The Quebec Pension Plan is paid by Retraite Québec, not Service Canada, and it runs on its own calendar. QPP deposits arrive at the end of the month, usually on the last working day, while Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security deposits land several days earlier. Every QPP benefit follows the same schedule: the retirement pension, the disability pension, the surviving spouse’s pension and the orphan’s pension all pay on the same day.
Below are all twelve QPP payment dates for 2026 as published by Retraite Québec, side by side with the federal CPP and OAS dates so you can see exactly when each deposit lands.
QPP Payment Dates 2026: Full Schedule
| Month | QPP (RRQ) payment date | CPP and OAS payment date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Friday, January 30 | Wednesday, January 28 | Paid |
| February | Friday, February 27 | Wednesday, February 25 | Paid |
| March | Tuesday, March 31 | Friday, March 27 | Paid |
| April | Thursday, April 30 | Tuesday, April 28 | Paid |
| May | Friday, May 29 | Wednesday, May 27 | Paid |
| June | Tuesday, June 30 | Friday, June 26 | Paid |
| July | Friday, July 31 | Wednesday, July 29 | Paid |
| August | Monday, August 31 | Thursday, August 27 | Paid |
| September | Tuesday, September 29 | Friday, September 25 | Paid |
| October | Friday, October 30 | Wednesday, October 28 | Next payment |
| November | Monday, November 30 | Thursday, November 26 | Upcoming |
| December | Wednesday, December 30 | Tuesday, December 22 | Upcoming |
Direct deposit arrives on the listed date. Cheques sent by mail take longer and are exposed to postal delays, which is why Retraite Québec encourages direct deposit for every benefit it pays.
Why QPP Pays Later Than CPP
The two plans follow different rules. Retraite Québec pays at the end of the month, normally on the last working day. Service Canada pays CPP and OAS on a fixed federal schedule that usually falls three or four business days before the end of the month. Both calendars shift around weekends and holidays, so the gap between them changes from month to month: two days in October, four days in November, and eight days in December.
Two 2026 dates do not fall on the last working day. September’s payment was made on Tuesday, September 29, the day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. December’s payment is Wednesday, December 30, one day before the last working day of the year. Both dates come directly from the Retraite Québec calendar.
December 2026: QPP Pays December 30, CPP and OAS Pay December 22
December is where the two calendars split furthest apart. Service Canada moves the December CPP and OAS payment up to Tuesday, December 22 so the money clears before the holiday bank closures. Retraite Québec makes no such adjustment, and QPP pays on Wednesday, December 30.
For a Quebec retiree, that means the federal OAS deposit arrives before Christmas and the QPP deposit arrives after it. If you budget for holiday spending around a mid December deposit, only the OAS portion will be there in time. The January 2027 QPP payment will be the first one that includes the annual indexation increase.
Quebec Seniors Still Receive OAS on the Federal Calendar
This is the detail that causes the most confusion. Old Age Security is a federal program and is paid in Quebec exactly as it is everywhere else. Quebec workers contribute to QPP instead of CPP, so they receive QPP rather than CPP, but they still receive OAS on the federal dates.
A typical Quebec household aged 65 or over therefore sees two separate deposits each month: OAS from Service Canada first, then QPP from Retraite Québec a few days later. The Guaranteed Income Supplement arrives with the OAS deposit, not with QPP. Right now, the next OAS deposit is Wednesday, October 28 and the next QPP deposit is Friday, October 30.
OAS rose 1.4 percent for the October to December quarter, while QPP stays at its January level all year. Our breakdown of the October 2026 OAS increase shows what the new quarterly rate adds to each deposit.
When Will the 2027 QPP Payment Dates Be Published?
As of October 2, 2026, Retraite Québec has published only the 2026 calendar. We will add the full 2027 schedule to this page as soon as it appears on the official Retraite Québec payment dates page. Until then, any 2027 dates you see elsewhere are estimates based on the last working day rule, and the September and December exceptions above show why estimates can be wrong.
2026 QPP Maximum Monthly Amounts
All QPP benefits rose 2.0 percent on January 1, 2026, and hold at that level until January 2027. These are ceilings, not typical payments. Your amount depends on your contributory earnings and the age you started.
| Benefit | 2026 maximum monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Retirement pension at 65 (100%) | $1,507.65 |
| Retirement pension at 60 (64%) | $964.90 |
| Retirement pension at 72 (158.8%) | $2,394.15 |
| Disability pension, ages 18 to 59 | $1,737.67 |
| Disability pension, ages 60 to 65 | $610.43 |
| Pension for a disabled contributor’s child | $97.74 |
| Orphan’s pension | $307.81 |
| Surviving spouse, under 45, no dependent children | $719.50 |
| Surviving spouse, under 45, with dependent children | $1,129.95 |
| Surviving spouse, ages 45 to 64 | $1,173.58 |
| Surviving spouse, 65 or over | $881.48 |
| Death benefit (one time) | $2,500.00 |
One footnote worth knowing: of the $1,507.65 maximum at 65, $1,441.25 comes from the base plan. The remainder is the additional plan introduced in 2019, and it will keep growing for decades as workers accumulate contributions under it.
Five Real Differences Between QPP and CPP
The two plans mirror each other closely enough that a career split between Quebec and the rest of Canada still produces one coherent pension. The differences that remain are not trivial.
1. The maximum retirement pension is identical
Both plans top out at $1,507.65 a month at age 65 in 2026, because both use the same $74,600 maximum pensionable earnings ceiling and the same $85,000 additional ceiling. Anyone telling you QPP pays less at the maximum is wrong.
2. Quebec lets you wait until 72
CPP stops rewarding deferral at age 70, where the pension reaches 142 percent of the amount at 65, roughly $2,141 a month at the maximum. QPP keeps going to 72, reaching 158.8 percent, or $2,394.15. That is about $253 a month more than the best CPP can offer, available only in Quebec.
3. Quebec workers pay more for it
The QPP employee rate in 2026 is 6.3 percent on earnings between $3,500 and $74,600, made up of a 5.3 percent base contribution plus 1 percent for the additional plan, against 5.95 percent for CPP. Add the 4 percent second tier contribution both plans charge between $74,600 and $85,000, and a Quebec employee at the ceiling pays $4,895.30 for the year, versus $4,646.45 under CPP. That is $248.85 more out of a Quebec paycheque. Self employed workers pay both halves: $9,790.60 in Quebec against $9,292.90 federally.
Our QPP contribution rates page has the full breakdown, including the base rate reduction that took effect this year. For the federal side, see the Canada Pension Plan guide or find out when CPP contributions max out in 2026.
4. Survivor benefits are structured by age, and can be far larger
This is the biggest gap between the plans. A surviving spouse aged 45 to 64 receives up to $1,173.58 a month under QPP. The equivalent CPP survivor’s pension for someone under 65 maxes out at $803.54, a difference of roughly $370 a month. Above 65 the advantage flips, modestly: CPP pays up to $904.59 against QPP’s $881.48.
5. Contributions stop at different ages
QPP contributions end at 72. Quebec workers aged 65 and over can also elect to stop contributing while continuing to work, which CPP handles differently. If you are still on payroll while collecting, run the numbers through our payroll calculator to see the effect on your net pay.
If Your QPP Payment Does Not Arrive
Check My Account with Retraite Québec first. It shows both paid and upcoming amounts and confirms which bank account is on file. Most missed deposits trace back to a stale account number after a bank switch, or a change of address that never reached the agency. Allow at least one working day after the scheduled date before contacting Retraite Québec, since some banks post end of month deposits late in the day.
QPP is taxable income, and it is not automatically taxed at source unless you request it. If you are paying an unwelcome balance each April, ask Retraite Québec to withhold tax from your monthly pension. Where that income lands is set out in our guides to the 2026 federal tax brackets and the 2026 Quebec tax brackets.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next QPP payment?
The next QPP payment is Friday, October 30, 2026. The payment after that is Monday, November 30, 2026.
What day of the month is QPP paid?
QPP is paid at the end of each month, normally on the last working day. In 2026 the exceptions are September 29 and December 30, both set by Retraite Québec’s official calendar.
Why is QPP paid on a different day than CPP?
QPP is administered by Retraite Québec and pays at the end of the month. CPP is administered by Service Canada and pays several business days earlier. They are separate programs on separate calendars and do not share a single payment date in 2026.
Is QPP paid early in December like CPP?
No. Service Canada advances the December CPP and OAS payment to December 22 ahead of the holidays. Retraite Québec does not, and QPP pays on December 30, 2026.
Is RRQ the same as QPP?
Yes. RRQ stands for Régime de rentes du Québec, the French name of the Quebec Pension Plan. RRQ payment dates and QPP payment dates are the same dates.
Do Quebec residents get CPP and OAS?
Quebec workers contribute to QPP instead of CPP, so they receive QPP rather than CPP. Old Age Security is federal and is paid in Quebec on the national schedule, a few days before QPP each month.
How much is the maximum QPP payment in 2026?
The maximum QPP retirement pension at age 65 is $1,507.65 a month in 2026, identical to CPP. Starting at 60 reduces it to $964.90; waiting until 72 raises it to $2,394.15.
When will QPP go up again?
QPP is indexed once a year, each January. The 2026 amounts apply through the December 30 payment, and the January 2027 payment will be the first at the new rate. Only OAS and the Guaranteed Income Supplement adjust quarterly.
When will the 2027 QPP payment dates be available?
Retraite Québec had not published the 2027 calendar as of October 2, 2026. This page will be updated with all twelve 2027 dates once they are posted.
Last updated: October 3, 2026. QPP payment dates verified against the Retraite Québec 2026 payment calendar. CPP and OAS dates verified against the Government of Canada benefits payment calendar. QPP benefit amounts verified against Retraite Québec 2026 benefit amounts and key data. This page is general information, not tax or financial advice.