(a) In general. Within 120 days after the date an initial or revised application for special financial assistance is properly and timely filed, PBGC will -
(1) Approve the application and notify the plan sponsor of the payment of special financial assistance in accordance with
§ 4262.12; or
(2) Deny the application because -
(i) The application is incomplete, and notify the plan sponsor of the missing information; or
(ii) An assumption is unreasonable, a proposed change in assumption is individually unreasonable, or the proposed changed assumptions are unreasonable in the aggregate, and notify the plan sponsor of the reasons for the determination; or
(iii) The plan is not an eligible multiemployer plan, and notify the plan sponsor of the reasons the plan fails to be eligible for special financial assistance; or
(3) Fail to act on the application, in which case the application is deemed approved, and notify the plan sponsor of the payment of special financial assistance in accordance with
§ 4262.12.
(b) Incomplete application. PBGC will consider an application incomplete under
paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section unless the application accurately includes the information required to be filed under this part and the special financial assistance instructions on PBGC's website at
www.pbgc.gov, including all additional information that PBGC requires under
§ 4262.6(d).
(c) Application base data.
(1) A plan's base data are -
(i) The plan's SFA measurement date as required to be reported in the plan's initial application for special financial assistance;
(ii) The plan's participant census data used in the plan's initial application for special financial assistance; and
(2) A plan's base data are fixed by the filing of the plan's initial application and must be reported on any revised application for the plan.
(d) Withdrawn applications.
(1) A plan's application for special financial assistance may be withdrawn at any time before or after PBGC denies the application but not after PBGC has approved the application.
(2) Any withdrawal of a plan's application must be by written notice to PBGC submitted by any person authorized to submit an application for the plan and in accordance with the special financial assistance instructions on PBGC's website at www.pbgc.gov.
(3) An application submitted for a plan after the withdrawal of an application is a revised application and must comply with the requirements in this part for an initial application except that it must use the base data required in paragraph (c) of this section for the initial application.
(e) Denied applications. If PBGC denies a plan's application, and the denied application is not withdrawn, any revised application must not differ from the denied application except to the extent necessary to address the reasons cited by PBGC for the denial.
(f) Revised applications. A plan's revised application is processed in the same way as an initial application.
(g) Final agency action. PBGC's decision on an application for special financial assistance under this section is a final agency action under
§ 4003.22(b) of this chapter for purposes of judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act (
5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
29 C.F.R. § 4262.11 — PBGC action on applications. · eCFR amendment effective 2021-07-12 · https://pensionresource.website/EAMain?content=EAMain.Law&id=cfr29-4262.11&asof=2021-07-12 · printed Oct 16, 2026