History
The Québec Pension Plan: the fruit of a profound social transformation
This section is intended as an overview of this transformation, providing you with information on important dates in the history of the Régie and a few statistics to illustrate the importance it has taken on over the years.
The care of the elderly was the responsibility of the family and the Church
 |
From the early days of the first settlers until the 19th century, the care of the elderly was the responsibility of the family and the Church. This remained true until the 19th century when industrial production, along with wage labour and urbanization, brought about a decrease in traditional solidarities.
|
Social policies in Québec: slow progress
Until the mid-19th century, social policies in Québec remained a mosaic of disparate measures introduced at different periods to meet limited needs expressed by different groups.
At the end of the 1950s, aside from a few large organizations or big businesses, few employers offered well-structured pension plans for their employees. During that period, however, Québec society was changing at a rapid pace and governments began to take on more responsibilities, specifically in the field of the care for the elderly.
In the early 1960s, under the leadership of Prime Minister Jean Lesage's government, a global reform of social policies was rapidly launched.
1963 - The Québec Pension Plan is on the drawing board
A clear outline of the future Québec Pension Plan was traced: a universal, compulsory, contributory pension plan with portable benefits, administered by the government and financed by a capital fund.
Funding of the Plan is ensured by workers' contributions
 |
In 1966, everyone between 18 and 70 years of age who was earning over 600 $ a year, in the case of salaried employees, and over 800 $ a year for self-employed workers, had to contribute. Maximum pensionable earnings were set at 5 000 $ for the first year.
|
What has happened since?