Resources · The Quebec pathway

Money families leave unclaimed: autism benefits in Quebec

6 min · Evidence: official · Updated September 3, 2026 · next review in 6 months

Two applications unlock almost everything: the Retraite Québec Supplement for Handicapped Children (SEH) and the federal Disability Tax Credit (form T2201). SEH opens daycare support; DTC opens the Child Disability Benefit and the RDSP. File both in the first month after the report. Amounts change every year; the figures here were read from the official pages in September 2026.

The report is in your hands and nobody at the clinic mentioned money. That is usual, and it is why thousands of dollars a year go unclaimed by Quebec families. This page is the paperwork in order, with amounts read from the official pages in September 2026. They change every January and July; confirm before you count on them.

The order of operations

Two applications sit at the top of the tree. Do them together, first.

  1. Retraite Québec, Supplement for Handicapped Children (SEH). Provincial, monthly, tied to Family Allowance. Being SEH-eligible is also the gate for daycare integration allowances.
  2. Canada Revenue Agency, Disability Tax Credit (DTC), form T2201. Federal. Approval reduces your income tax, unlocks the Child Disability Benefit automatically, and makes your child eligible for a Registered Disability Savings Plan.

Then, every tax year, medical expense claims; and once, a call to your group insurer.

The checklist

ProgramWho runs itFormAmount read in Sept 2026GateRetroactive?
Supplement for Handicapped Children (SEH)Retraite QuébecApplication for the Supplement for Handicapped Children (parent part, professional part, educational report, consent)$241 per month per child in 2026, not taxableChild under 18 with an impairment or mental function disability that "significantly limits" life habits for at least one year; family receives Family AllowanceUp to 11 months before the application date
Supplement for Handicapped Children Requiring Exceptional Care (SEHNSE)Retraite QuébecApplication for the SEHNSE, can be sent with the SEH applicationTier 1 $1,215, Tier 2 $808 per month in 2026Severe and multiple disabilities and/or complex medical care; stricter than SEHUp to 11 months
Disability Tax Credit (DTC)CRAT2201, Part A (you) and Part B (practitioner), paper or digital2025 tax year: disability amount $10,138 plus supplement for under 18 of up to $5,914 (non-refundable amounts, not cash)Marked restriction in a category such as mental functions, at least 90% of the time, lasting 12 months or moreUp to 10 years of past returns
Child Disability Benefit (CDB)CRANone if you already get the Canada Child Benefit; automatic on DTC approvalUp to $3,480 per year ($290 per month) per child, July 2026 to June 2027; reduced above adjusted family net income of $82,847CCB plus approved DTCCurrent year plus two prior benefit years automatically; earlier by written request
Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)Financial institution; grants and bonds from ESDCOpen at a bank or credit unionGrant up to $3,500 per year (lifetime $70,000); bond up to $1,000 per year (lifetime $20,000) with no contribution needed, for lower incomesApproved DTC, SIN, Canadian residencyGrant and bond carry-forward up to 10 years
Medical expense tax credit (federal)CRALines 33099 and 33199 on your returnCredit on expenses above the lesser of 3% of net income or $2,834 (2025)Fees to authorized practitioners; in Quebec that includes psychologists, SLPs, OTs, psychoeducators and social workersAny 12-month period ending in the tax year
Medical expense credit (Quebec)Revenu QuébecLine 381 and the refundable credit at line 462See official pageSimilar practitioner listAny 12-month period

official Every amount above was read on the linked government page in September 2026.

SEH: what "eligible" means in Quebec

Retraite Québec pays the SEH to "parents who care for a child under age 18 who has a physical impairment or a mental function disability that significantly limits him or her in carrying out his or her life habits compared with what is expected for a child his or her age", for a condition expected to last at least a year. official A team of physicians, speech-language pathologists, psychologists and nurses reviews the whole file, including school and daycare reports. The strength of your application is the description of everyday limits, not the diagnosis word.

The professional part is completed by "the professional (physician, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, etc.) who has assessed or treated your child and is most familiar with the child's condition". official Choose the one who has seen the hard days. Retraite Québec warns that its criteria "differ from those for other programs, including the programs administered by the Canada Revenue Agency"; apply to both anyway.

DTC: the form that opens the federal doors

The CRA is explicit that eligibility is based on the effects of the impairment on daily life, not on the diagnosis itself. Your child must be markedly restricted, meaning "unable to do the activity, or it takes 3 times longer than someone of similar age without the impairment", "all or almost all of the time (generally at least 90%)", for at least 12 months, or meet the cumulative-effect rule across two or more categories. official For most autistic children the relevant category is mental functions, sometimes combined with speaking.

Who signs Part B: medical doctors and nurse practitioners for any category; psychologists for mental functions; speech-language pathologists for speaking. official Part A and Part B must be submitted the same way, both paper or both digital. Once approved, the DTC can be claimed going back up to 10 years, and a parent who supports the child can claim the unused amount. official

What the DTC unlocks

Child Disability Benefit. If you already receive the Canada Child Benefit for a child approved for the DTC, "you do not need to apply". For July 2026 to June 2027 it is "up to $3,480 ($290.00 per month) for each child", reduced when adjusted family net income passes $82,847. official

RDSP. A savings plan for a person approved for the DTC. Contributions are not deductible but attract the Canada Disability Savings Grant, up to $3,500 a year and $70,000 lifetime, and, for lower-income families, the Canada Disability Savings Bond, up to $1,000 a year and $20,000 lifetime, for which "you do not need to make any contributions". Unused grant and bond room can be caught up for up to 10 prior years. official Open it early, even with nothing to contribute, so the bond starts flowing.

Medical expenses. Fees paid to authorized practitioners count; in Quebec the CRA's list includes psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, psychoeducators and social workers. You can only claim what insurance did not reimburse, and only the part above the lesser of 3% of net income or $2,834 for 2025. official Keep every receipt in one envelope.

Elsewhere in Canada

The DTC, CDB, RDSP and medical expense credit are federal and identical in every province; the SEH and daycare allowances are Quebec-only.

This week

  • Download the SEH application and the T2201, and ask the professional who knows your child best to complete both professional sections in the same visit.
  • Check whether you receive Family Allowance and the Canada Child Benefit; if not, apply for those first, since both supplements depend on them.
  • Start one envelope, paper or digital, for every therapy and assessment receipt from today.

Sources

Questions parents ask

Does an autism diagnosis automatically qualify my child for the Disability Tax Credit?
No. The CRA bases eligibility on the effects of the impairment, not the diagnosis itself. A medical practitioner must certify that your child is markedly restricted in a category such as mental functions, all or almost all of the time, for at least 12 months. Many autistic children qualify, but the form has to describe the daily effects, not the label.
How much is the Supplement for Handicapped Children in Quebec?
Retraite Québec states that in 2026 the Supplement for Handicapped Children is $241 per month per eligible child, not taxable, indexed each January. Families must already receive Family Allowance. Retroactive payment is possible for up to 11 months before the application date.
What is the order to apply for autism benefits in Quebec?
Apply for the SEH and the DTC (T2201) at the same time, right after the assessment. DTC approval then triggers the Child Disability Benefit automatically if you receive the Canada Child Benefit, and makes your child eligible to open an RDSP. Claim therapy fees as medical expenses each tax year.

Part of: We just got a diagnosis · plain markdown ·

This page explains; it does not diagnose or replace your clinician. Services, wait times, prices and benefit amounts change: confirm on the official page before acting. Found an error? Tell us and we will correct it publicly.