StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

20 CFR §418.1205

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
For the purposes of this subpart, we will consider the following to be major life-changing events:
  1. (a)Your spouse dies;
  2. (b)You marry;
  3. (c)Your marriage ends through divorce or annulment;
  4. (d)You or your spouse stop working or reduce the hours you work;
  5. (e)You or your spouse experiences a loss of income-producing property, provided the loss is not at the direction of you or your spouse (e.g., due to the sale or transfer of the property) and is not a result of the ordinary risk of investment. Examples of the type of property loss include, but are not limited to: Loss of real property within a Presidentially or Gubernatorially-declared disaster area, destruction of livestock or crops by natural disaster or disease, loss from real property due to arson, or loss of investment property as a result of fraud or theft due to a criminal act by a third party;
  6. (f)You or your spouse experiences a scheduled cessation, termination, or reorganization of an employer's pension plan;
  7. (g)You or your spouse receives a settlement from an employer or former employer because of the employer's closure, bankruptcy, or reorganization.