Est-ce que la rente du RRQ arrive automatiquement à 65 ans ?

Non. Il faut la demander à Retraite Québec, elle ne se déclenche pas toute seule. La demande peut se faire jusqu'à 12 mois avant la date du premier versement souhaité. Seule exception : une personne qui reçoit déjà une rente d'invalidité du Régime la reçoit automatiquement à compter de 60 ans.

À quel âge demander sa rente du RRQ ?

Pas avant 60 ans. À 60 ans, la rente est de 30 % à 36 % plus basse, et elle le reste à vie. À 65 ans, c'est l'âge normal : 100 % du montant prévu. Après 65 ans, la rente augmente à chaque mois d'attente, jusqu'à un maximum atteint à 72 ans. Il n'y a pas de bonne réponse universelle : ça dépend de ta santé, de tes autres revenus et de ce dont tu as besoin maintenant.

Pourquoi mon Supplément de revenu garanti a-t-il arrêté ?

La cause la plus fréquente est une déclaration de revenus non produite. Le Supplément est recalculé chaque juillet à partir du revenu net de l'année précédente : sans déclaration, le calcul ne peut pas se faire et les versements sont interrompus. Il est possible de déclarer son revenu directement à Service Canada avec un formulaire, sans passer par une déclaration fiscale.

Puis-je repousser ma pension de la Sécurité de la vieillesse ?

Oui, jusqu'à cinq ans après 65 ans. Chaque mois d'attente augmente la pension de 0,6 %, soit 7,2 % par année, jusqu'à un maximum de 36 % à 70 ans. Cette augmentation est permanente. À évaluer selon ta situation : reporter n'a d'intérêt que si tu peux vivre sans cet argent entre-temps.

Combien vais-je recevoir ?

Cet article ne donne pas de montants, et c'est volontaire : ceux de la Sécurité de la vieillesse et du Supplément de revenu garanti sont révisés chaque trimestre, ceux du RRQ chaque année. Un chiffre écrit ici serait périmé en quelques mois. Les montants en vigueur sont publiés par Service Canada et par Retraite Québec, et Retraite Québec offre un simulateur pour estimer ta rente.

Retiring on little: three plans, two costly traps

← Back to the dossier: getting back on your feet financially

In retirement, income does not come from one place. It comes from three, each with its own rules, its own age and its own process.

Nobody sends you a reminder. And two of these schemes stop, or never start, if you do not take one precise step.

The key point

The QPP retirement pension is not triggered on its own: you have to apply for it. The Old Age Security pension arrives at 65 and can be deferred to 70 for a higher amount for life. And the Guaranteed Income Supplement is recalculated every July from your income tax return: no return, no payment.

The pictureThree sources, three logics

The QPP retirement pensionthe Québec Pension Plan, run by Retraite Québec. It depends on what you contributed during your working life. You have to apply for it.
The Old Age Security pensionfederal, run by Service Canada. It does not depend on your contributions but on your age and your years of residence in Canada.
The Guaranteed Income Supplementalso federal, it is added to Old Age Security for people on low incomes. It is the one that counts most when retirement comes with little.

All three can be combined. And none of the three warns the others: these are two governments and two different administrations.

The step not to forgetThe QPP pension has to be applied for

This is the first trap, and it is simple: your QPP retirement pension does not arrive automatically. You can have contributed for forty years and receive nothing, simply because the application was never made.

The application is filed with Retraite Québec, up to 12 months before the date of the first payment you want.

Age changes the amount, for life

Before 60: not possible.
At 60: the pension is 30% to 36% lower than at 65, and it stays that way for good.
At 65: this is the normal age, you receive 100% of the amount provided for.
After 65: the pension rises with every month of waiting, and reaches its maximum at 72. After 72, waiting adds nothing more.

There is no universal right answer. Applying early gives less, but for longer. Waiting gives more, but assumes you can live without that money in the meantime. It depends on your health, your other income and what you need now, and it is a decision that cannot be undone.

One exception to know. Someone already receiving a disability pension under the Plan has no application to make: the retirement pension is paid to them automatically from age 60.

The federal sideOld Age Security and the Supplement

The Old Age Security pension starts at 65. Some people are enrolled automatically and receive a notice; others must apply. If you have received no notice as you approach 65, that is the sign to check with Service Canada.

You can defer it by up to five years. Each month of waiting adds 0.6%, that is 7.2% a year, up to 36% more at 70. That increase is permanent.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement is added to that pension for people on low incomes. It is what makes the difference between a tight retirement and an impossible one, and it is also the one most easily lost.

About the amounts. This article gives none, and that is a choice. Old Age Security and Supplement amounts are revised every quarter, QPP amounts every year. A figure written here would be wrong within months, and on a retirement income, budgeting on an out-of-date amount does damage. The amounts in force are published by Service Canada, and Retraite Québec offers a simulator to estimate your pension.

Remember thisThe two traps that cost the most

Waiting for the QPP pension to arrive

It will not arrive. Every month that passes without the application filed is a month with no payment, and those months are not recovered the way a tax arrears is. If you are approaching 60 or 65, that is the step to take today.

Not filing your income tax return

The Guaranteed Income Supplement is recalculated every July from the previous year's net income. Without a return, the calculation cannot be made, and payments stop. It is the most common cause of a Supplement that "stops for no reason". If filing a return is impossible, know that you are allowed to report your income directly to Service Canada using a form provided for that purpose.

Free help with the paperwork

The Income Tax Assistance - Volunteer Program prepares returns free of charge for people on modest incomes, and community organisations hold sessions across Quebec between March and April. For dealings with Retraite Québec or Service Canada, volunteer action centres and organisations for seniors often provide free support. 211 can point you to the one in your area.

Frequently askedYour questions

Does the QPP pension arrive automatically at 65?

No. You have to apply to Retraite Québec, it is not triggered on its own. The application can be made up to 12 months before the date of the first payment you want. The only exception: someone already receiving a disability pension under the Plan receives it automatically from age 60.

At what age should I apply for my QPP pension?

Not before 60. At 60, the pension is 30% to 36% lower, and it stays that way for life. At 65 it is the normal age: 100% of the amount provided for. After 65, the pension rises with every month of waiting, up to a maximum reached at 72. There is no universal right answer: it depends on your health, your other income and what you need now.

Why did my Guaranteed Income Supplement stop?

The most common cause is an unfiled income tax return. The Supplement is recalculated every July from the previous year's net income: without a return, the calculation cannot be made and payments are interrupted. It is possible to report your income directly to Service Canada with a form, without going through a tax return.

Can I defer my Old Age Security pension?

Yes, by up to five years after 65. Each month of waiting increases the pension by 0.6%, that is 7.2% a year, up to a maximum of 36% at 70. That increase is permanent. To be weighed against your situation: deferring is only worthwhile if you can live without that money in the meantime.

How much will I receive?

This article gives no amounts, and that is deliberate: Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement amounts are revised every quarter, QPP amounts every year. A figure written here would be out of date within months. The amounts in force are published by Service Canada and by Retraite Québec, and Retraite Québec offers a simulator to estimate your pension.

Retiring on little