[Federal Register: January 27, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 17)]

[Notices]               

[Page 3902-3903]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr27ja03-99]                         





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PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION





 

Submission of Information Collection for OMB Review; Comment 

Request; Locating and Paying Participants





AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.





ACTION: Notice of request for extension of OMB approval (with 

modifications).





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SUMMARY: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is requesting that 

the Office of Management and Budget extend its approval (with 

modifications) of a collection of information under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. The purpose of the information collection is to enable 

the PBGC to pay benefits to participants and beneficiaries in plans 

covered by the PBGC insurance program. This notice informs the public 

of the PBGC's request and solicits public comment on the collection of 

information.





DATES: Comments should be submitted by February 26, 2003.





ADDRESSES: Comments should be mailed to the Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: 

Desk Officer for Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Washington, DC 

20503.

    Copies of the request for extension (including the collection of 

information) may be obtained without charge by writing to the PBGC's 

Communications and Public Affairs Department, suite 240, 1200 K Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026, or by visiting that office or calling 

202-326-4040 during normal business hours. (TTY and TDD users may call 

the Federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 and ask to be 

connected to 202-326-4040.)





FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine B. Klion, Attorney, Office 

of the General Counsel, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005-4026, 202-326-4024. (TTY and TDD 

users may call the Federal relay service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 

and ask to be connected to 202-326-4024).





SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PBGC is requesting that OMB extend its 

approval (with modifications) of a collection of information needed to 

pay participants and beneficiaries who may be entitled to pension 

benefits under a defined benefit plan that has terminated. The 

collection consists of information participants and beneficiaries are 

asked to provide in connection with an application for benefits. In 

addition, in some instances, as part of a search for participants and 

beneficiaries who may be entitled to benefits, the PBGC requests 

individuals to provide identifying information that the individual 

would provide as part of an initial contact with the PBGC. The 

collection also includes pages on the PBGC's web site, https://www.pbgc.gov, 

that, for certain large plans, provide respondents with specific 

information about their pension plan and enable them to obtain a rough 

estimate of their benefit, either by using an online benefit estimate 

calculator or by completing an online form and submitting it to the 

PBGC to compute an estimate. All requested information is needed to 

enable the PBGC to determine benefit entitlements and to make 

appropriate payments or to provide respondents with specific 

information about their pension plan and enable them to obtain a rough 

estimate of their benefit.

    The existing collection of information was approved under control 

number 1212-0055 (expires February 28, 2003).
    The PBGC estimates that 134,950 benefit application or information 

forms will be filed annually by individuals entitled to benefits from 

the PBGC and that the associated burden is 76,200 hours (an average of 

about one-half hour per response) and $49,931.50 (an average of $.37 

per response). The PBGC further estimates that 5,500 individuals 

annually will provide the PBGC with identifying information as part of 

an initial contact and that the associated burden is 1,500 hours (an 

average of about one-quarter hour per response) and $1,100 (an average 

of $.20 per





[[Page 3903]]





response). Thus, the total estimated annual burden associated with this 

collection of information is 77,700 hours and $51,041.50.





    Issued in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of January, 2003.

Stuart A. Sirkin,

Director, Corporate Policy and Research Department, Pension Benefit 

Guaranty Corporation.

[FR Doc. 03-1765 Filed 1-24-03; 8:45 am]



BILLING CODE 7708-01-P