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Many people hesitate to take a small job, afraid of seeing their cheque disappear. Good news: the system is designed so that working stays worth it.

The permitted work income

Each month, you can earn up to $200 (single person) or $300 (couple) without your benefit dropping by a cent.

And beyond that threshold? You never lose it all. On what you earn above it, you still keep 25% thanks to a "work income supplement".

A concrete example

You receive $845 a month and take a job paying $360 a month.

  • The first $200 are entirely excluded: no effect on your benefit.
  • The remaining $160 reduce your benefit, but you get 25% of it back ($40) through the supplement.
  • Result: instead of losing your $360, you have roughly $240 more in your pocket that month.

Working paid you, it did not cost you.

Under the basic income it is even more generous: you can earn up to $16,032 a year before your benefit starts to fall. That ceiling is per person: in a couple, each has their own.

One golden rule: always declare your work income. Declared income is protected by the rules above. Hidden income sooner or later becomes a claima debt to repay to the Ministry. That is trap number one.

Keep reading

This article is part of our full dossier on social assistance in Quebec.

The full guide: amounts and eligibilityPrograms, who qualifies and how much you get in 2026Applying, step by stepForms, documents and time limitsYour rights and special benefitsMedication, glasses, dental careRefused or cut off? Challenging a decisionReview, the TAQ and free legal aid

Frequently askedYour questions

How much can I earn without losing social assistance in Quebec?

You can earn up to $200 a month (single person) or $300 a month (couple) with no reduction in your benefit. That is the permitted work income in 2026.

Do I lose everything if I go over the permitted work income?

No. On income above the threshold, you still keep 25% thanks to the work income supplement. Working always leaves you with more money in your pocket.

Do I have to declare a small work income to social assistance?

Yes, always. Declared income is protected by the exemption. Undeclared income can lead to a claim, that is, a debt to repay.

Official sources

✓ Information verified on 4 August 2026

Important notice. This article is a general information document. It does not replace legal, financial or professional advice, nor official services. BetterWorld is not affiliated with the Government of Quebec. Amounts and rules are indexed every year and a reform is under way: always confirm the current information on Québec.ca or with Services Québec. If you are unsure or have been refused, free help exists: legal aid, or a group defending the rights of social assistance recipients.

Spotted an error or an out-of-date figure? Write to us: we will correct it and re-date the article. Our texts are written with the help of artificial intelligence and checked against official sources before publication, but an amount or a rule can change without us catching it. If anything here does not match what an official body tells you, they are right.