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209.1 Definition of Lag Period 

The “Lag Period” is the time between the last month for which service and 

compensation has been reported to the RRB on Form BA-3a Annual Report of 

Creditable Compensation and, if it is later, the employee's date last worked. The period 

from January of the current year through the date last worked is always a lag period; 

however, the preceding year may also be included in the lag period. This is because 

the annual service and compensation report for the preceding year is not posted to the 

Employment Data Maintenance (EDM) until around May 1 of the current year. 

Therefore, the lag period for applications filed before May can extend from January of 

the preceding year to the last date worked in the current year. 

Use the following schedule to determine the lag period when lag is required for 

eligibility: 

Date on Which Annuity Application Month Lag Period Begins 

is Transmitted to Headquarters 

Before May 1 January of preceding calendar year 

After April 30 January of current calendar year 

Lag service and compensation must be reported to the RRB by the last day of February 

following the year in which the employer paid the compensation. However, the service 

and compensation may not be posted to the EDM or appear on SEARCH until May of 

the year following the year in which the employer paid the compensation. Therefore, 

the “Lag Period” for applications transmitted to Headquarters before May 1 can extend 

from January of the preceding year to the last date worked in the current year. 

209.2 Requesting Lag Service from Employers In Retirement Cases 

Most employee and spouse final payments are based upon the service already on 

EDM. The annuity will then be recertified with the additional service the following year, 

after receipt of the employer's annual BA-3a report. Prior to 2006, lag service and 

compensation was included in the annuity in the annual Retirement Adjustment to 

Include Lag (RAIL) mass adjustment. Beginning in 2006, lag service and compensation 

are included in retirement annuities by RESCUE. 

209.2.1 Form G-88A.1, "Request for Verification of Last Date Carried on Payroll" 

A. Purpose of Listing 

The monthly form G-88A.1 listings are computer generated listings maintained by Policy 

and Systems - Records Analysis and Systems (P&S-RAS) and forwarded to last 

railroad employers on record each month. The monthly form G-88A.1 listings will 

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include cases in which the employees have lag railroad service, but the lag is not 

required for eligibility. These are employee applicants who have stopped railroad 

employment in the current month or an earlier month and have a last date carried on the 

payroll within the lag period. The listings inform the employers that these employees 

have retired and request a review of the last date carried on the payroll. 

If the employee lists more than one railroad employer or labor union employer with a 

date last worked within the lag period, he will be on the G-88A.1 listing for each 

employer. For example, if the employee indicates that he last worked for BA 1621 and 

BA 8922, he will be listed twice - once on the BA 1621 listing and once on the BA 8922 

listing. 

B. Items from Annuity Application 

The listings are created mechanically for most cases and indicate each employee's 

social security number and the following items as they were entered into APPLE on the 

employee's annuity application: payroll name, job title, dept-division, job location, the 

date last worked for the railroad, the ending date of any injury settlement, and, in age 

and service cases, the date the employee relinquished rights to railroad employment. 

Exception - If the employee qualified for an annuity based on less than 120 months 

railroad service, but at least 60-119 months railroad service after 1995, the field office 

must forward the employee information to P&S-RAC, by RRB e-mail to include the 

employee on the Form G-88A.1 listings. 

C. Release to Railroad 

When an application is filed in advance of the annuity beginning date (up to 90 days) 

and a claimed date last worked after the filing date is involved, P&S-RAC will not list 

that employee on the form G-88A.1 until the first work day of the month in which the 

employee will cease railroad employment. 

P&S-RAC mails the listings to the Railroad Retirement Compensation Contact Official 

monthly. The addresses are based on the addresses for the Compensation Contact 

Official “100” in the EDM’s Contact Official's Database. 

D. Railroad Completion Items 

The railroad contact official is requested to check the dates on this listing against the 

payroll records. If the later of the date last worked or the ending date of an injury 

settlement listed for each employee agrees with the railroad's record of the employee's 

date last carried on the payroll, no action is required. 

If the dates shown on the listing do not agree with the railroad's records, the contact 

official is requested to line out the incorrect information, enter the correct information 

above it, and sign the form at the bottom of the page. He or she will then fax the 

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corrected page to the Retirement Initial Section (RIS) to correct the annuity. The fax 

number for (RIS) is included at the bottom of each page of the listing. 

E. Processing Returned G-88A.1 Listings 

Form G-88A.1 listings are returned by the railroad to RBD only if the dates provided are 

not correct. The railroad will enter the corrected DLW-RR or DRR. Since the railroads 

have been instructed to return pages of this G-88A.1 listing only if there are corrections, 

RASI, or an examiner processing an application manually, will not hold up the final 

payment pending the receipt of a G-88A.1 listing. 

209.2.2 Form G-88A.2, "Notice of Retirement and Request for Verification of 

Service Needed" for Eligibility" - This form is available on RRAILS. 

RRAILS form G-88A.2 is a paper form sent by the RRB field office to the employee's 

last railroad employer(s) when lag service is needed to qualify for an annuity. This form 

is available on RRAILS. Instructions for completion and release of Form G-88A.2 are in 

FOM-I-1720 

A. Background for Form G-88A.2 

Form G-88a.2 develops proof of railroad service months when the employee needs lag 

service to qualify for benefits based on: 

	 60-119 months with at least 60 months of railroad service after 1995 for regular age 

and service annuity or total and permanent disability; or, 

	 120 months for regular age and service or total and permanent disability; or, 

	 240 months for occupational disability (or 120 months at age 60); or, 

	 360 months for employee and spouse 60/30 eligibility; or, 

	 360 months to qualify a spouse of a disabled employee under the 60/30 provisions. 

The employee may have enough service to qualify for a disability annuity, but the lag 

service may need to be developed to qualify the spouse under the 60/30 provisions. 

Otherwise, if the lag service would qualify the employee or spouse to a different 

annuity type, develop for the lag service when the annuity application is filed. For 

example, if the employee has 115 months of railroad service on the EDM and 6 

months of lag, process the application as a regular 120-month service annuity and 

develop for the lag when the application is filed. For most cases, this will not delay 

the annuity payment. 

If claimed military service could be creditable as railroad service under the RRA, lag 

service should also be developed, even if there is sufficient military service that 

could establish eligibility. 

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The employee may have enough service to qualify for a disability annuity, but the lag 

service may need to be developed to qualify the spouse under the 60/30 provisions. 

NOTE: The field offices do not need to release a form G-88A.2 for service 

information to establish 25 years for a supplemental annuity. The regular annuity 

application will process to final payment. RESCUE will pay the supplemental 

annuity if lag service establishes eligibility for a supplemental annuity. If RESCUE 

cannot pay the supplemental annuity (eg., PREH does not indicate if the employee 

is entitled to a pension from the railroad), a referral is sent to USTAR. 

B. Headquarters Processing of Returned G-88A.2 Forms 

RASI will set a 958 call-up pending receipt of the form G-88A.2. 

RIS personnel will submit a 958 to enter the actual railroad service months verified on 

form G-88A.2 into RASI as soon as possible. If the railroad changes either the date last 

worked - railroad (DLW-RR) or date relinquished rights (DRR) on a form G-88A.2, RIS 

will enter the correct date(s) into REQUEST and RASI. The service months will not be 

added to the EDM until the year end earnings reports are received from the railroad. 

Usually a DLW-RR or DRR of the second to last railroad employer does not have to be 

submitted to RASI, since it will not impact the ABD. 

209.3 Requesting Lag Service From Employers In Survivor Cases 

Most survivor final payments are based upon the service already on EDM. The annuity 

will then be recertified with the additional service the following year, after receipt of the 

employer's annual BA-3a Railroad Service and Compensation Reports (year-end 

reports). RESCUE will adjust the employee’s annuity in survivor “A” cases; any accrued 

annuity is posted to PREH and a referral is sent to STAR so SBD can determine the 

proper payees. If lag service and compensation need to be included in the survivor 

annuity, a referral is sent to STAR. RESCUE identifies survivor “D” cases in which the 

employer reported lag for the year of death (see RCM 5.3.15). A referral is sent to 

STAR, and SBD will adjust the survivor annuity. 

209.3.1 Lag Not Required For Eligibility 

If lag is not required for eligibility, the survivor claims examiner will pay these cases 

without lag. No field development for the lag is needed. 

209.3.2 Form AA-12 “Notice of Death and Request for Verification of Service 

Needed for Eligibility” 

Form AA-12 is used by the RRB field office in survivor cases only when lag service is 

needed to qualify for a survivor annuity or lump-sum death benefit. This form is 

available on RRAILS. Instructions for completion and release of Form AA-12 are in 

FOM-I-1710. 

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A. Background for Form AA-12 

Form AA-12 develops railroad service months when the employee’s lag service is 

needed to qualify a survivor for a survivor annuity or lump-sum death benefit based on: 

	 60-119 months with at least 60 months of railroad service after 1995; or, 

	 120 months of railroad service; or, 

	 A current connection, using a return to railroad service within 30 months of the 

date of death to establish the 12/30 month period of railroad service. 

The RRB field office should develop for the lag service when the annuity application is 

filed. For example, if the employee has 115 months of railroad service on the EDM and 

worked through the date of death in June of the lag year, the field office should release 

the Form AA-12 to develop for the lag. 

Instructions for completion and release of Form AA-12 are in FOM-I-1710. 

B. Headquarters Processing of Returned AA-12 Forms 

Once the AA-12 is received in Headquarters, the SBD examiner will generate a SURGE 

request, enter the required railroad service months on the SURGE Lag Data/Prior 

Service screen and process the final award. 

The lag railroad service months will not be posted to the EDM until the railroad reports 

the earnings on their BA-3a year-end reports. 

The annual Survivor Adjustment to Include Lag (SAIL) operation will identify all survivor 

cases in which the employers reported lag service and compensation for the year of 

death on their Form BA-3a year-end reports (See RCM 5.3.15). This will include cases 

in which an AA-12 was received from the railroad. Any adjustment for railroad 

compensation in the lag year will be done as part of the SAIL process. 

209.4 Acceptability Of Signature on G-88A.1 Listing, Form G-88A.2 or 

Form AA-12 

RBD/SBD will accept a corrected G88A.1 listing, Form G-88A.2 or Form AA-12 which 

has been certified in the "Certification" item, if otherwise complete, unless the 

certification has been made by an individual who obviously was not in possession of the 

compensation data reported. RBD/SBD will assume that any RRB contact 

representative or employer division officer or other official at a higher level would be in 

possession of the compensation data. Each railroad employer and employer 

organization has designated one or more individuals as RR contact officials for 

certifying information to the RRB. 

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