Designate Power of Attorney

At some time you may want or need someone to do business with PBGC for you. A Power of Attorney (POA) authorizes one or more persons you choose to act as your agent to do specific actions. At PBGC those authorized actions may include:

• applying for pension benefits,
• changing your pension’s federal tax withholding,
• updating your home address or other personal contact information
• electing or changing the electronic direct deposit of your pension (always to an account in your name);
• responding to a PBGC request for information or documents;
• and/or
• requesting information (such as a pension income verification statement or a copy of your current or prior year’s 1099-R) from PBGC.

If you want to have a power of attorney on file at PBGC, you may use either the PBGC Power of Attorney or a non-PBGC Power of Attorney.  It’s your choice.  

PBGC Power of Attorney 

PBGC has a Form 715: Power of Attorney. You may download PBGC Form 715 from our forms page.

With this form you may name up to three people to act as your agent(s) with PBGC.  You choose the PBGC actions you want your agent(s) to be able to take on your behalf from the list of possible actions in item 4.

 
You will choose in item 5 whether you want PBGC Form 715 to be used as a Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) or a Non-Durable Power of Attorney (NDPOA). A DPOA allows your agent(s) to act on your behalf with PBGC even after you become incapacitated. An NDPOA means your agent(s) may no longer act on your behalf if you become incapacitated.

Please review the PBGC POA Form 715 and instructions to learn how it may meet your needs.  When you are ready, you may complete the PBGC Form 715 which you and your agent(s) must sign.  Your signature must be witnessed and notarized, and then you may send it to PBGC.

Non-PBGC Power of Attorney

PBGC will also accept a non-PBGC Power of Attorney.  The non-PBGC POA must meet the requirements of the state where the POA was signed, which may be different than your state of residence.  You name your agent(s), the specific actions you want them to be able to take, when the POA is effective and your agents may act.  Your choices include: immediately even after your incapacity (DPOA); immediately but your agent(s) may no longer act if you become incapacitated (NDPOA); or your agents act only if you become incapacitated, Springing Durable Power of Attorney (SDPOA).  Your non-PBGC POA must authorize your agents to take action with respect to your PBGC pension.    

Often, POAs are prepared by an attorney and you may wish to consult an attorney for your non-PBGC POA.   Your non-PBGC POA should authorize your agent(s) to take actions with respect to your PBGC pension and meet all necessary requirements for your state, including specific principal and/or agent notices and other language that may be required by your state.  

If you have a non-PBGC POA that authorizes agent(s) to take actions for you with respect to your PBGC pension, you may send it to PBGC.  

To send a Power of Attorney to PBGC 

Please be sure any POA submitted is legible and complete (all pages and all attachments), and that you provide the customer ID # or SSN, the customer and all agent(s) current full mailing addresses and phone number(s), and send to:

PBGC
P.O. Box 151750
Alexandria, VA 22315-1750 

What should you expect after sending a POA to PBGC?  

After we review the POA, PBGC will write to you and your agent(s) acknowledging your appointment of the agent(s) and confirm the PBGC actions they may take. If we are unable to accept the POA, we will notify only you that the POA cannot be recognized and explain why. You may always prepare a new POA and send it to PBGC.  

What if you want to cancel (“revoke”) your POA?

Your agents should be notified in writing that you are revoking the POA, so they know they are no longer authorized to act for you. You must notify PBGC in writing that you have revoked a POA.  If we receive notice of your written revocation of a POA, we will write you and your agent(s) to confirm that PBGC will no longer accept direction from the agent(s) in the revoked POA.