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              -  Home 
              -  Widow(er)'s Disability Benefits  
              -  Part II - About Your Disability Annuity 
              -                   When Your Disability Annuity Can Begin              

## Topics

-  Part I - General Information 
-  Part II - About Your Disability Annuity    -  Eligibility Requirements for a Disability Annuity 
  -  When Your Disability Annuity Can Begin 
  -  How Work Can Affect Your Disability Annuity Payments 
  -  Conviction for a Criminal Offense Can Affect Your Annuity 
  -  When Your Disability Annuity Could End 
-  Part III - Applying for Early Medicare Coverage 
-  Part IV - Events That Can Affect Your Disability 
-  Part V - Glossary 
-  Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability 
-  Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline 

 

RB-17b
 

You may select the date you wish your disability annuity payments to begin.

The date you select can be either:
                        - the earliest date permitted by law, or
                        - another date that may be more advantageous to you.

**General Rule**

Generally, the earliest annuity beginning date permitted by law is the later of:
                        - the first day of the month in which the employee died; or
                        - the first day of the 12th month before the month in which the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) received your annuity application; or
                        - the first day of the month you attain age 50; or
                        - the first day of the month you are no longer entitled to annuity payments based on caring for a child of the employee; or
                        - the first day of the month following the disability waiting period.

**Disability Annuity Waiting Period**

A waiting period must be completed before your annuity can begin. The waiting period ends the last day of the 5th full month after the month we determine your disability began.

**Previous Disability Annuity Rule**

If you previously received a disability annuity which ended within 7 years of the month we determine your current disability began, the earliest annuity beginning date permitted by law is the later of:
                        - the first day of the month in which the employee died; or
                        - the first day of the 12th month before the month in which the RRB received your application; or
                        - the first day of the month you are no longer entitled to annuity payments based on caring for a child of the employee; or
                        - the first day of the month we determine you again became disabled.

   

**‹** Eligibility Requirements for a Disability Annuity
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How Work Can Affect Your Disability Annuity Payments **›**

   

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								Last updated: 07/26/2019