Every
application for a railroad retirement annuity must be
accompanied by documentary evidence that supports the
claim for benefits. The sections in this part discuss
the types of acceptable evidence. If you are unable
to secure the necessary information, please contact
the nearest
field office of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).
The people there will be glad to assist you.
General
Information
Evidence submitted in support of an applicant's
claim should be:
- an original document; or
- a copy of a public record certified by the custodian
of the record; or
- a facsimile, if it is sent to the RRB by the official
custodian of the record.
Documents which have been altered in any way do
not qualify as original or certified copies. Therefore,
they cannot be used as evidence.
Proof
Of Marriage
The best proof of a ceremonial marriage is the original
marriage certificate. If you cannot locate your original
certificate, the following proofs are acceptable:
- A copy of a public record of the marriage certified
by the custodian of the record. This record can
be secured by contacting the Clerk of the Court
in the city or county where the marriage license
was obtained or the Bureau
of Vital Statistics of the state in which you
were married.
- A copy of a religious record of the marriage
certified by the custodian of the record. This record
can be secured by contacting the church where the
marriage took place or the clergy who performed
the service.
NOTE:
A marriage license is NOT
an acceptable proof of marriage. If no marriage ceremony
took place, contact the nearest
field office of the RRB.
Proof
of Divorce
The best proof of divorce includes:
- the original decree of the final or absolute
divorce or divorce a vinculo matrimonii; or
- a certified copy of the divorce certificate by
the custodian of the record.
A certified photocopy of one of the documents shown
above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any
of the documents listed above or if the decree is
not for final divorce, absolute divorce, or divorce
a vinculo matrimonii, contact the nearest
field office of the RRB. The people there will
be glad to assist you.
Proof
Of Age
Various types of acceptable proofs of age and the
places to secure them are listed below. If you are
unable to obtain one of these documents, you should
contact the nearest office
of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist
you.
Older records are generally considered the best
records. Try to secure evidence made at or near the
time of your birth. Any document to be used for proof
of age must show the person's name, age, or date of
birth, and preferably, the date on which the record
was established. Any document submitted as proof of
age or date of birth must be based on a record that
was established more than 5 years before the date
on which you filed an application for an annuity or
Medicare coverage with the RRB.
The best proofs of age include:
- a civil record of your birth, which can be secured
from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state capital of
your state of birth;
- the church record of your birth or baptism, which
can be secured by contacting the church where you
were baptized or confirmed;
- notification of registration of birth, which
can be secured by contacting the county or city
Health department in the city or county in which
you were born; or
- the hospital birth record or certification.
Churches usually do not destroy their records and
if there was a record of your date of birth made when
you were an infant or a child, it is probably still
on file at the church. Even if the church building
is no longer in existence, the records may be available
at a diocesan, state, or regional office of the denomination.
Our field offices have a complete list
of addresses and fees for public birth records
in the United States and in many foreign countries.
Call or write the nearest
field office to find out where to write and how
much to send to obtain your birth record.
Proof
Of Death
Proof of the death of the railroad employee is required
with all applications for benefits as the survivor
of the railroad employee. If the death occurred inside
the United States, the best proofs of death include:
- a certified photocopy of the death certificate,
which can be secured from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or Department of Health
for the city, county, or state in which the death
occurred;
- a signed statement of death by the funeral director
on RRB Form G-273a or SSA's Forms SSA-721 or SSA-2872;
- a copy of the coroner's report of death; or
- the verdict of the coroner's jury of the state
or community where death occurred.
A certified photocopy of any of the documents described
above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any
of these documents, contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there will
be glad to assist you.
If the death occurred outside the United States,
the proof of death can include:
- a report of death from a United States consul,
or other agent of the State Department, bearing
the signature and official seal (you can secure
this report from the United States consulate or
embassy);
- a certified copy of the public record of death;
or
- a signed statement of death by a funeral director.
Proof
Of Military Service
Proof of military service may be a certificate of
discharge, or any official military record that shows
the dates of service. If you cannot locate the military
service record, contact
the RRB for help.
Proof
Of Relationship
Proof of relationship must be given by each person
applying for benefits as the child, parent, brother,
sister or grandchild of the former railroad employee.
The best proof of relationship is a certified copy
of the civil or religious birth record of the person
filing for benefits showing the parent's name.
When the relationship involves a legally adopted
child or the parents of a legally adopted child, the
best proof is a certified copy of the decree or order
of adoption.
It may be necessary to submit more than one document
to prove the relationship to the employee. The following
situations are examples of when this may occur.
- A stepchild must show he or she is the child
of the person married to the employee.
- A grandchild must show who his or her parents
are and prove that his or her parent is related
to the employee.
- A stepparent must show that the person he or
she is married to is the employee's parent.
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