You have the right to appeal PBGC’s 

determination of your benefit (“benefit 

determination”). To file an appeal, you must 

provide a specific reason why the benefit 

determination is wrong. If you simply have 

a question about your benefit or how it was 

calculated, you should ask for an explanation, 

instead of filing an appeal, by calling PBGC’s 

Customer Contact Center at 1-800-400-7242. 

If you are deaf or hard of hearing or have a 

speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access 

telecommunications relay services. You have 

45 calendar days from the date of the benefit 

determination to file an appeal. If the 45th 

calendar day from the benefit determination 

falls on a federal holiday or a weekend, the first 

non-federal holiday weekday following the 45th 

calendar day will be substituted as the deadline. 

For example, if the 45th calendar day falls on 

a Saturday and the following Monday is not 

a federal holiday, then that Monday, the 47th 

calendar day following the date of the benefit 

determination, will be the filing deadline. Note 

that this rule applies for every use of “45 

calendar days” in this brochure. If you need 

more time to prepare your appeal before the 

45-calendar-day limit expires, you may request 

an extension from PBGC’s Appeals Board, as 

explained below.

If you need more time to file your appeal, you 

may ask the Appeals Board for an extension of 

time. Your request for more time must be in 

writing. You should state why you need more 

time to file your appeal and how much more 

time you will need. PBGC offers a convenient 

optional form you may use to request an 

extension of time (Form 723 – Request for 

Additional Time to File an Appeal of a PBGC 

Benefit Determination). Form 723 can be 

obtained from PBGC’s Customer Contact 

Center or printed/downloaded directly from 

www.pbgc.gov/documents/e723.pdf. If you 

use Form 723, you should answer all questions 

and sign and date the form. A request for an 

extension of time to file an appeal must be 

postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service, faxed, 

emailed, or delivered to the Appeals Board no 

later than 45 calendar days after the date of 

PBGC’s benefit determination.

The Appeals Board will grant an extension 

of time if you show a good reason why you 

need more time. The filing of a request for an 

extension of time will stop the running of the 

45-calendar-day period of time to file an appeal. 

When the Appeals Board grants a request for 

an extension of time to file an appeal, the 

Appeals Board will notify you, in writing, of the 

amount of additional time granted. 

You should include the following information 

in your appeal or your request for an extension 

of the filing deadline:

• Your name, address, and PBGC 

Customer ID Number;

• The name of your pension plan;

• The PBGC case number assigned to your 

plan (this can be found at the top of 

PBGC’s benefit determination);

• Your daytime telephone number 

(including area code); and

• A list of any information requests for 

which you are awaiting a response from 

PBGC or another entity (such as the 

Social Security Administration, a former 

employer, or a union).

For information on how to request PBGC 

records under the Freedom of Information Act 

(FOIA), see PBGC’s website at www.pbgc.gov/

about/pg/footer/foia. If you have additional 

questions about records requests, you may 

contact PBGC’s Disclosure Division at 202-

229-4040.

The Appeals Board will acknowledge your 

correspondence in writing. If you have 

questions about how to file an appeal or how to 

request additional time to file an appeal, or if 

you would like information about your appeal, 

you may call the Appeals Board at 1-800-400-

7242, extension 4090, write to the Appeals 

Board at the above address, or email the 

Appeals Board at appeals@pbgc.gov.

Send your appeal or request for additional time 

to file an appeal by mail to:

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

ATTN: Appeals Board

Post Office Box 151750

Alexandria, VA 22315-1750

You may also submit your appeal or request for 

additional time to file an appeal by fax to the 

Appeals Board at 202-229-4095 or 202-229-

4091, or by email to appeals@pbgc.gov.

If the Appeals Board denies an extension 

request, the Appeals Board will notify you, in 

writing, and the 45-calendar-day appeal period 

will resume running on the date of the Appeals 

Board’s notification of its denial.

• Include a specific explanation why 

PBGC’s benefit determination is 

incorrect and a statement of the result 

you are seeking;

• Provide information you believe is 

relevant to your appeal. You may include 

copies of documents that support your 

appeal; and

• Be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service, 

faxed, emailed, or delivered directly 

to the Appeals Board no later than 45 

calendar days after the date of the benefit 

determination.

An appeal must be submitted directly to 

PBGC’s Appeals Board. PBGC offers a 

convenient optional form you may use to file an 

appeal (Form 724 – Appeal of a PBGC Benefit 

Determination). Form 724 can be obtained 

from PBGC’s Customer Contact Center or 

printed/downloaded directly from www.pbgc.

gov/documents/e724.pdf. 

Your appeal must:

• Be in writing;

• Be clearly marked as an appeal;

Your right to appeal

How to file an appeal

You may request additional 

time to file your appeal 

Where to send an appeal or a 

request for additional time to file an 

appeal

Other information you 

should include

How to obtain copies of PBGC 

records

You do not need an attorney 

to represent you

You may act on your own behalf during the 

appeals process, or you may have someone 

represent you. You do not need an attorney to 

file an appeal or to request an extension of time 

to file an appeal. If you select a representative 

and that person is not an attorney, send the 

Appeals Board a notarized power of attorney 

(signed by you), which specifically states the 

scope of the representative’s authority to act 

for you. If you prefer, you may use PBGC’s 

optional form to name a representative 

(Form 715 – Power of Attorney). Form 715 

can be obtained from PBGC’s Customer 

Contact Center at 1-800-400-7242, or printed/

downloaded directly from www.pbgc.gov/wr/

transactions/power-attorney.html.
Information to support your appeal; 

hearings

You must appeal before you can go 

to court

When PBGC’s benefit determination 

will become effective

Reference

Checklist

Paperwork Reduction Act

The Appeals Board decides appeals based on 

PBGC records and the information you submit. 

Therefore, it is important that your written 

appeal include all the facts and documents 

you wish the Appeals Board to consider. The 

Appeals Board may ask you for additional 

information. If you request a hearing or an 

opportunity to present witnesses, the Appeals 

Board will decide whether a hearing is needed 

to resolve your appeal. The Appeals Board’s 

past experience indicates that appeals ordinarily 

can be decided based on written information.

This collection of information has been 

approved by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) under control number 1212-

0061. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, 

an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and 

a person is not required to respond to, a 

collection of information unless it displays a 

currently valid OMB control number.

If you do not appeal PBGC’s benefit 

determination, it will become effective when 

the 45-calendar-day appeal period ends. If you 

do appeal, the determination will not become 

effective until the Appeals Board issues its 

decision on your appeal.

The Appeals Board’s decision may uphold or 

change the benefit determination. Changes to 

a benefit determination may include increasing 

or decreasing the amount of your benefit 

entitlement.

For more information about the Appeals 

Board’s purpose and procedures, including 

a link to PBGC’s “Rules for Administrative 

Review of Agency Decisions” in Title 29, Code 

of Federal Regulations, Part 4003, see 

www.pbgc.gov/prac/appeals-board.html.

Review by the Appeals Board is the final step in 

PBGC’s administrative review process. If you 

do not appeal PBGC’s benefit determination 

to the Appeals Board, you may not be able to 

obtain review by a court of law.

• Have you included all information 

that applies to your appeal or request 

for an extension of time to file an 

appeal, including your name, address, 

PBGC Customer ID Number, daytime 

telephone number, plan name, and 

PBGC case number?

• Does your correspondence clearly state 

that it is an appeal or request for an 

extension of time to file an appeal?

• Does your correspondence specifically 

explain why PBGC’s benefit 

determination is incorrect or why you are 

requesting an extension of time to file an 

appeal?

• Have you included all information and 

copies of documents that support your 

appeal or request for an extension of 

time to file an appeal?

• Have you included a notarized power of 

attorney or optional PBGC Form 715 if 

you are being represented by someone 

other than an attorney?

• Is your appeal or request for more time 

to file an appeal postmarked, faxed, 

emailed, or delivered to the Appeals 

Board no later than 45 calendar days after 

the date of the benefit determination?

• Have you signed your appeal or request 

for extension of time to file an appeal?

Your

Right to 

Appeal

Publication PBGC PS-02

November 2022 OMB Control No. 1212-0061

Expires 7/31/25