Obtaining a Special Maternity and Pregnancy Benefit Under a Social Assistance Program

Pregnant women and mothers of infants may be eligible for three special benefits. These benefits are aimed at mothers receiving benefits under the Social Assistance Program or the Social Solidarity Program.

If you are pregnant, you are eligible for a special benefit of $55 a month.

This amount is added to your monthly Social Assistance Program or Social Solidarity Program benefit until the 18th week after you give birth. It helps you buy foods that support good health during this period.

This special benefit may also be paid to you if you are the parent of a dependent child who is pregnant.

How to receive this special benefit

Step 1: Obtaining a medical attestation confirming your pregnancy as soon as possible

A medical attestation may be one of the following documents:

• A medical certificate (in French only) (PDF 227 Kb)
• A medical or psychosocial assessment report
• Any other written medical attestation

The attestation must indicate the number of weeks of pregnancy and your expected delivery date.

The attestation must be signed by one of the following people:

• Your physician
• A specialized nurse practitioner
• A midwife

Step 2: Submitting the medical attestation

You can submit your medical attestation in person or by mail to your Services Québec office.

You can also submit your attestation online through My Account - Employment Assistance - Social Assistance.

Submit documents

If you are breastfeeding a baby under 12 months of age, you are eligible for a special benefit of $55 a month.

If you stop breastfeeding, you must notify the Ministère.

How to receive this special benefit

Step 1: Contents of the application

You must provide proof of your baby’s birth and indicate how long you plan to breastfeed in your application.

Step 2: Submitting the application

You can submit your medical attestation in person or by mail to your Services Québec office.

You can also submit your attestation online through My Account - Employment Assistance - Social Assistance.

Submit documents

Change in feeding method

If you change your baby’s feeding method during a given month, you will still receive the special nursing benefit as scheduled. You may also receive assistance for the purchase of infant formula in the same month.

You can buy infant formula for less than the regular price.

If you already receive the special nursing benefit, you are not eligible for assistance for the purchase of infant formula unless you change your infant’s feeding method.

How to obtain infant formula

Step 1: Providing proof of birth

Proof of birth must be provided as soon as possible.

Contact your Services Québec office.

Step 2: Obtaining an authorization number

This number will allow you to receive assistance for the purchase of infant formula.

You will also receive a new claim slip (drug card) indicating your authorization number.

This number will appear on your claim slip throughout your eligibility period.

Step 3: Showing the authorization number when purchasing infant formula

You must buy the infant formula at a pharmacy.

You must give your authorization number to the pharmacist, who will tell you which formulas are authorized and how much they cost.

Types of formula authorized and eligibility periods

You must buy liquid concentrate infant formula.

Baby under 9 months of age

The infant formula may be

• cow’s milk-based
• soy-based
• lactose-free

No medical certificate is required.

The eligibility period begins on the child’s date of birth and ends on the last day of the month in which the child reaches 8 months of age.

Baby between 9 months and 1 year of age

This special benefit is available only for dependent children with intolerance to cow’s milk or cow’s milk proteins. In this case, the only authorized infant formulas are

• soy-based
• lactose-free

A medical certificate is required. It must be signed by one of the following people:

• Your physician
• A specialized nurse practitioner
• A midwife

The eligibility period begins on the first day of the child’s 9th month and ends on the last day of the month in which the child reaches 11 months of age.

Maximum quantities of formula per month

Each can of liquid concentrate contains 385 mL. You will pay no more than $10 for 12 cans of 385 mL.

Keep your receipts during your eligibility period. This will allow you to confirm which infant formula products you have purchased and in what quantities.

For each purchase, you must buy at least one of the following quantities of infant formula:

• 1 case of 24 cans
• 2 cases of 12 cans

You may buy up to one of the following quantities of infant formula per month:

• 2 cases of 24 cans
• 4 cases of 12 cans

Baby between 7 months and 1 year of age

For each purchase, you must buy at least 1 case of 12 cans of infant formula.

The maximum quantity of infant formula you may buy per month is 3 cases of 12 cans.

The purchase of infant formula in other sizes may be authorized. Please contact us to find out more about other authorized products.

Your local community services centre (CLSC) offers a range of services:

• during your pregnancy
• when your baby is born
• after the birth of your baby

For more information, contact your nearest CLSC. You can also call Info-Santé at 8-1-1.