The primary mission of PWBA is to protect the pension
health care and other welfare benefits of American workers and their families.
There are approximately 6.7 million employee benefit plans, which cover
approximately 150 million people, including workers and retirees and their
families. These plans control more than $3.5 trillion in assets. In
administering its responsibilities under ERISA, PWBA: (1) Ensures that workers
get the information they need to protect their benefit rights; (2) assists
plan officials in understanding the requirements of the relevant laws in order
for them to meet their legal responsibilities; (3) develops policies and
regulations that encourage the growth of employment-based benefits; and (4)
deters and seeks to correct violations of the relevant statutes through
education, voluntary compliance, and civil and criminal enforcement actions.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Dissemination of Technical Information. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Plan professionals, participants and beneficiaries of
employee pension, health care and welfare benefit plans obtain information
about the legal requirements for plan administration, plan provisions,
financial operations or how to obtain a benefit.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: Plan
administrators, trustees, participants, beneficiaries of employee benefit
plans, or others involved in plan administration may obtain assistance in
complying with the Act. Interested persons may obtain certain plan documents
which are required to be filed by plan administrators.
Beneficiary Eligibility:
Plan officials, trustees, participants, beneficiaries of employee benefit
plans, or others involved in plan administration.
Pre-application Coordination:
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure:
Contact the nearest field office of the Pension and Welfare Benefits
Administration listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog. (Participants and
beneficiaries should first contact their plan administrator for plan
information.)
Award Procedure: Not
applicable.
Deadlines: None.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:
Not applicable.
Appeals: Not applicable.
Renewals: Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements:
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:
Not applicable.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: Not applicable.
Audits: Not applicable.
Records: Not applicable.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification:
16-1700-0-1-601.
Obligations: (Salaries and
Expenses) FY 01 $98,934,000; FY 02 est $107,633,000; and FY 03 est Not
available.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance:
Not applicable.
PWBA's customer service staff provides assistance to
approximately 150,000 participants, employers and plan administrators each
year. The nature of assistance ranges from receiving information brochures,
booklets and/or regulations to individualized assistance relative to a
specific problem along with information on how the law applies, sometimes
resulting in a direct or indirect recovery of an appropriate benefit. As part
of its technical assistance program, PWBA conducts educational outreach
workshops and participates in additional outreach conferences sponsored by
professional organizations. Through its enforcement program, PWBA actions
resulted in monetary recoveries to employee benefit plans of nearly $426
million in fiscal year 2001.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Copies of the final regulations, proposed regulations,
and other directives are available from the national office or on PWBA's
website at www.dol.gov/dol/pwba. Certain audio-visual material also are
available for hearing-impaired audiences. PWBA publishes a variety of free
publications directed to employers and participants which can be obtained from
its website and its publication hotline at 1-800-998-7542.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office:
Persons desiring assistance should contact the nearest Department of Labor,
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration field office listed in Appendix IV
of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office:
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N5656, Washington, DC 20210. Telephone: (202)
219-8776. Contact Gloria Della.
