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General
Information
Every applicant for railroad
retirement benefits or Medicare must submit some type
of documentary evidence or proof to support his/her
claim for benefits. The purpose of this booklet
is to describe the types of acceptable evidence and
to assist you in obtaining these records if they are
not in your possession. If you are unable to secure
the necessary record after following these guidelines,
please contact the nearest
field office of the
RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.
(CDC
and Vital
Records Information are
two on-line sources for where to obtain birth,
death, marriage, and divorce certificates.)
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
- (NOTE:
Documents that
are photcopied, faxed or e-mailed are not
acceptable.)
Documents that have been altered in any way are not
valid and cannot be used.
Most documents brought into the field office will be
copied for our records and returned to you right away.
If an original document is received in the mail, it
will be carefully preserved by the RRB and returned
to you after we have made a copy for our records.
Proof
of Age
Proof of age is required of almost every applicant
for railroad retirement monthly benefits or Medicare
coverage. Various types of acceptable proofs of age
and places to secure them are listed in this chapter.
Always try to secure one of the documents listed in
"Best Proofs of Age." If none of these documents
can be obtained, then you should submit a document listed
under "Other Proofs of Age."
Older records are generally considered the best records.
Try to secure evidence made at or near the time of your
birth. If you have problems securing proof of your age,
contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people
there will be glad to assist you. If the document submitted
is not sufficient, additional evidence may be required.
If so, the field office will contact you.
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 Railroad Retirement Board.
Proof of age for a child who is less than 5 years old
should be based on a record made shortly after birth.
Other Proofs of Age |
Where
to Secure |
Physician’s or midwife’s birth record |
Doctor or midwife attending birth |
Bible or other family record |
Member of the family. Do not mail a Bible. If this
record is being used, the entire bible must be brought
into the field office. |
Naturalization record |
Nearest
district office of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service |
Military record |
See
Proof of Military Service of this publication. |
Immigration record |
Nearest
district office of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service |
Census
age record |
Field office of the RRB will assist you. |
Draft registration record |
Field office of the RRB will assist you. |
Indian tribal record |
Tribal council headquarters or National Archives,
Washington, D.C. 20203 |
Passport |
If in your possession, bring to the district office
of the RRB |
School record |
School attended. Department of Public Instruction,
Superintendent of Schools, or similar agency if
the school has been closed |
Vaccination record |
City or County Health Department |
Insurance record |
Insurance company issuing policy |
Labor union or fraternal record |
Secretary of local labor, fraternal or auxiliary
lodge |
Employer’s
record |
Railroad
or express company where employed |
Other
records may be submitted if age is shown. Examples
of these records are marriage records and birth
records of a child if the age of the parent is shown. |
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.
If the document used to prove the age of the person
also shows his/her relationship to the employee, separate
proof of relationship is not needed.
For example, if a child’s proof of age shows the employee
as his/her parent, a separate proof of relationship
is not necessary.
A wife or husband may qualify for benefits if he/she
has the employee’s child in care. The term "child
in care" means the railroad employee’s dependent
and unmarried natural child, adopted child, or stepchild,
or under certain conditions a grandchild whose parents
are deceased or disabled.
If you are filing as the parent of a former railroad
employee, you must submit evidence that you are the
employee’s natural parent, adoptive parent or stepparent.
This evidence would be a birth record for the employee
from the list given below which shows that you are named
as the employee’s parent. If the employee was legally
adopted, refer to the section marked "Adoption"
in this chapter.
Best Evidence of Relationship |
Where
to Secure |
Certified copy of the civil birth record of the
person filing for benefits (showing the parents’
names) |
Bureau
of Vital Statistics in State capital of State of birth |
Certified copy of the religious birth record of
the person filing for benefits (showing the parents’
names) |
Church where baptized or confirmed |
Any
evidence listed in Chapter 2 if it shows relationship |
In the following cases, it may be necessary to submit
more than one document to prove the relationship to
the employee.
- A grandchild must show who his/her parents are and
prove that his/her parent is related to the employee.
- A brother or sister of the employee must furnish
his/her birth record and the employee’s, showing that
they both have the same parents.
- A stepchild must show he/she is the child of the
person married to the employee. See the section for
establishing proof of marriage.
- A stepparent must show that the person he/she is
married to is the employee’s parent. See Chapter 4
for establishing proof of marriage.
Adoption
When the relationship involves a legally adopted child
or the parent of a legally adopted child, submit a certified
copy of the decree or order of adoption. If the record
of adoption cannot be obtained, submit one of the following
documents:
- The official notice received by the adopting parents
stating that the adoption has been completed; or
- A birth certificate issued as a result of the adoption
proceeding.
If you are unable to furnish any of the documents described
above or if the adoption proceedings have been completed,
contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people
there will be glad to assist you.
Proof
of Marriage
If you are filing for monthly railroad retirement benefits
or Medicare as the wife, husband, divorced wife or husband,
widow, widower, remarried widow or widower, or surviving
divorced wife or husband of a former railroad employee,
you must furnish evidence of your marriage to the employee.
If you are claiming benefits as a remarried widow or
widower, you may have to furnish proof of your remarriage.
A person filling as a divorced spouse or surviving divorced
spouse must submit proof that the marriage to the employee
lasted at least ten consecutive years before the date
of the final divorce decree.
Best Proofs of a Ceremonial Marriage |
Where
to Secure |
The
original certificate of marriage |
Personal records |
A copy of a public record of the marriage certified
by the custodian of the record |
Clerk of the Court in the city or county where marriage
license was obtained or 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 |
Church
were marriage took place |
NOTE: A marriage license is not an acceptable proof
of marriage. If none of the proofs listed above can
be found or if no marriage ceremony took place, contact
the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there
will be glad to assist you.
Proof of Termination of a Remarriage
If you are claiming benefits as the divorced spouse
and have remarried since your divorce from the employee,
you must furnish proof that the later marriage or marriages
have terminated.
If you are claiming benefits as the remarried widow/widower,
or surviving divorced spouse, you must furnish proof
that the later marriage or marriages have terminated,
unless you remarried after attainment of age 60 or after
attainment of age 50 if previously eligible for a disabled
widow(er)’s or surviving divorced spouses annuity before
the marriage occurred.
Refer to Chapter 5 for a discussion
of acceptable proofs of divorce or annulment and Chapter
7 for a discussion of acceptable proofs of death.
Proof
of Divorce
Proof of divorce is required when benefits are claimed
as the divorced wife or husband or the surviving divorced
spouse of a former railroad employee. A person filing
as a divorced spouse or surviving divorced spouse must
prove that the divorce took place after at least ten
consecutive years of marriage to the employee. A divorced
spouse or surviving divorced spouse claiming exemption
from the public service pension offset based on entitlement
as a divorced wife under social security eligibility
requirements in effect in January 1977 must prove that
the divorce took place after at least 20 consecutive
years of marriage to the employee. See Chapter
4 for circumstances when the later marriage does
not have to be terminated.
Proof of Divorce |
Where
to Secure |
The
original decree of final or absolute divorce or
divorce a vinculo matrimonii |
Personal records |
A copy of the divorce certified by the custodian
of the record |
Clerk
of the Court in city or county where divorce was
obtained or Bureau
of Vital Statistics of State in which you were
divorced |
A
certified photocopy of one of the documents shown
above |
If you are unable to obtain any of the documents listed
above or if the decree is not for a final, absolute
or divorce a vinculo matrimonii, contact the nearest
field office of the RRB. The people there will be glad
to assist you.
Annulment
Chapter 4 of this booklet describes
when it is necessary to file proof of termination of
a remarriage. When a marriage or remarriage ends with
an annulment, submit a certified copy of the decree
of annulment.
Proof
of Military Service
In some cases, credit may be given for the former railroad
employee’s military service. If credit for military
service is claimed, proof must be furnished. Both
the beginning date and the ending date of the military
service must be proven.
Best Proof of Military Service |
Where
to Secure |
Original
certificate of discharge or release to inactive
duty from a branch of the Armed Forces that shows
the beginning and ending date of the active military
service |
Personal records |
Copy
of a certificate made by the State, county or municipal
agency or department in which the original record
was recorded |
County
Recorder or County Clerk for county of residence
when discharged |
Certification
from a branch of the Armed Forces that shows the
beginning and ending dates of employee’s military
service |
National
Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records),
9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100.
If the employee was discharged from the Army during
1912–1959 or the Air Force during 1947–1963, see
the "Other Proofs of Military Service"
section. |
A
certified photocopy of one of the documents shown
above. |
Other Proofs of Military
Service
Some military service records stored in the Personnel
Records Center in St. Louis were damaged by a fire in
1973. The military service records were involved in
the fire if the former railroad employee was either:
- Discharged from the Army during the years from 1912
to 1959, or
- Discharged from the Air Force during the period
from September 1947 through December 1963 and the
last name comes after Hubbard in the alphabet.
If your military service records were destroyed either
in the fire in the National Records Center at St. Louis
in 1973, or in some other way, you may request a new
military service record with Form
SF-180 , Request Pertaining to Military Records.
This form is available from the RRB or your branch of
service. If no other record can be obtained, a written
statement of military service from one of the agencies
listed below can be used as proof of military service.
Only request information from an agency if the condition
in the "If" column
applies to the employee.
If |
Where
to Secure |
The
employee ever filed a claim for unemployment compensation
based upon the military service |
State unemployment compensation office |
The
employee was paid a bonus |
State
Bonus Office |
The
employee retired from Federal employment |
Office
of Personnel Management. Bureau of Retirement and
Insurance Employee Service and Records Center, Boyers,
PA 16017 |
The
employee ever furnished the military service record
to an employer |
Federal,
State, local or private employer to whom a record
of military service was furnished |
The
employee ever filed a claim for Veteran’s benefits
of any kind |
Nearest
Veteran’s Affairs Regional Office |
The
employee ever performed any service in the National
Guard |
State
Adjutant General |
The
employee ever filed a claim for Social Security
Act benefits and the military service involved was
after September 6, 1939. |
Social
Security Administration |
If
you are unable to locate any of the documents listed
above, contact the nearest field office of the RRB.
The people there will be glad to assist you. |
Proof
of Death
Proof of the death of a former railroad employee is
required with all claims for survivor benefits.
Death
occurred inside the
United States |
Types of Proof |
Where
to Secure |
Certified
copy of the public record of death (Death Certificate) |
Bureau
of Vital Statistics or Department of Health
for city, county or State |
Coroner’s
report of death |
Coroner
or medical examiner |
Verdict
of the coroner’s jury of the State or community
where death occurred. |
Coroner
or medical examiner |
A
signed statement of death by funeral director on
an acceptable RRB or SSA form (RRB Form G-273a Statement
of Burial Expenses or SSA’s Form SSA-721 Statement
of Death by Funeral Director or SSA-2872 Statement
of Death by Funeral Director).
NOTE: This is not an acceptable proof of death if
the applicant is a funeral director or a representative
of a funeral home |
Funeral
home |
A
certified photocopy of any of the documents described
above |
Death
occurred outside the
United States |
Types of Proof |
Where
to Secure |
A
report of death by a United States consul, or other
agent of the State Department, bearing the signature
and official seal |
United States consulate or embassy |
A
certified copy of the public record of death (Death
Certificate) |
Bureau
of Vital Statistics or Department of Health |
A
signed statement of death by a funeral director |
Funeral
home |
Proof
of Payment of Burial Expenses
To prove the payment of all or any part of the burial
expenses, you must either submit Railroad Retirement
Board Form G-273a or an itemized, receipted statement
or bill from the funeral director and other persons
furnishing goods or services. The receipt must identify
the deceased person, be signed by the funeral director
or other person to whom payment was made and give all
of the following information:
- Total amount of all burial expenses
- Name of each person who paid toward the burial expenses
- Amount and date of each payment
- Amount of unpaid burial expenses
If more than one funeral home is involved, proof of
payment of burial expenses must be furnished by each
one. If Form G-273a cannot be completed or an itemized
bill cannot be given, contact the nearest field office
of the RRB.
Proof
of Appointment as Legal Representative
Evidence of appointment as legal
representative is required of anyone filing an application
for benefits in this official capacity. A legal representative
can be the guardian, trustee, committee or conservator
of an individual or the administrator or executor of
an estate.
Proof of Court Appointment
- Certified copy of letters
of appointment
- "Short" certificate
- Certified copy of the order
of appointment
Any official document issued
by the clerk or other proper official of the appointing
court The document submitted must bear the court seal
or the signature of the court clerk. If the court papers
of appointment were made more than one year before the
application is filed, the certification must show that
they are still in full force and effect.
If you are unable to furnish
any of the documents listed or if you have not been
appointed by the court, contact the nearest field office
of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist
you.
Proof
of Citizenship and Residence
Citizenship is a material factor in applying tax provisions.
Generally, RRB accepts a claim that an individual is
a citizen of the country of birth unless there is information
or evidence to the contrary.
Conclusive Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
Any of the following documents is generally conclusive
evidence of U.S. citizenship for the person to whom
the document is issued regardless of where the person
was born.
- Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S.
- U.S. passport
- Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of
- Naturalization
- Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United
States (Form FS-240).
- Certificate of Birth (Form FS-545)
- United States Citizen Identification Card (INS Form
I-197)
Evidence of
Citizenship in Other Countries
Documents similar to those listed above may be submitted
as evidence to prove citizenship in another country,
such as:
- Birth certificate showing birth in that country
- Passport issued by the country
- Certificates of citizenship, naturalization, or
citizen identification cards issued by the country.
U.S. citizens or residents should complete Form RRB-1001,
"Non-resident Questionnaire," on leaving the
United States to take up permanent or temporary residence
in a foreign country. The Internal Revenue Service requires
that residents of tax-treaty countries claim their exemption
every three years by completing an RRB-1001. The form
may be secured from RRB field offices or requested by
mail from the Bureau of Taxation, U.S. Railroad Retirement
Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092,
U.S.A.
Proof of residence is required when an individual claims
residence on the RRB-1001 in a country that is not the
country in the mailing address. Acceptable proofs of
residence must be valid for the period of time for which
residence is to be verified; the date of issuance must
be within one year of the period of residence to be
established. Acceptable proofs of residence are:
In the United States
- A Valid Alien Registration Receipt Card ("Green
Card"), Form I-151 or I-551.
- Reentry Permit (Form I-132). Whether first-issued
or renewed, the permit is valid for one year.
- U.S. Federal income tax return for the most recent
tax year (this may be a photocopy and need not be
certified by IRS).
- Refugee travel document issued by the United States.
- Application to Retain U.S. Residence (INS Form N-470).
A photocopy is acceptable.
- Notice of Approval of Application to Preserve Residence
(INS Form N-472).
- Proof of filing a declaration of intent to become
a U.S. citizen under naturalization laws.
- Other evidence showing the individual has a current
attachment to the U.S., and intends to return to make
the U.S. his/her home.
In Other Countries
Acceptable Proofs of Residence are:
- Identification or voter’s registration card issued
by the government of the foreign country.
- Record or current eligibility for government health
or welfare programs.
- Tax record for the prior year.
- Current passport.
- Recent bill for public utilities.
- Library card with an address in the country
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