Money you may be owed · Nationwide
PBGC Unclaimed Pensions
The federal pension agency is holding money for tens of thousands of people who never claimed it.
Written and checked by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Checked August 25, 2026
What this program is, in plain English
When a company pension plan shuts down, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, a federal agency, takes over paying it. Sometimes they cannot find the person. They keep a public, searchable list of unclaimed pensions, and it holds hundreds of millions of dollars. Search your own name and the name of any employer you worked for that went out of business or was bought. There is also a separate federal database of abandoned retirement plan accounts run by the Department of Labor. Both searches are free.
What you actually get
A monthly pension payment or a lump sum from a terminated employer plan.
Who qualifies
- Income limit: Not yet verified — call to confirm
- Anyone who worked for an employer with a defined benefit pension plan that terminated.
What to have ready
- Photo identification
- Social Security number
- Any old pension paperwork or W-2s you still have
How to apply
This program is run by Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Most decisions take Several weeks after a claim is filed.
We are not a government agency. These links go straight to the agency that runs the program. Applying is always free.
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
Report something wrong on this page
Sources
- Program page — pbgc.gov
- Source of record — pbgc.gov
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation — pbgc.gov
- Legal authority: 29 U.S.C. §§ 1301–1461 (ERISA Title IV)
Checked August 25, 2026 by Jason Burns (http fetch + browser + content check 2026-08-25). Licensed under the Citation License 1.0.
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Not sure if this one is for you?
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