Do you have children in Quebec? One of the most important financial supports for your budget is called Family Allowance — a benefit paid by Retraite Québec (the public body that manages pensions and family benefits) to nearly every family with a child under 18. In 2026, the amounts go up.
Every January, the amounts are indexed — meaning adjusted to the cost of living to keep pace with inflation. For 2026, Quebec's tax-system indexation rate is 2.05%, so Family Allowance rises by that same percentage.
Here are the concrete figures for 2026. The maximum amount is $3,068 per child per year (up from $3,006 in 2025), and the minimum is $1,221 per child (up from $1,196). You receive an amount somewhere between those two ends. The official figures are laid out on Retraite Québec's Family Allowance amounts page.
The amount YOU get depends on your situation. Three things drive it: your family income, the number of children in your care, and your marital status. The higher your income, the closer your amount sits to the minimum. The calculation is redone every July using your income from the previous year — you do nothing for that recalculation.
Raising your child on your own? A single-parent family (one parent in the household) receives a supplement on top of the base amount: up to $1,077 more per child, with a minimum of $430. This supplement is automatic — no separate form.
Don't confuse it with the school-supplies supplement. On top of Family Allowance, Retraite Québec pays a Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies each July ($127 per eligible child in 2026). That's a separate benefit, which we cover in another article — this one is about the main allowance.
Good to know for newcomers: if your child is born in Quebec, you usually have no application to make. By declaring the birth to the Directeur de l'état civil (a step the hospital helps you complete), you're automatically signed up for Family Allowance, as Retraite Québec's Family Allowance page explains. The first payment arrives within 45 days. However, if your child was born outside Quebec, you must apply to Retraite Québec. Because the amount drops as income rises, it's normal for two neighbouring families to receive different sums.
