§ 4903.21 How do other Federal agencies use the offset process to collect debts from payments issued by PBGC?

(a) Offset of PBGC payments to collect debts owed to other Federal agencies.

(1) In most cases, Federal agencies submit debts to the Treasury Offset Program to collect delinquent debts from payments issued by PBGC and other Federal agencies, a process known as “centralized offset.” When centralized offset is not available or appropriate, any Federal agency may ask PBGC (when acting as a “payment agency”) to collect a debt owed to such agency by offsetting funds payable to a debtor by PBGC, including salary payments issued to PBGC employees. This section and § 4903.21 of this subpart C apply when a Federal agency asks PBGC to offset a payment issued by PBGC to a person who owes a debt to the United States.

(2) This subpart C does not apply to debts owed to PBGC. See §§ 4903.11 through 4903.13 of this part for offset procedures applicable to debts owed to PBGC.

(3) This subpart C does not apply to the collection of non-PBGC debts through tax refund offset. See 31 CFR 285.2 for tax refund offset procedures.

(4) Benefits paid by PBGC generally will not be offset, subject to limited exceptions (e.g., in certain fiduciary breach situations).

(b) Administrative offset (including salary offset); certification. PBGC will initiate a requested offset only upon receipt of written certification from the creditor agency that the debtor owes the past-due, legally enforceable debt in the amount stated, and that the creditor agency has fully complied with all applicable due process and other requirements contained in 31 U.S.C. 3716, 5 U.S.C. 5514, and the creditor agency's regulations, as applicable. Offsets will continue until the debt is paid in full or otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the creditor agency.

(c) Where a creditor agency makes requests for offset. Requests for offset under this section must be sent to PBGC, ATTN: Chief Financial Officer, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024–2101.

(d) Incomplete certification. PBGC will return an incomplete debt certification to the creditor agency with notice that the creditor agency must comply with paragraph (b) of this section before action will be taken to collect a debt from a payment issued by PBGC.

(e) Review. PBGC is not authorized to review the merits of the creditor agency's determination with respect to the amount or validity of the debt certified by the creditor agency.

(f) When PBGC will not comply with offset request. PBGC will comply with the offset request of another agency unless PBGC determines, in consultation with that agency, that the offset would not be in the best interests of the United States, or would otherwise be contrary to law.

(g) Multiple debts. When two or more creditor agencies are seeking offsets from payments made to the same person, or when two or more debts are owed to a single creditor agency, PBGC may determine the order in which the debts will be collected or whether one or more debts should be collected by offset simultaneously.

(h) Priority of debts owed to PBGC. For purposes of this section, debts owed to PBGC generally take precedence over debts owed to other agencies. PBGC may determine whether to pay debts owed to other agencies before paying a debt owed to PBGC. PBGC will determine the order in which the debts will be collected based on the best interests of the United States.

[75 FR 68205, Nov. 5, 2010, as amended at 87 FR 57825, Sept. 22, 2022]