Quebec Class Action Administration Plan (QCAP)
Reviewed by Marty Mikhail, lawyer licensed by the Law Society of OntarioLast verified How we verify
This settlement resolves 2 claims
Each claim in this program was resolved by the same settlement. Coverage can overlap, so you may be included in more than one. Review each one that may apply to you.
- Quebec Class Action Administration Plan (QCAP)Covers Quebec. Claim deadline: You are reading this one
- Pan-Canadian Claimants' Compensation Plan (PCC)Covers Canada-wide. Claim deadline:
Status
Claims closedEstimated Payout
Up to $100,000 per person
Claim deadline
Claims closed
The filing deadline for this claim has passed and filing is now closed. If you already submitted a claim, the claims administrator will contact you about next steps and payment.
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About this claim
If you lived in Quebec, smoked at least 87,600 cigarettes sold by the Canadian tobacco companies between 1950 and November 20, 1998, and were diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema or severe COPD, you may be eligible for a payment of $24,000 to a maximum of $100,000 depending on your disease and when you started smoking.
Read more
In March 2019, Canada's three major tobacco companies, Imperial Tobacco Canada, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, and JTI-Macdonald, entered insolvency proceedings after Quebec courts ordered them to pay over $13.5 billion to smokers in a landmark class action. Through court-supervised mediation, the companies reached a global settlement with their creditors, including the Quebec class action plaintiffs and all provinces and territories. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved the settlement on March 6, 2025.
The settlement created two compensation plans for smokers diagnosed with tobacco-related diseases. The Quebec Class Action Administration Plan (QCAP) compensates Quebec residents diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema or severe COPD, and their heirs. A separate Pan-Canadian plan (PCC) covers people elsewhere in Canada, or those diagnosed between March 8, 2015 and March 8, 2019. Payment amounts depend on the disease and when the person started smoking.
Claim types
This case covers more than one type of claim. Each has its own payment, proof requirements, and eligibility. Review the type that applies to you.
Primary lung cancer or primary throat cancer
For Tobacco-Victims diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with primary lung cancer or primary squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx or hypopharynx (throat cancer).
Payment: $100,000 maximum if the person started smoking before January 1, 1976; $80,000 maximum if they started smoking on or after January 1, 1976. Payments may be reduced proportionately if funds are insufficient.
Proof: No proof needed
Who qualifies
- Diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with primary lung cancer or primary throat cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx or hypopharynx)
- Resided in Quebec on the date of diagnosis
- Smoked at least 87,600 cigarettes sold by the Canadian Tobacco Companies between January 1, 1950 and November 20, 1998
- Alive on November 20, 1998
Emphysema or COPD (GOLD Grade III or IV)
For Tobacco-Victims diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with emphysema or severe or very severe COPD (GOLD Grade III or IV).
Payment: $30,000 maximum if the person started smoking before January 1, 1976; $24,000 maximum if they started smoking on or after January 1, 1976. Payments may be reduced proportionately if funds are insufficient.
Proof: No proof needed
Who qualifies
- Diagnosed before March 12, 2012 with emphysema or COPD (GOLD Grade III or IV)
- Resided in Quebec on the date of diagnosis
- Smoked at least 87,600 cigarettes sold by the Canadian Tobacco Companies between January 1, 1950 and November 20, 1998
- Alive on November 20, 1998
Claim Administrator
- Tobacco Claims Canada (Epiq)
- Phone1-888-482-5852
- Email[email protected]
- Websitehttps://www.tobaccoclaimscanada.ca/en/Home/PlanQCAP
Agent
If you need help completing a claim form, contact the Agent.
- Proactio
- Phone1-888-880-1844
- Email[email protected]
- Websitehttps://RecoursTabac.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money can I receive?
The maximum QCAP payment is $100,000 for lung or throat cancer and $30,000 for emphysema or COPD if the person started smoking before January 1, 1976. Those who started smoking on or after January 1, 1976 receive 80% of those amounts ($80,000 and $24,000 maximums). Final payments may be reduced proportionately if the funds available cannot cover all eligible claims.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
Your claim must be received or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on August 31, 2026. Claims can be filed online, by email, by fax, or by registered mail.
Do I need to gather medical records to prove the diagnosis?
Usually not. By signing the claim form, you authorize the Claims Administrator to obtain official confirmation of the diagnosis from RAMQ, MSSS and Quebec health databases. Only if that confirmation cannot be obtained will the Administrator ask you for alternative proof, such as a pathology or spirometry report. Do not send medical documents unless specifically requested.
Do I need a lawyer or do I have to pay for help?
No. The QCAP Agent (Proactio) has been mandated to help you complete and submit your claim at no additional cost. Call 1-888-880-1844 or email [email protected] for help completing the claim form. In limited estate disputes, Succession Claimants may need their own lawyer or notary at their own cost.
When will I be paid?
If your claim is approved, payment will be issued after the claim deadline of August 31, 2026, once all claims have been reviewed and decisions finalized. The payment date will be posted at https://www.TobaccoClaimsCanada.ca.
What if my claim is rejected or found incomplete?
If your claim is incomplete, the Claims Administrator will send you a Notice of Incomplete Claim explaining what is missing, and you will have until the later of the claim deadline or 60 days from that notice to fix it. If your claim is rejected, you may request a review by an independent Review Officer within 60 days of the Notice of Rejection using the Request for Review Form included with the notice.