(a) Reportable event. A reportable event occurs when a plan is currently unable or projected to be unable to pay benefits.
(1) Current inability. A plan is currently unable to pay benefits if it fails to provide any participant or beneficiary the full benefits to which the person is entitled under the terms of the plan, at the time the benefit is due and in the form in which it is due. A plan is not treated as being currently unable to pay benefits if its failure to pay is caused solely by -
(i) A limitation under section 436 of the Code and section 206(g) of ERISA (dealing with funding-based limits on benefits and benefit accruals under single-employer plans),
(ii) The need to verify a person's eligibility for benefits,
(iii) The inability to locate a person, or
(iv) Any other administrative delay, to the extent that the delay is for less than the shorter of two months or two full benefit payment periods.
(2) Projected inability. A plan is projected to be unable to pay benefits when, as of the last day of any quarter of a plan year, the plan's “liquid assets” are less than two times the amount of the “disbursements from the plan” for such quarter. “Liquid assets” and “disbursements from the plan” have the same meaning as under section 303(j)(4)(E) of ERISA and section 430(j)(4)(E) of the Code.
(b) Waiver - plans subject to liquidity shortfall rules. Notice under this section is waived unless the reportable event occurs during a plan year for which the plan is exempt from the liquidity shortfall rules in section 303(j)(4) of ERISA and section 430(j)(4) of the Code because it is described in section 303(g)(2)(B) of ERISA and section 430(g)(2)(B) of the Code.
[80 FR 55002, Sept. 11, 2015, as amended at 85 FR 6062, Feb. 4, 2020]