If you plan to start drawing your PBGC benefit within the next four months, you must ask for an estimate of your benefit amount before you apply for your pension. To calculate your estimate, we'll need to know:
- Your Social Security number,
- Your pension plan's name and case number (found in the upper left of the letters we've sent you),
- The date you plan to start drawing your benefit,
- Information about your spouse, if you are married, and
- Information about any other person who will be getting part of your pension benefit.
Proof documents
You will need to provide the following proof documents to PBGC to establish your identity, marital status, tax status, or to designate a beneficiary. You may need to provide some or all of the following documents to complete the application process.
Proof of age
This can be a photo of your birth or baptism certificate, or your U.S. passport. Your driver's license is not a proof document.
Proof of marriage, if you are married
Please send a copy of your marriage certificate.
Spousal Consent Form, if you are married and elected a benefit form other than Option B on your application for benefits your
You will need to print this application, complete the Spousal Consent Form, including the spousal signature and notarization, and then upload or return the completed form, please print clearly with black or blue ink.
Proof of your surviving beneficiary's age, if you selected a benefit form with a surviving beneficiary
This can be a photo of their birth or baptism certificate, or their U.S. passport.
If you wish to add additional information for a court order or for beneficiary selections on the application
Select a document on this screen to upload with your benefit application or you can upload the document later in My documents as a document type of "other".
How to request your estimate
Through MyPBA:
Use MyPBA, our secure online service, to ask us to send you a benefit estimate. If you've never used MyPBA, it's easy to get started. Learn more about MyPBA.
By Phone:
You can also call us at 1-800-400-7242. TTY/ASCII users may call 711. To request an estimate over the phone, you'll need to have handy your Social Security number, pension plan name, and case number.
What PBGC will send you by mail
- You should get your pension benefit estimate 15 to 45 days from the date of your request. If it takes longer than 45 days, we will contact you.
- Your pension benefit estimate will tell you the amount you can expect on the date you want your benefits to start.
- You will start to receive payments about three months after you contact PBGC about your pension benefits. For example, if you contact us during January, the soonest your benefit can start is April 1.
- We also will tell you how much you would receive under each annuity option (form of benefit) available to you. You can find out about the annuity forms available to you at Your PBGC Benefit Options: Questions and Answers for Participants.