Participants’ records in PBGC’s possession are protected under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a 2006, Supp. IV 2010) and PBGC’s implementing regulations. In accordance with these rules, to obtain certain information about the participant’s pension entitlement in order to draft or amend a domestic relations order, the prospective alternate payee (or his or her guardian) must send in a written request to PBGC’s Disclosure Officer. The request must:

1. State that the information the alternate payee is requesting "will be used solely to obtain a qualified domestic relations order under state domestic relations laws;

2. Be signed by the alternate payee and notarized;

3. Provide the participant’s name (and the participant’s social security number if known);

4. Describe the alternate payee’s relationship to the participant; and

Ask for the following information only:

The name of a participant’s pension plan;

The actual or estimated amount of the participant’s benefit under Title IV of ERISA;

The form(s) in which the participant’s benefit is payable; and

Whether the participant currently is receiving benefit payments under the plan or, if not, the earliest date(s) such payments could commence to the participant.

Disclosure Officer
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
1200 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005-4026