PBGC Releases QDRO Practical Guide for Divorce Benefit Division

PBGC Press Releases

Published March 25th, 2026

Detected March 26th, 2026

Summary

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has released a new guide titled 'Qualified Domestic Relations Orders: A Practical Guide to Dividing PBGC Benefits in Divorce.' This guide is designed to assist participants and alternate payees of PBGC-trusteed pension plans in understanding the process of dividing pension benefits during divorce proceedings.

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What changed

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has issued a new practical guide aimed at assisting participants and alternate payees of PBGC-trusteed pension plans with the division of benefits in divorce cases. The guide, titled 'Qualified Domestic Relations Orders: A Practical Guide to Dividing PBGC Benefits in Divorce,' uses plain language to simplify the QDRO process for individuals navigating divorce proceedings.

This guidance is intended to be a resource for consumers and does not impose new compliance obligations. While it is a practical guide for participants, PBGC's existing technical guidance for practitioners on QDRO issues remains available. No specific compliance deadline or penalty information is associated with this informational release.

What to do next

Review the new QDRO Practical Guide for understanding of the process for dividing PBGC benefits in divorce.

Source document (simplified)

This page has not been translated. Please go to PBGC.gov's Spanish home page for more information available in Spanish.

Esta página no ha sido traducida. Por favor vaya a la página principal del sitio de español de PBGC para ver información disponible en español.

PBGC provides compliance assistance with QDRO Practical Guide

For Immediate Release Date

March 25, 2026

WASHINGTON — The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) today released Qualified Domestic Relations Orders: A Practical Guide to Dividing PBGC Benefits in Divorce. The new guide is intended for participants and alternate payees in PBGC-trusteed pension plans.

“The QDRO Practical Guide is intended to be a resource for those navigating the division of pension benefits,” said PBGC Director Janet Dhillon. “We understand that this can be a daunting process for many of our customers, and our goal is to make it as accessible and straightforward as possible.”

The guide uses plain language to help ensure that participants and alternate payees understand how to complete the necessary steps to ensure they receive the benefits determined during divorce proceedings. It was developed in collaboration with Anne Henderson, PBGC’s Participant and Plan Sponsor Advocate.

“In PBGC’s Office of the Advocate we often hear from people struggling with the complicated QDRO process,” said Henderson. “We appreciate PBGC’s work to address what can be a challenging experience for customers.”

PBGC’s technical guidance, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and PBGC, remains on the Corporation’s website and provides detailed, technical guidance for practitioners and others interested in QDRO issues.

More information can be found on the new QDRO information page for workers and retirees at PBGC.gov.

About PBGC

PBGC protects the retirement security of about 30 million American workers, retirees, and beneficiaries in both single-employer and multiemployer private sector pension plans. The agency’s two insurance programs are legally separate and operationally and financially independent. PBGC is directly responsible for the benefits of nearly 1.4 million participants and beneficiaries in failed single-employer pension plans. The Single-Employer Program is financed by insurance premiums, investment income, and assets and recoveries from failed single-employer plans. The Multiemployer Program is financed by insurance premiums and investment income. Special financial assistance for financially troubled multiemployer plans is financed by general taxpayer monies.

Press Release Number: 26-004