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Before applying for the Special Funeral Expense Benefit
Before applying for a special funeral expense benefit, the person must first apply to Retraite Québec for a death benefit . This application must be made within 60 days of the death.
If the deceased had made sufficient contributions to the Québec Pension Plan , the person will receive the Death Benefit from Retraite Québec rather than the Special Funeral Expense Benefit.
The Special Funeral Benefit
The Special Funeral Expense Benefit may be granted to someone who has paid or agreed to pay for the funeral expenses upon the death of a person. This benefit is granted if the deceased person did not have the financial resources to pay for his or her funeral expenses.
The maximum amount of the special funeral benefit is $2,500. The benefit reimburses all or part of the funeral expenses.
Person’s situation at the time of death
The deceased person does not have to have received social assistance or social solidarity to receive the special funeral benefit.
If the deceased was in receipt of financial assistance as a last resort, you must complete the Application for the payment of funeral expenses form (SR-0006FA) (PDF 140 Kb).
If the deceased was not in receipt of financial assistance of last resort and his or her resources are insufficient to cover funeral expenses, you must complete the form Application for Payment of Funeral Expenses for an Independent Adult Who Was Not Receiving Last-Resort Financial Assistance (3005A) (PDF 152 Kb).
Go to a Services Québec office with the completed form.
Reimbursement of a child’s funeral expenses to the parent
Reimbursement conditions
The parent of a deceased child can be eligible for a reimbursement, whether or not the child was the parent’s dependent.
The parent must be eligible for social assistance or social solidarity benefits.
Child not under the parent’s charge
A child who was not under the parent’s charge at the time of death must have been
- sheltered by an institution, such as a hospital centre, or
- taken in charge by an intermediate resource , a foster home or a tutor
Calculation of the benefit
The special benefit for funeral expenses is determined on the basis of
- the person’s total liquid assets at the time of death
- the value of all the person’s property, minus the person’s debts at the time of death
- the proceeds from a life insurance policy included in the person’s success
The special benefit is also based on
- the value of a prearranged funeral services contract
- the value of a prepurchased sepulture contract
The initial value of such contracts must not exceed $12,000.
When to apply?
The application must be received in the 90 days following the date the services were provided.
Submission of the application
Complete the appropriate form and either drop it off or mail it to the nearest Services Québec office .
Benefit amounts and payment dates
To find out the benefit amounts available, simply visit the following section: Benefit amounts for the current year.
To find out the dates on which payments are made, consult the following section: Benefit payment dates for the current year.
You can view the amount and the date of your next benefit payments in your online file.
Last update: February 23, 2023
