Railroad
employees who are planning to retire
should be aware of what steps to take and
what documents are required when applying
for an annuity from the Railroad
Retirement Board. Being prepared can
prevent needless delays and insure that
payments from the Board begin as soon as
possible after retirement. The following
questions and answers describe this
Railroad Retirement Board application
process and other related items that
retiring employees should be aware of.
1. How are railroad retirement annuity
applications filed?
Applications are filed through the
Railroad Retirement Board's
field offices.
Applicants may file in person or by
telephone and mail. Those filing in person
may do so at any Board office or at one of
the office's Customer OutReach Program
(CORP) service locations. Applicants
filing by telephone receive the same
information and instructions that are
provided to those filing in person; forms
requiring signatures and other documents
are then handled by mail.
The addresses and phone numbers of all the
Board's field offices are available on the
Board's Web site at www.rrb.gov or by
calling the toll-free RRB Help Line at
1-800-808-0772. The RRB Help Line is an
automated telephone service available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. Most Board
field offices are open to the public from
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except on Federal holidays.
2. Can an
application be filed prior to a person's
actual retirement date?
The Board accepts annuity applications
up to three months in advance of an
annuity beginning date, which allows the
Board to complete the processing of most
new claims by a person's retirement date.
However, applications for employee
disability annuities cannot be filed until
an employee is no longer in compensated
railroad service. Compensated service
includes the receipt of pay for time lost,
some wage continuation payments, or any
other employer compensation precluding the
payment of railroad retirement benefits.
To expedite the filing process, applicants
should contact the Board to schedule time
for a pre-retirement consultation and also
to confirm their eligibility and be
advised as to the required documents. The
consultation can be conducted in person,
or by telephone, with a Board
representative who will provide an annuity
estimate, explain a retiree's benefit
rights and responsibilities, and answer
related questions.
Railroad employees can also get estimates
of their future annuities over the
Internet. Employees can access this
service, called "Retirement Planner," by
visiting the Board's Web site at
www.rrb.gov and clicking on "Mainline
Services" for directions on establishing
an RRB Internet Services account.
3.
What are some of the
documents required with an application?
- All applicants have to furnish
proof of their age.
- All applicants should be
prepared to furnish the notice of any
social security benefit award or other
social security claim determination.
- An employee may be required to
submit information regarding any other
Federal, State or local government
pension for which he or she also
qualifies, as well as certain other
payments not covered by railroad
retirement or social security, such as
from a non-profit organization or from a
foreign government or a foreign
employer.
- An employee or survivor filing for a
disability annuity is required to submit
supporting medical information from his
or her treating physician, as well as
any reports or records from recent
hospitalizations. He or she may also be
asked to go for one or more specialized
medical examinations. If an employee
disability applicant is receiving
workers' compensation or public
disability benefits, notice of the
amount and beginning date of such
payments must be submitted.
- An employee will have to furnish
proof of any military service claimed.
- A spouse, divorced spouse or
widow(er) applying for a railroad
retirement annuity must furnish proof of
marriage to the employee. A divorced
spouse must furnish proof of marriage
and divorce from the employee, as well
as proof that any subsequent marriages
have terminated.
- A spouse, divorced spouse or
survivor also qualified to receive a
public service pension must submit
information regarding that pension.
- All applicants have to provide
banking information necessary for the
Direct Deposit of their benefit payments.
A booklet,
"Furnishing Evidence to Support Your
Claim"
(Form RB-3), gives detailed
information as to the types of proofs that
are required when filing for an annuity,
as well as sources from which these
documents can be obtained. The booklet is
available free of charge at any Board
office or on the Board's Web site.
4. Can
proofs be filed in advance of retirement?
Railroad
employees are encouraged to
file proofs of
their correct birth date and their
military service well in advance of
retirement. The information will be
recorded and stored electronically until
they actually retire. This will expedite
the annuity application process and avoid
any delays resulting from inadequate
proofs.
If employees do not have an official
record of their birth or military service,
their local Railroad Retirement Board
office will explain how to get acceptable
evidence. All evidence brought or mailed
to a Board office will be handled
carefully and returned promptly.
5. What is
the retroactivity of a railroad retirement
application?
The retroactivity of a railroad
retirement annuity application is limited
to one year for disability annuities and
six months for full age annuities. Reduced
age annuities to those ages 60-61 with 30
years of service and their spouses can
also have up to six months' retroactivity;
there is no retroactivity for reduced age
annuities to those employees under full
retirement age with less than 30 years of
service.
The maximum retroactivity for widow(er)s
ages 60-61 is six months if it does not
increase the age reduction (this does not
apply to surviving divorced spouses or
remarried widow(er)s). Otherwise, there is
generally no retroactivity for reduced age
widow(er)s' annuities.
6. Are retiring railroad employees
required to relinquish their rights to
their railroad jobs?
An employee annuity based on age cannot be
paid until the employee stops railroad
employment and gives up any rights to
return to work for a railroad employer.
While an annuity based on disability is
not paid until an employee has stopped
working for a railroad, employment rights
need not be relinquished until the
employee attains full retirement age.
However, in order for a supplemental
annuity to be paid by the Board, or for an
eligible spouse to begin receiving annuity
payments, a disabled annuitant under full
retirement age must relinquish employment
rights. And, regardless of age and/or
earnings, no railroad retirement annuity
is payable for any month in which a
retired or disabled employee annuitant, a
spouse annuitant or a survivor annuitant
works for a railroad employer.
Railroad retirement annuitants may work in
nonrailroad employment, but benefits may
be reduced if a beneficiary under full
retirement age works after retirement and
earnings exceed annual exempt amounts.
Additional earnings deductions are
assessed if a retired or disabled employee
annuitant, or a spouse annuitant, works
for his or her last pre-retirement
nonrailroad employer, regardless of age or
the level of earnings.
Special restrictions also apply to any
earnings by disabled employees.
7. How soon after filing can an
applicant expect payment?
Under the Board's
Customer Service Plan,
persons who filed for their railroad
retirement employee or spouse annuity in
advance will receive their first payment,
or a decision, within 35 days of the
beginning date of their annuity. Persons
who did not file in advance will receive
their first payment, or a decision, within
65 days of the date they filed their
application. Those who filed for a
railroad retirement survivor annuity or
lump-sum benefit will receive their first
payment, or a decision, within 65 days of
the date they filed their application, or
became entitled to benefits, if later.
Widows or widow(er)s who are already
receiving a spouse annuity will receive
their first payment, or a decision, within
35 days of the date the Board receives
notice of the employee's death.
For disability annuities, no payment can
be made until all medical evidence has
been evaluated. Consequently, an annuity
based on disability takes longer to
process than an annuity based on age and
service. And, a waiting period of five
months is required after the onset of
disability before disability annuity
payments can begin. In any case, persons
who filed for a railroad retirement
disability annuity will receive a decision
on their claim within 105 days from the
date they filed their application. If they
are entitled to disability benefits, they
will receive their first payment within 25
days of the date of that decision, or
earliest payment date, whichever is later.
Of course, claims for some benefits may
take longer to handle than others if they
are more complex, or if information from
other people or organizations is needed.
If this happens, the Board will provide an
explanation and an estimate of the time
required to make a decision.
8. How are railroad retirement payments
made?
Persons applying for railroad retirement
benefits will be automatically enrolled in
the U.S. Treasury's Direct Deposit
Program, which electronically transfers
Federal payments into individuals'
checking or savings accounts. Direct
Deposit waivers are, however, available to
individuals who determine that Direct
Deposit would cause a hardship, and to
individuals without bank accounts.
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