services related to daily activities such as dressing and personal hygiene.
Meal preparation services (including Meals on Wheels – “Service de repas à domicile”).
Services related to routine household tasks (cleaning, sweeping) as well as maintenance of appliances (cleaning of oven, refrigerator – “Aide ménagère”).
Services related to errands such as accompaniment to the pharmacy and grocery store, and grocery store delivery.
Outdoor maintenance work such as lawn care or snow removal.
Assistance in filing out forms, applications, and other paperwork.
Services related to care of clothing, linens, and bedding.

In order to benefit from the tax credit, an income tax return must be filed or an application made for advance payments. Either option requires that all invoices and contracts regarding eligible services be kept. The amount of the tax credit to which you are entitled is the same either way.

Information brochures and application forms are available from all Revenu Québec offices. The North Shore Revenu Québec office is located in Sept -Îles:

For a more comprehensive list of tax credits and income assistance programs for seniors, please download our Senior Community Health Guide or contact the NSCA at (418) 296-1545 for a hard copy or for further information.