Temporarily limited capacity allowance

Specific features of the temporarily limited capacity allowance

The temporarily limited capacity allowance is:

• financial assistance;
• additional assistance granted to an adult eligible for social assistance. In other words, the temporarily limited capacity allowance is added to the basic social assistance benefit.

Temporarily limited capacity includes constraints that prevent an adult from holding a job for a limited time. They can be “caused by a health problem or life event,” according to the gouvernement du Québec.

As a caregiver, these administrative terms can resonate with your reality of life in relation to the situation of the person you’re helping, and trigger emotions. You need to navigate through the administrative process.

Eligibility criteria

“Providing ongoing care to a person whose autonomy is significantly reduced due to their physical or mental condition” is one of the eligibility criteria for the temporarily limited capacity allowance. As a caregiver, you could be in this situation.

Please note that:

• The person being helped and the person helping do not have to share the same home;
• Two adults in the same family may receive this allowance if each is temporarily incapacitated.

Verify your eligibility.

There are several eligibility criteria for the temporarily limited capacity allowance, and certain situations may make you ineligible. If this is the case, it could be a source of frustration for you. Contact a caregiver support counselor to discuss your situation and explore possible solutions. Other programs are also available, such as the canadian caregiver credit or the caregiver tax credit.

Mini glossary for the temporarily limited capacity allowance

• Temporarily limited capacity: given the context, words have meaning! A person who “provides constant care for a person with a loss of autonomy" experience constraints that "prevent an adult from holding a job for a limited time". There may be other temporarily limited constraints, such as a foot fracture or a depression experience;
• Supplementary: temporarily limited capacity allowance is financial assistance in addition to the basic social assistance benefit;
• Stigma: receiving the temporarily limited capacity allowance means being on social assistance and … the prejudices that come with it. For caregivers, it’s just one more challenge;
• Solidarity: Québec society’s solidarity with caregivers takes many forms. The law recognizes their contribution. As a caregiver, you are entitled to services, including caregiver support, a free personalized counselling, information and referral service.

Process

As a caregiver, you may have questions about the temporarily limited capacity allowance and social assistance. Here are some services you can contact for more information:

• Services Québec;
• Assistance with administrative procedures regarding departments and agencies in the Locator-Services Québec offices;
• Committees of social assistance recipients and social advocacy groups;
• Social workers in the healthcare network.

You can apply for financial assistance by completing a form or online.