§ 4022.24 Benefit increases.

(a) Scope. This section applies to all benefit increases, as defined in § 4022.2, that have been in effect for less than five years preceding the termination date.

(b) General rule. Benefit increases described in paragraph (a) of this section are guaranteeable only to the extent provided in § 4022.25.

(c) Computation of guaranteeable benefit increases. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section pertaining to multiple benefit increases, the amount of a guaranteeable benefit increase shall be the amount, if any, by which the monthly benefit calculated pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section (the monthly benefit provided under the terms of the plan as of the termination date, as limited by § 4022.22) exceeds the monthly benefit calculated pursuant to paragraph (c)(4) of this section (the monthly benefit which would have been payable on the termination date if the benefit provided subsequent to the increase were equivalent, as of the date of the increase, to the benefit provided prior to the increase).

(1) Determine the amount of the monthly benefit payable on the termination date (or, in the case of a deferred benefit, the monthly benefit which will become payable thereafter) under the terms of the plan subsequent to the increase, using service credited to the participant as of the termination date, that is guaranteeable pursuant to § 4022.22;

(2) Determine, as of the date of the benefit increase, in accordance with the provisions of § 4022.23, the factors which would be used to calculate the monthly maximum benefit guaranteeable

(i) under the terms of the plan prior to the increase and

(ii) under the terms of the plan subsequent to the increase. However, when the benefit referred to in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section is a joint and survivor benefit deferred as of the termination date and there is no beneficiary on that date, the factors computed in paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section shall be determined as if the benefit were payable only to the participant. Each set of factors determined under this paragraph shall be stated in the manner set forth in § 4022.23(b)(1);

(3) Multiply the monthly benefit which would have been payable (or, in the case of a deferred benefit, would have become payable) under the terms of the plan prior to the increase based on service credited to the participant as of the termination date by a fraction, the numerator of which is the product of the factors computed pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section and the denominator of which is the product of the factors computed pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section.

(4) Calculate the amount of the monthly benefit which would be payable on the termination date if the monthly benefit computed in paragraph (c)(3) of this section had been payable commencing on the date of the benefit increase (or, in the case of a deferred benefit, would have become payable thereafter). In the case of a benefit which does not become payable until subsequent to the termination date, the amount of the monthly benefit determined pursuant to this paragraph is the same as the amount of the monthly benefit calculated pursuant to paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(d) Multiple benefit increases.

(1) Where there has been more than one benefit increase described in paragraph (a) of this section, the amounts of guaranteeable benefit increases shall be calculated beginning with the earliest increase, and each such amount (except for the amount resulting from the final benefit increase) shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the product of the factors, stated in the manner set forth in § 4022.23(b)(1), used to calculate the monthly maximum guaranteeable benefit under § 4022.22 and the denominator of which is the product of the factors used in the calculation under paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section.

(2) Each benefit increase shall be treated separately for the purposes of § 4022.25, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of that section, and for the purposes of § 4022.26, as appropriate.

(e) Except as provided in § 4022.27(c), for the purposes of §§ 4022.22 through 4022.28, a benefit increase is deemed to be in effect commencing on the later of its adoption date or its effective date.

(f) PPA 2006 bankruptcy termination. In a PPA 2006 bankruptcy termination, except as provided in the next sentence, “bankruptcy filing date” is substituted for “termination date” each place that “termination date” appears in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section. In any case in which an event (such as the death of a participant or beneficiary who was alive on the bankruptcy filing date) that affects who is receiving or will receive a benefit from PBGC has occurred on or before the termination date, PBGC will compute the benefit based on the form of benefit that was being paid (or was payable) and the person who was receiving or was entitled to receive the benefit from PBGC as of the termination date, consistent with § 4022.23(g).

(g) Rollover amounts. Any portion of a benefit derived from mandatory employee contributions resulting from rollover amounts (as determined under § 4044.12 (c)(4)(i) of this chapter) is disregarded in applying the provisions of §§ 4022.24 through 4022.26. However, any portion of a benefit derived from employer contributions resulting from rollover amounts (as determined under § 4044.12(c)(4)(ii) of this chapter) is combined with any other benefit under the plan in applying the provisions of §§ 4022.24 through 4022.26. In such case, the benefit increase is deemed to be in effect on the date the rollover amounts are received by the plan.

[61 FR 34028, July 1, 1996; 61 FR 36626, July 12, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 67728, Dec. 30, 1997; 76 FR 34603, June 14, 2011; 79 FR 25672, May 6, 2014; 79 FR 70095, Nov. 25, 2014; 83 FR 49803, Oct. 3, 2018]