4050.12—Special rules.
(a) Missing participants located quickly.
Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 4050.8 through 4050.10, if the PBGC or the plan administrator locates a missing participant within 30 days after the PBGC receives the missing participant's designated benefit, the PBGC may in its discretion return the missing participant's designated benefit to the plan administrator, and the plan administrator must make distribution to the individual in such manner as the PBGC will direct.
(b) Qualified domestic relations orders.
Plan administrators must and the PBGC will take the provisions of qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs) under section 206(d)(3) of ERISA or section 414(p) of the Code into account in determining designated benefits and benefit payments by the PBGC, including treating an alternate payee under an applicable QDRO as a missing participant or as a beneficiary of a missing participant, as appropriate, in accordance with the terms of the QDRO. For purposes of calculating the amount of the designated benefit of an alternate payee, the plan administrator must use the assumptions for a missing participant who is a beneficiary under § 4050.5(b).
(c) Employee contributions—
(1) Mandatory employee contributions.
Notwithstanding the provisions of § 4050.5, if a missing participant made mandatory contributions (within the meaning of section 4044(a)(2) of ERISA), the missing participant's designated benefit may not be less than the sum of the missing participant's mandatory contributions and interest to the deemed distribution date at the plan's rate or the rate under section 204(c) of ERISA (whichever produces the greater amount).
(2) Voluntary employee contributions.
(i) Applicability.
This paragraph (c)(2) applies to any employee contributions that were not mandatory (within the meaning of section 4044(a)(2) of ERISA) to which a missing participant is entitled in connection with the termination of a defined benefit plan.
(ii) Payment to PBGC.
A plan administrator, in accordance with the missing participant forms and instructions, must pay the employee contributions described in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section (together with any earnings thereon) to the PBGC, and must file Schedule MP with the PBGC, by the time the designated benefit is due under § 4050.6. Any such amount must be in addition to the designated benefit and must be separately identified.
(iii) Payment by PBGC.
In addition to any other amounts paid by the PBGC under §§ 4050.8 through 4050.10, the PBGC will pay any amount paid to it under paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, with interest at the designated benefit interest rate from the date of receipt by the PBGC to the date of payment by the PBGC, in the same manner as described in § 4050.8 (automatic lump sums), except that if the missing participant died before the deemed distribution date and there is no beneficiary, payment will be made to the missing participant's estate.
(d) Residual assets.
The PBGC will determine, in a manner consistent with the purposes of this part and section 4050 of ERISA, how the provisions of this part apply to any distribution (to participants and beneficiaries who cannot be located) of residual assets remaining after the satisfaction of plan benefits (as defined in § 4041.2 of this chapter) in connection with the termination of a defined benefit plan. Unless the PBGC otherwise determines, the payment of residual assets for a participant or beneficiary who cannot be located, and the submission to the PBGC of the related Schedule MP (or amended Schedule MP), must be made no earlier than the date when the post-distribution certification is filed with the PBGC, and no later than the later of—
(1)
The 30th day after the date on which all residual assets have been distributed to all participants and beneficiaries other than those who cannot be located and for whom payment of residual assets is made to the PBGC, and
(e) Sufficient distress terminations.
In the case of a plan undergoing a distress termination (under section 4041(c) of ERISA) that is sufficient for at least all guaranteed benefits and that distributes its assets in the manner described in section 4041(b)(3) of ERISA, the benefit assumed to be payable by the plan for purposes of determining the amount of the designated benefit under § 4050.5 is limited to the title IV benefit plus any benefit to which funds under section 4022(c) of ERISA have been allocated.
(f) Similar rules for later payments.
If the PBGC determines that one or more persons should receive benefits (which may be in addition to benefits already provided) in order for a plan termination to be valid (e.g., upon audit of the termination), and one or more of such individuals cannot be located, the PBGC will determine, in a manner consistent with the purposes of this part and section 4050 of ERISA, how the provisions of this part apply to such benefits.
(g) Discretionary extensions.
Any deadline under this part may be extended in accordance with the rules described in § 4041.30 of this chapter.
(h) Payments beginning after required beginning date.
If the PBGC begins paying an annuity under § 4050.9(a) or 4050.10(a) to a participant or a participant's spouse after the required beginning date under section 401(a)(9)(C) of the Code, the PBGC will pay to the participant or the spouse (or their respective estates) or both, as appropriate, the lump sum equivalent of the past annuity payments the participant and spouse would have received if the PBGC had begun making payments on the required beginning date. The PBGC will also pay lump sum equivalents under this paragraph (g) if the PBGC locates the estate of the participant or spouse after both are deceased. (Nothing in this paragraph (g) will increase the total value of the benefits payable with respect to a missing participant.)