What is Family Allowance?

The Family Allowance measure is financial assistance paid to families that live in Québec and who have children under age 18 under their care.

This financial measure may include up to 4 types of payment:

• Family Allowance (basic financial assistance)
• the Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies
• the Supplement for Handicapped Children
• the Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care.

Payments are made to the person who is mostly responsible for the care and education of the children and who usually lives with them. In the case of shared custody, Family Allowance payments are divided between the two parents and paid to each of them.

The amount of the Family Allowance payments attributed is calculated based on the number of dependent children, family income and conjugal status implying shared custody or not.

Family Allowance, the Supplement for Handicapped Children and the Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care are paid on the 1st working day of each quarter, that is, 4 times per year. To receive your payments every month, you must file an application. The Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies is paid once a year, in July, at the same time as Family Allowance.

Sign up for direct deposit to receive your payments in your bank account.

Family Allowance in 2020

895 453families		1 527 563children
$3.0 Bin benefits paid

The Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies is an annual financial assistance that is intended for families who receive Family Allowance with children aged 4 to 16 on 30 September of the school year for which the Supplement is paid, or children aged 4 to 17 for families receiving the Supplement for Handicapped Children, that is, regardless of their family income.

The Supplement for the Purchase of School Supplies in 2020

727 193families		1 139 775children
$119.6 Min benefits paid

The Supplement for Handicapped Children

The Supplement for Handicapped Children is granted to the family of a child who has an impairment or mental function disability that significantly limits him or her in carrying out his or her life habits for a period expected to last at least one year.

The Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care can be added to the Supplement for Handicapped Children if the child has severe and multiple disabilities, which prevent him or her from carrying out life his or her habits, or whose medical condition requires complex medical care at home for a period expected to last at least one year.

Consult our Handicapped children section to understand the eligibility requirements for each of these benefits.

The Supplement for Handicapped Children in 2020

39 437families		40 181children
$158.3 Min benefits paid

To find out more on the characteristics for families and children that benefit from direct financial assistance in Québec, consult the document Statistiques 2020 – Mesure de l'Allocation famille  (2020 Statistics on Family Allowance; French only) available on our website.