What is the service employment cheque?
The service employment paycheque is a tool for processing transactions related to the remuneration of workers who provide home care services under the program.
The service employment paycheque program allocates a certain number of hours to a person with a loss of autonomy, during which they can benefit from a range of home care services. Services vary according to the needs of the user and their caregivers:
- Personal assistance services (PAS)
- Domestic assistance (DA)
- Support for family or caregivers (babysitting, respite care, temporary help)
- Other types of services
Who can benefit from the service employment paycheque?
Generally speaking, those eligible for service employment paycheque are people with an intellectual disability (ID), an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a physical disability (PD), as well as the elderly who are losing their autonomy.
To find out if the person you are accompanying is eligible for the service employment paycheque program, contact the person in charge of this program at your CLSC:
- They will assess the needs of the person you are caring for
- If the person you are caring for is eligible, the CLSC program manager can guide you through the various stages of the process
The “concrete” application of the program, the eligible clientele, the types of services covered and the criteria for hiring staff vary widely across Québec.
How do I use the service employment paycheque?
The CIUSSS allocates hours of service, and a sum of money is set aside to pay for these services through the Service Employment Paycheque Processing Center.
Choose the caregiver who will provide the help and care in exchange for the allowance:
- Your CLSC program manager can help you in this choice and in determining the hours of service, according to the needs and constraints of the person you will be caring for, whether on a regular or occasional basis, spread over two-week periods
- Some organizations offer pairing services between people receiving home care support through the CES program and workers authorized to provide home care support (beneficiary attendants, family and social auxiliaries and others)
- Since 2020, it has been possible to hire a family member to provide services under the program
- Caregivers living at the same address may be hired on an exceptional basis only
The person you are caring for is your employer
As the recipient of the service employment paycheque and home care services, the person you are caring for is the employer. You can help and assist them in setting up and running the program, but you will not be considered the employer.
The CLSC will register the person you are caring for with the Service Employment Paycheque Processing Centre (CTCES). This is the organization that process all payroll-related transactions (salaries, contributions, etc.). If you encounter any difficulties with payroll processing, contact the CTCES:
- Montréal region: 514-356-1199
- Elsewhere in Québec (toll-free): 1-888-405-4262