WHAT ARE PENSION COUNSELING 

PROJECTS?

The Pension Counseling and Information 

Projects provide free, personalized pension 

counseling and assistance to individuals 

throughout their regional service area, 

regardless of age or income. Project 

counselors deal with the most complex issues 

across the full spectrum of private and 

government-sponsored pension and retirement 

savings plans. 

Recognizing that pensions are vital to the 

retirement security of older Americans, 

Congress established the Pension Counseling 

and Information Program in 1992 under the 

Older Americans Act. Initially a 

demonstration project, pension counseling is 

now a permanent part of the Act, and is 

primarily funded through a grant program of 

the U.S. Administration on Aging.

The projects are supported by the National 

Pension Assistance Resource Center 

(National PARC), an initiative of the Pension 

Rights Center in Washington, D.C. National 

PARC provides the training and legal back-up 

necessary to practice in the complex field of 

pension law.

WHY ARE THE PENSION COUNSELING 

PROJECTS NEEDED?

More than 50 million American workers are 

covered by government and private pension 

and retirement savings plans. The inherent 

complexities of these plans and the laws that 

govern them make it extremely difficult for

individuals to navigate the system without 

assistance, and problems are not uncommon. 

Benefits can be miscalculated, resulting in 

over- or under-payments and, in the worst of 

cases, denied altogether. The Pension 

Counseling and Information Projects provide 

much-needed assistance to thousands of 

individuals each year, helping them to 

understand and exercise their retirement 

income rights.

WHAT HAVE THE PENSION COUNSELING 

PROJECTS ACCOMPLISHED?

Currently, six regional pension counseling 

projects serve 29 states: Arizona, Arkansas, 

California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, 

Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, 

Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New 

Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North 

Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, 

Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, 

Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

The projects have helped thousands of 

individuals, recovering $190 million in 

benefits that otherwise would have gone 

unclaimed. These recoveries represent a 

return on federal investment of more than 8 

to 1, proving that pension counseling is not 

only necessary, but that it can be provided 

efficiently and effectively.

Pension Counseling and Information Projects
MID-AMERICA PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT

Michigan Pension Rights Office

Serving IN, MI, and TN 

Elder Law of Michigan, Inc.

Toll Free (866) 735-7737 

http://www.elderlawofmi.org/pension_rights_ 

project

Ohio Pension Rights Office

Serving KY, OH and PA

Pro Seniors, Inc.

Toll Free (866) 735-7737

http://www.proseniors.org/oh_pension.html

MID-ATLANTIC PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT 

New York Pension Rights Office

Serving NJ and NY

South Brooklyn Legal Services

Local (718) 237-5500

Toll Free (800) 355-7714

http://www.sbls.org/index.php?id=253

NEW ENGLAND PENSION ASSISTANCE PROJECT

New England Pension Assistance Project

Serving CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT

Gerontology Institute, Univ. of Mass. Boston

Local (617) 287-7307

Toll Free (888) 425-6067 

http://www.pensionaction.org/nepap.htm

SOUTH CENTRAL PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT

Texas Pension Rights Office 

Serving AR, LA, MO, NM, OK, and TX

Texas Legal Services Center

Toll Free (800) 443-2528

http://www.southcentralpension.org/

UPPER MIDWEST PENSION RIGHTS PROJECT

Minnesota Pension Rights Office 

Serving MN, ND, SD, and WI

Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging

Toll Free (866) 783-5021

http://www.tcaging.org/

Iowa Pension Rights Office

Serving IA

Iowa Legal Aid

Local (515) 282-8161

Toll Free (800) 992-8161

http://www.iowalegalaid.org/ia/homepage.ht

ml

WESTERN STATES PENSION ASSISTANCE 

PROJECT 

California Pension Rights Office

Serving AZ, CA, HI, NV

Local (916) 930-4911

Toll Free (866) 413-4911 

http://www.seniorlegalhotline.org/

ADDITIONAL PENSION COUNSELING

RESOURCES

PENSION HELP AMERICA

Serving other parts of the country with 

referrals to government agencies and 

other no-cost service providers

http://www.pensionhelp.net/

NATIONAL PENSION ASSISTANCE RESOURCE 

CENTER

Training and technical assistance

Pension Rights Center 

Washington, D.C.

http://www.pensionrights.org/

(202) 296-3776

For more information about ACL

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

Administration for Community Living

Washington, DC 20201

Phone: (202) 619–0724

Fax: (202) 357–3555

Email: ACLinfo@acl.hhs.gov

Web: http://www.aoa.gov

REGIONAL PENSION COUNSELING AND INFORMATION PROJECTS