If you don't know your plan's name, you can find it by entering your employer's name. If your employer sponsors more than one plan, you can call the plan administrator to find out which one you're in.
There are several possibilities. For instance, your plan may not be a private-sector defined benefit plan, which is the only kind of plan insured by PBGC. (See "We've Got You Covered" for more information.)
Plans sponsored by small professional service employers, government plans, and "church"–sponsored pension plans are typically not covered by PBGC.
Or maybe your plan is not on the list because your employer has not paid premiums recently. If so, and if your plan is covered by Title IV of ERISA, your pension is still insured. You do not lose your coverage just because your employer doesn't pay premiums.
If your plan is covered by Title IV of ERISA, it is still covered even if your employer stops paying premiums to PBGC.
Contact your plan administrator or your employer, and ask for your plan's Summary Plan Description. This document will tell you if your plan is insured by PBGC.
If your plan is on the list, you can be fairly certain your plan is insured (i.e., covered). Please note that, in very rare instances, an employer pays PBGC premiums in error even though their pension plan is not covered by PBGC. Such a plan would likely appear on the list.
Whether a private-sector defined benefit plan is insured by PBGC is based on the law (See ERISA Section 4021). Paying PBGC premium does not trigger coverage. See PBGC's coverage webpage for information.
If your plan is listed but has no contact number, it means none was submitted in the plan’s filing with PBGC. You may be able to find a contact number in one of the following ways:
- Check any paperwork you have from your pension plan
- Do an Internet search on the company’s or plan’s name
- Look up the pension plan’s filing with the Department of Labor
PBGC got this information from the premium filings submitted by pension plan administrators to PBGC.
PBGC always attempts to work with employers to keep their pension plans going. However, if your plan fails, and your plan is covered by Title IV of ERISA, PBGC will pay your benefit up to the limits set by Congress. Currently, the limit is about $67,295.40 for a 65-year-old. There are other types of limits, too, such as for early retirement benefits. For more information, see "Your Guaranteed Pension."
Your plan is ongoing, under the sponsorship of your employer. To apply for your benefit, contact your plan administrator.