U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

RRB.gov
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STANDARDS

When you apply for these benefits under the Railroad Retirement or Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts, you can expect us to process your

application within the number of calendar days shown below.

Type of application We will make a decision within...

Employee and spouse retirement benefits

Filed in advance of the beginning date of your annuity35 days of the beginning date of

your annuity

Not filed in advance of the 

beginning date of your annuity

60 days of the date you file your

application

Initial survivor benefits 60 days of the beginning date of

your annuity or the date you file

your application (whichever is later)

Conversion from spouse to 

survivor benefits

30 days of first notice of the

employee’s death

Lump-sum death benefits 60 days of the date you file your 

application

Unemployment and sickness insurance benefits

Unemployment and 

sickness applications

10 days of the date we receive

your application

Subsequent claims for

unemployment and sickness 

benefits when found entitled

10 days of the date we receive

your claim

Disability benefits

Applications for occupational, 

total, widow(er), and child

100 days of the date you file your 

application

Note: Processing applications for disability 

benefits is more complex than our other 

benefits due to the need to develop medical evidence. When you file an application 

for disability benefits, our field office staff 

will provide you with additional information 

on processing times for decisions.
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Notice of Award or Denial

You should receive a decision notice within 2 weeks.

Benefit Payment

If you are entitled to benefits, generally you can expect that the payment 

will be deposited in your bank account within 1 week of our decision. Our 

field office staff will provide you with additional information regarding 

disability benefit payments.

Additional Information

Occasionally, claims for some benefits may take longer to handle than 

others if they are more complex. In addition, an application can be delayed if certain documents necessary to determine eligibility are needed 

from you or your employer. It is important to submit all necessary eligibility information at the same time you file your application.

If you do not receive your payment or decision notice within the time 

periods stated in our standards, contact us toll-free at 1-877-772-5772 to 

obtain your current status.

Benefit Adjustments

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is currently experiencing a high 

volume of pending annuity adjustment actions where benefit payment 

changes are due for currently entitled retirement, survivor, and disability 

beneficiaries. We are committed to prioritizing this work to ensure the 

accuracy of all retirement benefit payments. The following timeliness objective illustrates our commitment to reducing the volume of these cases 

by establishing a goal that reflects the high level of customer service we 

currently provide for paying initial benefits.

After our decision is completed

We will process 80% of self-reported activities that may impact annuities 

payable under the Railroad Retirement Act within 180 days of receipt.
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OPENNESS

● We will display in each office annually how well we are meeting the 

established standards. 

● When you visit our offices, the staff you see will identify themselves 

by name.

● When you call us, we will identify ourselves by name.

WAYS TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT 

YOUR BENEFITS

● RRB customers can request the following documents through selfservice options available online at RRB.gov/myRRB and through the 

automated menu of the agency’s toll-free number (1-877-772-5772): 

– replacement Medicare card

– monthly rate verification letter

– duplicate tax statement for the most recently completed tax year

– statement of creditable railroad service and compensation.

Railroad employees with myRRB accounts can log in to get annuity 

estimates, apply for or claim unemployment benefits, claim sickness 

benefits, view Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act account statements, and review service and compensation history.

● If you have questions about your benefits, you can send a secure message to your local field office online by using Field Office Locator at 

RRB.gov and clicking on the link labeled Send a Secure Message

under Contact Info on your local office’s page. If you need to talk 

to an RRB representative, call our toll-free number (1-877-772-5772) 

between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each weekday, except Federal holidays. In 

addition to the self-service options listed above, you can also follow 

the automated menu prompts to find RRB field office locations and get 

information about your unemployment and sickness benefits.

The agency also maintains a TTY number, 312-751-4701, to accommodate those with hearing or speech impairments.
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● Before visiting one of our offices, we encourage you to make an appointment to enable us to service you more promptly. Use the Field 

Office Locator tool at RRB.gov to get to the web page of any RRB 

office. Each office web page offers contact information for the office 

and a feature labeled Send a Secure Message to communicate directly with the office to request an appointment. If you cannot come 

to our offices, we may be able to schedule an in-person appointment 

at an alternative location closer to where you live.

● When communicating with us in writing (by mail, fax, or secure 

message), we will respond to you promptly. Generally, this will be 

within 2 weeks depending on the nature of your request. If we cannot 

answer your question fully within that time frame, we will acknowledge your contact and let you know when you can expect to receive a 

full response. When writing to us, please include a telephone number 

where you can be reached during business hours.

ACCOUNTABILITY

● If you disagree with our decision about your benefits, you have the 

right to ask for review and appeal. We will tell you about these rights 

each time we make a decision about your benefits. You can review our 

appeals procedure online at RRB.gov/Resources/Appeals.

● We understand that the services we provide our customers are very 

important and we hold employees at all levels of the organization accountable for providing quality, courteous, and timely service.

● The information you provide us is protected under the provisions of 

the Privacy Act.
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FEEDBACK

● A Customer Assessment Survey form is available in every office for 

you to tell us how we did and how we can improve our service.

● You may contact the manager of the office if you have compliments 

or complaints with our service. To send a secure message to your 

local field office regarding our customer service, use Field Office 

Locator at RRB.gov and click on the link labeled Send a Secure 

Message under Contact Info on your local office’s page.

● Since 2001 the RRB has participated in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI is an independently conducted 

survey measuring customer satisfaction of those who receive our 

benefit payments and who use our website. We will continue to participate in the ACSI to obtain feedback in the future.

CUSTOMER SERVICE PLEDGE

The RRB recognizes that all of its services are financed by our customers: the nation’s railroad workers and employers. They are entitled 

to high quality service, responsive to their needs, provided efficiently, 

and at a reasonable cost. This has been recognized in the agency mission statement:

In carrying out its mission, the Railroad Retirement Board 

will pay benefits to the right people, in the right amounts, in a 

timely manner, and will take appropriate action to safeguard 

our customers’ trust funds. The Railroad Retirement Board will 

treat every person who comes into contact with the agency with 

courtesy and concern, and respond to all inquiries promptly, 

accurately, and clearly.

Our Customer Service Plan is published nationally and posted in each 

office of the RRB in order to communicate these standards to our customers and to reinforce them with our employees. The plan will be 

reviewed and updated periodically as we compare our service with the 

best in the country.
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NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE 

BASIS OF DISABILITY

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and RRB 

regulations, no qualified person may be discriminated against on 

the basis of disability. The RRB’s programs and activities must be 

accessible to all qualified applicants and beneficiaries, including 

those with impaired vision and/or hearing. Individuals with disabilities needing assistance (including auxiliary aids or program 

information in accessible formats) should contact the nearest 

RRB office. Complaints of alleged discrimination by the RRB on 

the basis of disability must be filed within 90 days in writing with 

the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, 

844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275. Questions 

about individual rights under this regulation may be directed to 

the RRB’s Director of Equal Opportunity at the same address.

ACCESSIBILITY

The RRB is committed to making its programs, benefits, 

services and facilities, and information and communications technology accessible to everyone, in accordance 

with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and 

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), 

and relevant implementing regulations. For individuals 

with limited physical mobility, during your contact to 

set up an in-person appointment you can discuss any 

concerns or assistance you may need in accessing the 

field office. 
FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE HOTLINE

1-800-772-4258

The RRB’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) established its 

Hotline as a public service. The Hotline provides individuals with 

a means to report or discuss any suspected misconduct relating to 

the RRB, its programs, or employees.

If you believe a doctor, hospital, or other health care provider 

is billing Medicare for services not provided or for unnecessary 

medical procedures or supplies; someone is illegally receiving 

RRB benefits; or you wish to report or discuss any other suspected misconduct relating to the RRB, its programs, or employees, 

please contact the OIG at:

Toll-Free Hotline: 1-800-772-4258

U.S. Mail:

RRB-OIG Hotline Officer

844 North Rush Street, 4th Floor

Chicago, IL 60611-1275

Fax: (312) 751-4342

Email: hotline@oig.rrb.gov

Please review the RRB’s email notice and Internet

privacy policy at RRB.gov before submitting any

information online.

Note: Please do not contact the OIG's Hotline with questions 

regarding benefit eligibility requirements, delayed payments, 

or similar issues. These types of matters should be directed to 

a RRB field office.

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

844 North Rush Street

Chicago, IL 60611-1275

Form IB-3

March 2023