$5,000 Red Seal bonus: how to apply

What's changing. Rénoclimat, the Quebec government's financial assistance program for home renovations, has a new version since October 1, 2026 (in French). It now has two parts: a simplified energy-efficiency part, and a new adaptation part to protect your home against flooding. The assistance is for homeowners. The government's English Rénoclimat page refers readers to the French section for details.

Against water, even outside a flood zone. The new adaptation part has a simplified path, open to principal residences and multi-unit residential buildings, that pays for prevention work: up to $1,000 to install a submersible pump with a battery, $700 for a backwater valve and $800 for a removable cofferdam, a barrier you put in front of an opening when water rises.

In a flood zone, an assisted path. Homes located in a flood zone have access to a second path. It must start with a climate resilience diagnostic, covered up to $1,000. The recommended work (protecting the foundation, sealing openings, raising the house, and so on) is then funded up to $35,000 or 75% of eligible expenses before taxes. The page says the list of professionals recognized to do this diagnostic will be published soon.

Energy efficiency: simpler. The energy evaluation before work is no longer mandatory, but it's still recommended, and it's now covered up to $500. For a house, the maximum amounts are $2,000 for roof insulation, $7,000 for exterior walls, $2,500 for the foundation and $300 per window, up to $4,500. Two new measures, for principal residences and multi-unit buildings only: up to $1,000 to connect to a backup power source and up to $4,000 for a fixed battery. Amounts are higher for a duplex or triplex.

What to do now. The online portal for applications will open "during the fall," with no set date; a form lets you be notified by email. You can already do eligible work, as long as it's done after October 1, 2026, by a contractor holding the right licences. Keep your invoices: the contractor will also have to complete and sign a work-compliance certification form. If you had started under the old rules, your post-work energy evaluation must be done by March 31, 2027.

Good to know for newcomers. Rénoclimat helps prevent damage: it isn't compensation after a disaster. For water damage, first check what your home insurance covers, a topic explained in our guide to home insurance. If you rent, the program isn't aimed at you directly, but you can mention it to your landlord.

What this is about. When you buy a property in Quebec, the municipality charges transfer duties, the well-known "welcome tax." Since this year, a new Quebec refundable tax credit, the tax credit for access to homeownership, can reach $5,875 for a first home bought in 2026. According to the government's April 17 announcement (in French), the credit covers 100% of the first $5,000 of duties paid, then 25% of the next $3,500. It shrinks when the home is worth more than $750,000 and disappears at $1 million.

Who qualifies. You must have bought a first home in 2026, intending to make it your principal residence within one year of buying it. According to Revenu Québec, it counts as a "first home" if neither you nor your spouse owned a home you lived in between January 1, 2022, and the day before the purchase. The credit also covers buying a home for a disabled person. You must also live in Quebec on December 31, 2026, and have paid the welcome tax in full.

New: the advance payment. Instead of waiting for your spring 2027 tax return, you can ask to receive the credit in advance, in a single payment. The conditions: live in Quebec when you apply, have paid the welcome tax in full, have a basis of imposition that doesn't exceed $1 million, accept direct deposit, and expect to be entitled to more than $1,000. Only one person can apply for a given home.

By December 1, 2026. You apply in My Account for individuals, or by mail with form TPZ-1029.AP-V, along with a copy of your transfer duties bill. You don't have to calculate the amount: Revenu Québec does it and sends you a notice. After December 1, you'll have to claim the credit in your 2026 income tax return.

Watch for overpayment. If the credit you're actually entitled to is smaller than the advance you received, you'll repay the difference when you file. For 2026, you'll need to complete form TP-752.HA and report the advance payment on line 441 (it will appear on the RL-19 slip Revenu Québec sends you).

Good to know for newcomers. The first-home rule looks at whether you owned a home you lived in since January 1, 2022; if you owned a home before you moved here, check with Revenu Québec before applying. This credit comes on top of other help for first-time buyers, such as the FHSA and the HBP, explained in our guide to registered accounts. For the steps of a purchase, see our guide to buying a home in Quebec.

The increase. The federal government has raised Old Age Security (OAS) benefits by 1.4% for the October to December 2026 quarter. Over the year from October 2025 to October 2026, the increase comes to 3.0%. It's a federal measure, so it applies everywhere in Canada, Quebec included.

Why it changes. OAS amounts are reviewed four times a year, in January, April, July and October, based on the Consumer Price Index. If the cost of living goes up, payments rise. If it goes down, payments don't decrease.

The new maximum amounts. For October to December 2026, the monthly pension can be up to $762.50 for people aged 65 to 74, and up to $838.75 at 75 and over. The gap comes from a permanent 10% increase given in July 2022 to people 75 and older. For a single person with a low income, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) can be added, up to $1,138.90 a month, if their annual income is under $23,112.

These are maximums. The actual amount depends on your age, your income and how many years you've lived in Canada after age 18. For a personal estimate, the government offers an online OAS Benefits Estimator.

Good to know for newcomers. A full pension generally requires 40 years in Canada after age 18. If you've lived here at least 10 years but fewer than 40, you receive a partial pension, and the government says its tables don't apply to you: you need to contact Service Canada. OAS is also separate from the Quebec Pension Plan, paid by Retraite Québec based on your working years. Our guide to the Quebec Pension Plan explains the difference.