NOSSCR Joins Expanded Pension Search Program
Update: August 1999

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation of the U.S. Department of Labor is searching for people who are owed a pension but can’t be found. In a recently expanded search, PBGC is seeking 10,000 people who are owed more than $19 million in pension benefits.. NOSSCR is one of the organizations serving as a Pension Search Partner to promote the location and payment of these beneficiaries.

The PBGC already has found 1,745 people who were entitled to pension benefits from their former employers, paying them benefits that totaled more than $5 million.

The Pension Search Directory - an online search tool - includes names and last-known addresses of workers who have pension money coming from terminated defined benefit plans and who may not even know that money is owed them. The terminated plans were either closed by former sponsors who distributed the benefits, or taken over by PBGC because they lacked enough money to pay benefits. The site also includes unlocated people who may be able to show that they are owed a benefit, even though current PBGC records show that no benefit is due.

People who find their names in the Pension Search Directory must give PBGC further details to verify their identity. Verification takes about 4-6 weeks. Those who are eligible to receive a benefit generally begin receiving checks within two months if they have already reached retirement age. Younger individuals will receive benefits when they reach retirement age.

The Pension Action Center at the Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts, worked with PBGC to develop “Finding A Lost Pension.” The booklet explains the kinds of information needed for a search and suggests potential sources of information and assistance. The booklet is available in hard copy from PBGC’s Communications and Public Affairs Dept., 1200 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005-4026, or online at This Link. (Note: Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

The Pension Search Directory lists the names of the people being sought, the companies where they earned their pensions, and the date their pension plan ended. An easy search of the directory is available here on the World Wide Web:

Direct Link to the PBGC Pension Search Directory

If you find a match on the Pension Search Directory, the affected person must contact PBGC directly for more instructions on collecting the funds, using a special e-mail address or toll-free phone number.

• If you have questions or any problem using the Pension Search Directory,
  Click Here to send your e-mail inquiry to the Pension Search Webmaster

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