Under the Québec Pension Plan Act and subject to certain conditions, a person who, at the time of their death, was contributing or had contributed to the Québec Pension Plan may be entitled to three types of benefits payable by Retraite Québec. These include the death benefit, the surviving spouse's pension, and the orphan's pension.
The death benefit is a one-time payment intended to cover the deceased's funeral expenses. The benefit is currently set at $2,500 and is payable even if funeral expenses were covered by a prearranged funeral agreement.
The surviving spouse's pension is a monthly pension paid to the surviving spouse based on certain criteria (contributions made by the deceased person, age and health of the surviving spouse, presence of dependent children, etc.). The surviving spouse can be the legally married spouse and, under certain conditions, the common-law spouse, whether heterosexual or homosexual, of the deceased person.
The orphan's pension can be paid to a child of the deceased person who is under 18 years old and was residing with them at the time of their death.
However, each of these benefits must be formally applied for with Retraite Québec.