RREGOP: the pension plan of network employees, explained

The RREGOP is the pension plan of most employees in the health and social services network. Retraite Québec administers it. This guide to the RREGOP pension sums up its basic rules: the 2026 contribution, the retirement age, the pension calculation and what happens at 65. It applies to patient care attendants, nurses, licensed practical nurses and all unionized job titles in the network.

Who participates in the RREGOP

The Retraite Québec bulletin on the RREGOP says it in one sentence: the plan covers regular and casual employees, full time or part time, in the health and social services network, the education network and the public service. Participation is mandatory. The legal framework is the Act respecting the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan (chapter R-10).

You accumulate at most 40 years of service. Participation ends no later than December 30 of the year you turn 71.

Part-time work counts in two ways. For the pension calculation, Retraite Québec credits part of a year based on your hours, without overtime. For pension eligibility, a part-time year can count as a full year. The bulletin's example: a person working 17½ hours out of 35 receives half a year for the calculation and a full year for eligibility.

The contribution in 2026

The RREGOP contribution rate is 8.63% in 2026. It does not apply to the whole salary. An exemption of 25% of the maximum pensionable earnings (MPE) is removed first. The 2026 MPE is $74,600, so the exemption is $18,650 for a full-time person.

The Retraite Québec bulletin gives this example for a pensionable salary of $80,000:

The pension is still calculated on the whole pensionable salary, not only on the contributory portion. No contribution is due if the pensionable salary is less than or equal to 35% of the MPE, which is $26,110 in 2026. Part time, the exemption follows the percentage of your hours.

During a disability that gives the right to salary insurance, you do not pay contributions. They are credited as if you had paid them, for a period of up to three years, except for exceptions set out in the plan.

The retirement age

According to Retraite Québec, you are generally entitled to a pension without reduction if you meet one of these three conditions at the end of your participation:

• be at least 61 years old
• have at least 35 years of service for eligibility
• be at least 60 years old and reach factor 90 (age and years of service added together)

From age 55, a reduced pension is possible. The reduction is 0.5% per month of early retirement, or 6% per year, and it is permanent. In the bulletin's example, a person who leaves at 59 when she would have been entitled to the full pension at 61 has 24 months of early retirement, so a 12% reduction.

The pension calculation

The Retraite Québec formula has three terms: years of service (40 at most) × 2% × average pensionable salary of the 5 best paid years. A part-time salary is converted to the salary you would have received full time.

The pension is paid on the 15th of each month by direct deposit. Retraite Québec deducts federal and Quebec income taxes.

What changes at 65

The RREGOP pension is coordinated with the Québec Pension Plan (QPP). Starting the month after your 65th birthday, it decreases, even if you applied for the QPP pension at 60. The decrease is calculated as follows: years of service since 1966 (35 at most) × 0.7% × the lesser of your average salary for the last 5 years and the average MPE for those same years. It is the flip side of the contribution exemption received throughout your career.

The pension is also indexed every January 1. The part tied to service since January 1, 2000 follows the more advantageous of 50% of the pension index rate (TAIR) and the TAIR minus 3%. The 2026 TAIR is 2.00%.

This guide is neither legal advice nor financial advice. Your participation statement, in Mon dossier at Retraite Québec, gives your own figures. For the salaries used in the calculation, see the nurse salary and the patient care attendant salary.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can you retire under the RREGOP without a penalty?

Generally, at 61, or after 35 years of service, or at 60 with factor 90. Before these thresholds, a reduced pension is possible from age 55, with a permanent reduction of 6% per year of early retirement. Your participation statement shows the date when you will meet one of the conditions.

How much does the RREGOP cost on your pay?

In 2026, the contribution is 8.63% of the pensionable salary above $18,650 full time. For a salary of $80,000, Retraite Québec calculates $5,294.51 for the year. Overtime is not part of the pensionable salary.

What happens to the RREGOP if I leave the network before retirement?

Before 55 and with less than two years of service for eligibility, you can get a refund of your contributions with interest. Before 55, with at least two years and less than 35, you choose between a deferred pension and the transfer of the value of your benefits to a locked-in retirement account (LIRA) or a life income fund (LIF). The request is made at least 210 days after the end of employment.

Can you buy back years in the RREGOP?

Yes, some periods of absence without pay, including parental leave, can be bought back while you still participate in the plan. The days you can buy back appear in your participation statement. Retraite Québec sends a buyback proposal valid for 60 days.

Sources

• Retraite Québec, Le RREGOP, bulletin on the main provisions of the plan, 2026 data, consulted on October 14, 2026
• Retraite Québec, Montants des prestations et données de base 2026, public sector pension plans section, consulted on October 14, 2026
• Retraite Québec, Vous participez à un régime de retraite du secteur public (RREGOP, RRPE, etc.), consulted on October 14, 2026
• LégisQuébec, Act respecting the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan, chapter R-10, up to date as of August 12, 2026