United States · https://decisionscalc.com/tools/quebec-qpip-calculator/
Québec QPIP calculator (RQAP) with the EI comparison
Québec parents get their maternity, paternity and parental benefits from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, not federal EI. Choose a plan, split the shared weeks between you, and see every week’s benefit, each parent’s total, and what EI would pay the same family elsewhere in Canada.
Parent 2 takes the other 16 of 32.
Your family’s QPIP total
Your weekly benefits
| Benefit | Parent | Weeks | Rate | A week | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity | 1 | 18 | 70% | $807.69 | $14,538 |
| Paternity | 2 | 5 | 70% | $807.69 | $4,038 |
| Parental (shared) | 1 | 7 | 70% | $807.69 | $5,654 |
| Parental (shared) | 1 | 9 | 55% | $634.62 | $5,712 |
| Parental (shared) | 2 | 16 | 55% | $634.62 | $10,154 |
| Extra shared | 1 | 2 | 55% | $634.62 | $1,269 |
| Extra shared | 2 | 2 | 55% | $634.62 | $1,269 |
Benefits are taxable income; every figure here is before tax.
QPIP against federal EI
| Same family | Parent 1 | Parent 2 | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QPIP (Québec) | $27,173 | $15,462 | 59 | $42,635 |
| EI standard, 55% | $22,225 | $12,700 | 55 | $34,925 |
| EI extended, 33% | $22,860 | $12,954 | 84 | $35,814 |
EI rows show the same parents outside Québec: 15 weeks of maternity at 55% for a birth, then parental weeks shared in the same proportion (40 standard weeks, at most 35 each, or 69 extended, at most 61 each). EI counts pay up to $68,900 and caps the week at $729 (55%) or $437 (33%). EI’s 600-hour entry rule and one-week waiting period are left out.
The 2026 QPIP rules at a glance
| Birth | Basic plan | Special plan |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity (parent who gave birth) | 18 weeks at 70% | 15 weeks at 75% |
| Paternity (other parent) | 5 weeks at 70% | 3 weeks at 75% |
| Parental, shared | 32 weeks: 7 at 70%, 25 at 55% | 25 weeks at 75% |
| Extra shared weeks | 4 at 55% (each parent 8+ shared weeks) | 3 at 75% (each parent 6+) |
| Single parent or multiple birth | +5 weeks at 70% | +3 weeks at 75% |
| Adoption: exclusive, each parent | 5 weeks at 70% | 3 weeks at 75% |
| Adoption: welcome and support, shared | 13 weeks at 70% | 12 weeks at 75% |
| Adoption: shared | 32 weeks: 7 at 70%, 25 at 55% | 25 weeks at 75% |
Maximum insurable earnings $103,000 in 2026 ($98,000 in 2025). Minimum $2,000 of insurable earnings to qualify. Source: Québec.ca, read 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does QPIP pay in 2026?
Between 55% and 75% of your average weekly insurable earnings, depending on the plan and the week. Earnings count up to the 2026 maximum insurable earnings of $103,000, so the most you can get is about $1,485.58 a week at 75%, $1,386.54 at 70% and $1,089.42 at 55%.
Basic plan or special plan: which pays more?
The basic plan pays more weeks at lower rates: 18 weeks of maternity, 5 of paternity and 32 shared weeks (7 at 70%, 25 at 55%). The special plan pays fewer weeks at 75%: 15, 3 and 25. Over the whole leave the basic plan usually pays a little more in total; the special plan pays more each week. Both parents must choose the same plan, and the first parent to apply decides for both.
What are the extra shared weeks?
Once each parent has received at least 8 shared weeks (basic plan) or 6 (special plan), the family gets 4 extra weeks at 55% (basic) or 3 extra weeks at 75% (special), to split as you like.
Who qualifies for QPIP?
You must live in Québec when your benefit period starts, have at least $2,000 of insurable earnings, and (for an employee) have seen your usual weekly pay drop by at least 40%. There is no minimum number of hours, unlike federal EI’s 600-hour rule.
Can a Québec parent claim EI maternity or parental benefits instead?
No. Québec runs its own plan, so Québec residents claim maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits from QPIP, not from federal EI. The EI columns on this page show what the same family would get if it lived elsewhere in Canada.
How does QPIP compare with EI?
QPIP pays higher rates (70% or 75% against EI’s 55% or 33%), counts earnings up to $103,000 against EI’s $68,900, reserves weeks for the second parent (5 or 3), and needs only $2,000 of earnings to qualify.
Related
- Parental Leave Planner ($19 spreadsheet): both parents’ weekly pay through leave, the household income gap and a savings target, with a Québec (QPIP) edition.
- Canada EI benefit calculator for parents outside Québec
- EI maternity and parental benefits in Canada
- Parental leave by province in Canada
Compare two scenarios
Snapshot your current numbers, change any input, then snapshot again to see the difference side by side.
No scenarios saved yet — enter your numbers above, then click Save as A.
| Metric | Scenario A | Scenario B | Difference |
|---|