Unemployment

Benefits

for

Railroad Employees

Unemployment Benefit

Application Enclosed

United States of America

Railroad Retirement Board

Visit our website at www.rrb.gov

Form UB-10 (10-21)
CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Qualification Requirements 2

Amount and Duration of Benefits:

 Waiting Period 2

 Normal Benefits 2

 Extended Benefits 2

 Accelerated Benefits 3

 Daily Benefit Rate 3

 Number of Days

 of Unemployment 3

 Strike Benefits 3

Eligibility Requirements 3

Eligibility Interviews 4

Benefit Reductions 4

Disqualifications:

 Separation Allowance 4

 Voluntary Quit 4

 Refusing Suitable Work 5

 Illegal Strike 5

 False or Fraudulent Claim 5

 Benefits Under Other Laws 5

Special Rules for Train and Engine Service 

 and Passenger Service:

 Standby and Layover 5

 Work Restrictions 5 

 Pool Service 5

 Full-Time Work 5

Reconsideration and Waiver

 Employee Rights 5

 Employer Rights 6

Taxability of Unemployment Benefits 6

Job Placement Service 6

Instructions for Completing Application

 for Unemployment Benefits and

 Employment Service (UI-1) 6

Instructions for Completing Claim 

 for Unemployment Benefits (UI-3) 8

Checking Your Benefits by 

 Telephone or Online 11

Record of Attempts to Find Work 12

Notices

 Privacy Act 12

 Computer Matching and Privacy

 Protection Act 13

 Paperwork Reduction Act 13

 Nondiscrimination on the Basis 

 of Disability Inside back cover

Fraud and Abuse Hot Line Inside back cover

Page Page
INTRODUCTION

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IF YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED, you may be eligible to receive 

unemployment benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board 

(RRB), the Federal agency responsible for administering the 

Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). This booklet 

provides information about the requirements for receiving railroad unemployment insurance benefits, the amount of benefits 

payable and procedures for claiming benefits.

You can file your application and claims online at the RRB’s 

website at www.rrb.gov. You must have a Login.gov account 

to use online services. If you do not have a Login.gov account 

you can create one by going to RRB.gov/Benefits/my RRB,

clicking on the box labeled SIGN IN WITH LOGIN.GOV at 

the top of the page, and following the guide.

If you become sick or injured, you may be eligible to receive 

sickness benefits. Those benefits are described in the booklet

UB-11, Sickness Benefits for Railroad Employees, which can be 

obtained from any RRB office, your employer, your labor organization, or the RRB’s website at www.rrb.gov.

Be sure to read the important notices at the back of

this booklet about the Privacy Act, Paperwork Reduction 

Act, Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act, and the 

Rehabilitation Act.

This booklet contains general information and does not have 

the effect of law, regulation, or ruling. Certain exceptions, 

limitations, and special cases are not covered. If you have any 

questions about unemployment or sickness benefits, contact 

the nearest office of the RRB. When writing to the RRB, be 

sure to include your social security number.

Spanish translation booklets concerning railroad unemployment 

and sickness benefits are available from any office of the RRB.

Tenemos un librete en Espanol que explica los beneficios de los 

desempleados del ferrocarril. Lo pueden obtener en su oficina 

mas cercana del RRB.
Qualification Requirements 

Base Year – Benefit Year

Only qualified employees can receive benefits under 

the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. A new 

benefit year begins every July 1. To qualify for benefits in a benefit year, you must have creditable railroad 

earnings in the preceding calendar year (base year),

counting no more than a certain amount in any month. 

In addition, a new employee must have railroad service in at least 5 months of his or her first year of work 

in order to be eligible for benefits in the following benefit year.

The amount of earnings needed to qualify for benefits 

in a benefit year depends on the monthly compensation base in the base year. An employee is required to 

have base year earnings of not less than 2-1/2 times 

the monthly compensation base applicable to months 

in that base year. As the monthly compensation base 

increases, the amount of compensation needed to 

qualify for benefits also increases. 

Example

Benefit Year Beginning July 1, 2021

Earnings Needed in Base Year---$4,137.50 in 2020 

(2.5 x $1,655.00 = $4,137.50). If 2020 was your 1st 

year of railroad work, you must also have railroad 

service in 5 months of Railroad service in 2020.

In the example above, $1,655.00 is the monthly compensation base for base year 2020. The monthly compensation base for base year 2021 is $1,710.00. Contact your 

local RRB field office if you need information about the 

monthly compensation base for other years.

Amount and Duration 

of Benefits

Waiting Period

To satisfy a waiting period requirement, no benefits are 

payable for your first 7 days of unemployment in your 

first claim in a period of continuing unemployment, 

unless you have already served a waiting period in the 

benefit year. Benefits are payable for each remaining 

day of unemployment in your first claim. For example, 

if you claim all 14 days in your first claim, you will be 

paid benefits for 7 days. If you are eligible and your 

claims are continuous from one benefit year to another, 

you generally will serve only one waiting period in 

your period of continuing unemployment.

A period of continuing unemployment means a period of time for which you file claims for unemployment 

benefits where (1) each claim has 5 or more valid days 

of unemployment and (2) each claim begins within 

15 days after the previous claim ends. For example,

claims for the 14-day periods beginning June 17 and 

July 15 are in the same period of continuing unemployment. The second claim starts within 15 days after June 

30, the last day of the claim period beginning June 17. 

So benefits are payable for days over 4 in the claim 

period beginning July 15. If the second claim period 

began July 16, however, a 7-day waiting period would 

apply because that claim would start the first period of 

continuing unemployment in the new benefit year.

If you have at least 5, 6, or 7 days of unemployment in 

a 14-day period, you should file a claim for benefits.

Even though no benefits would be payable if the claim 

is your first claim in the benefit year, your claim must 

be filed in order to satisfy the waiting period requirement. After your first claim, benefits will be paid for 

all days over 4 for other claims in the benefit year.

Normal Benefits

You can receive normal benefits for as many as 130 days 

(26 weeks) in a benefit year, but your benefits cannot be 

more than your base year wages counting not more than 

a prescribed amount for any month. Benefit rights are 

exhausted when a benefit year ends (normally June 30) 

or earlier if benefit payments equal base year creditable 

earnings.

Example

When determining maximum normal benefits payable 

in the general benefit year, beginning July 1, 2021, we 

count monthly earnings up to $2,138.00 for months in 

base year 2020. The monthly compensation base for 

base year 2021 is $2,209.00.

Extended Benefits

If you have 10 or more years of service and exhaust 

your normal unemployment benefits, you may be 

eligible to receive extended benefits for up to 65 

days (7 consecutive 14-day claim periods having 10 

days payable in each). Also, if you are not qualified 

for benefits in the current benefit year, but received 

normal benefits in the previous year, you may still 

be eligible for extended benefits. 

To qualify for extended benefits, you must not have 

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voluntarily quit work without good cause or voluntarily 

retired.

Accelerated Benefits Under certain special provisions, if you have 10 or 

more years of service, you can receive benefits before 

the regular beginning date of a benefit year. In addition to having 10 or more years of service, you must 

be qualified for the next benefit year, but not the current year, and have 14 or more consecutive days of 

unemployment.

Daily Benefit Rate

Your daily benefit rate is 60% of the daily rate of pay for 

your last job in the base year, but not less than $12.70 a 

day nor more than 5% of the monthly compensation base.

For example, the monthly compensation base for 2020 

is $1,655.00, which results in a maximum daily benefit 

rate of $82.00 for periods beginning after June 30, 2021. 

The maximum daily benefit rate is subject to increases 

under indexing rules reflecting the growth in average 

national wages. Contact your local RRB field office if 

you need information about the maximum benefit rates 

for other periods.

Your daily rate of pay is your straight-time rate of 

pay including any cost-of-living allowances, but not 

including overtime or other extra pay.

For mileage employees in train and engine service,

the straight-time rate is the rate of pay for the number 

of miles in a basic workday, depending on occupation 

and class of service. Earnings for miles run over the 

number of miles in a basic workday do not count.

Number of Days of Unemployment

After you have satisfied the benefit year waiting period 

requirement, benefits are generally paid for days of 

unemployment over 4 in 14-day claim periods.

Strike Benefits If you are unemployed because of a strike, benefits are 

not payable for your first 14 days of unemployment due 

to the strike. If a strike is in violation of the Railway 

Labor Act or is not authorized by the national office of 

the striking labor organization, unemployment benefits 

are not payable to employees participating in the strike. 

However, employees not among those participating in 

an illegal strike, but who are unemployed because of 

the strike, may receive benefits after the first 2 weeks 

of the strike.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive unemployment benefits you must: 

be unemployed and receive no wages, salary, military reservist pay, pay for time lost, vacation pay, 

holiday pay, guarantee pay, or other remuneration 

from railroad or nonrailroad employment for the 

days you claim benefits. Under certain conditions,

part-time work does not affect entitlement to 

benefits. However, you must report all fulltime and part-time work you perform to the 

Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) on each claim 

for benefits you file. The RRB will then determine 

whether your pay is “subsidiary remuneration” and 

whether benefits are payable for days on which you 

worked part-time. Contact your local RRB office for 

additional guidance on the effects of part-time work.

be able to work. You must not be sick or injured.

be ready and willing to work. If you do not have 

good prospects of returning to work soon, you 

must be looking for work. You may be called in 

for an interview and asked where you have looked 

for work. An RRB representative may also suggest 

places for you to apply for work. If you are looking for work, use the form on page 11 to record 

your efforts to find work.

pass the earnings test for each claim. Your total 

earnings in the claim period must not exceed the 

monthly compensation base for the calendar year 

(base year) that precedes the benefit year (begins 

July 1). Earnings include pay from railroad, nonrailroad, part-time, and self-employment. Earnings 

also include pay that you would have earned except 

for your failure to mark up or report for duty on 

time, or because you missed a turn in pool service 

or were otherwise not ready or willing to work. 

Earnings do not include payments you receive 

during the claim period that are for days outside 

the claim period. All earnings for a work shift are 

attributable to the day the shift begins. The earnings test amount increases with each benefit year.

Example A: An employee works 6 days in the 

period December 13 through 26, 2020, and receives 

holiday pay for December 25. The gross earnings 

and holiday pay total $1,670.00. Since $1,670.00 

exceeds the 2020 monthly compensation base of 

$1,655.00, no benefits are payable for the claim 

period.

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Example B: An employee has total gross earnings 

of $1,100.00 from 5 days of work and 1 holiday in 

the period October 1 through 14, of 2020. During the 

same period, the employee also missed suitable work 

that would have paid them an additional $600. No 

benefits are payable for the claim period since their 

actual earnings plus the potential earnings would 

have been greater than the 2020 monthly compensation base of $1,655.00.

obtain an application for unemployment benefits

from your employer, labor organization, or the 

RRB, or you may file online at www.rrb.gov.

complete and file the application for unemployment benefits during your first 30 days of unemployment. You may lose benefits if you file late. 

An application is considered filed on the day it is 

received by the RRB. If you claimed benefits earlier 

in the benefit year, stopped claiming, and now want 

to claim benefits again, you must request a claim 

form from your local RRB office within 30 days. 

Only one application is required in each benefit year.

file online at www.rrb.gov or mail the completed application to the RRB office serving your 

area. After your application is processed, your first 

unemployment claim will be mailed to you for 

completion.

Eligibility Interviews

In order to establish your eligibility for benefits and 

to explain your rights and responsibilities in claiming 

benefits, you may be required to personally report to 

a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) representative for 

an interview. The RRB representative will also answer 

any questions you may have about your benefits.

The RRB’s authority for conducting such interviews 

is contained in the Railroad Unemployment Insurance 

Act. Failure to report for an interview could result in a 

loss of benefits for 30 days if you do not have a good 

reason for failing to report.

Benefit Reductions

Benefits are not payable to you in the full amount if 

you are also receiving:

social security benefits,

a pension, annuity, or other retirement pay under 

a Federal, State, or local law (such as a railroad 

retirement annuity, military retirement pay, a 

policeman’s or fireman’s pension, etc.),

certain workers’ compensation payments, or

any other social insurance payment under any 

law.

If you meet the other eligibility requirements, you may 

receive benefits only in the amount by which your 

unemployment benefits exceed the other payments.

Be sure to report all such other payments on each 

claim you file. If you do not, you may later be required 

to refund benefits. If the other payments are awarded 

after you claim unemployment benefits, but cover 

some or all of the same days, contact the RRB immediately about repayment of the benefits you received.

If you are awarded an annuity under the Railroad 

Retirement Act for days you were already paid unemployment benefits, you will have to refund some or all 

of your benefits. Generally, the amount you must repay 

is withheld from your accrued annuity. Your annuity 

award letter or notice of annuity adjustment will show 

the amount of any unemployment benefits withheld. 

Verify the amount by comparing it to the amount of 

unemployment benefits you received for the same 

period. Contact your local RRB office immediately if 

you believe the amount withheld is incorrect. You will 

be required to refund benefits to the RRB if the full 

amount was not withheld from your accrued annuity.

Disqualifications

Separation Allowance (severance pay, buyout)—

If you have been paid a separation allowance by your 

employer, you cannot receive unemployment or sickness benefits for roughly the period of time it would 

have taken you to earn the amount of the allowance.

Voluntary Quit Without Good Cause—If you 

leave either your railroad job or nonrailroad work 

voluntarily and the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) 

determines you left without good cause, you will be 

disqualified for railroad unemployment benefits until 

you return to railroad work and earn wages sufficient 

to qualify for benefits again.

Voluntary Quit With Good Cause—If you leave 

either railroad or nonrailroad work voluntarily and 

the RRB determines you had good cause for doing 

so, you will be disqualified from receiving railroad 

unemployment benefits for any day that you are qual4

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ified to receive State unemployment benefits. If you 

are not qualified for State unemployment benefits, you 

may receive railroad unemployment benefits.

Refuse Suitable Work/Fail to Apply for Work—

If you refuse to accept suitable work, or fail to follow 

instructions to apply for work, or to report to a State 

employment office, or to a RRB office for an interview, you may be disqualified for unemployment

benefits for 30 days.

Illegal Strike—You will be disqualified for unemployment benefits for any day on which you take part in a 

strike which began in violation of the Railway Labor 

Act or in violation of the established rules and practices 

of your labor organization.

False or Fraudulent Claim—You will be disqualified for both unemployment and sickness benefits for 

75 days if you make a false or fraudulent statement 

or claim in order to receive benefits. You may also be 

subject to fine or imprisonment. The RRB conducts 

checks, including computer matching checks, with 

State and Federal agencies as well as railroads, in order 

to detect fraudulent benefit claims.

Benefits Under Other Laws—You will be 

disqualified from receiving railroad unemployment insurance benefits for any day for which you

receive unemployment benefits under any other 

law;

or

receive sickness benefits under the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act or any similar law.

Special Rules for 

Train and Engine Service

and Passenger Service

For employees in train and engine service and

passenger service, benefits are not payable for:

Standby and Layover––Days on which you are 

standing by for or laying over between regular 

assigned trips. For example, if an engineer has a regular assignment t hat runs every third day, the days 

between the regular runs do not count as days of 

unemployment.

Work Restrictions––Any day on which you do not 

work because of a mileage limitation or other similar work restriction. For example, a brakeman does 

not work in January after the 20th day of the month 

because he has worked the maximum mileage for 

the month. In his case, the days January 21 through 

January 31 do not count as days of unemployment.

Pool Service––Any day on which you do not work 

because you miss a turn in pool service.

Full-Time Work––Any day in a registration period in 

which you have the equivalent of full-time work.

If you work in train and engine service or passenger 

service, you must report on your unemployment claim 

the number of miles or hours credit earned in each 

claim period. You must also report days on which you 

did not work because of a layover or standby rule, 

mileage restriction, or because you missed a turn in 

pool service.

Reconsideration and Waiver

Employee Rights

Reconsideration - If you do not agree with any 

decision denying you benefits or with an overpayment decision, you may request reconsideration.

Your request must be in writing and should explain 

why you disagree. If you request reconsideration, 

your request must be received at an office of the 

RRB within 60 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the adverse decision. Be sure to sign your 

name and include your social security number on

your request.

Waiver - You may request waiver of recovery of 

your overpayment only if ALL of the following 

conditions are met:

The amount of the overpayment is more than 10 

times the current maximum daily benefit rate;

you were not at fault in causing the overpayment; 

and

recovery would cause you financial hardship to 

the extent that you would not be able to meet 

your ordinary and necessary living expenses or 

recovery would be unfair for some other reason.

If your request for waiver is received at an office of the 

RRB within 60 days from the date of the letter notifying you of your debt, we will not recover the overpayment until a decision is made on your request.

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1.

2.

3.
Employer Rights 

The Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act requires 

the RRB to notify your base year employer(s) each 

time you file a claim for benefits, and to give the 

employer(s) an opportunity to submit information 

relevant to your claim before the RRB makes an initial determination on the claim. The RRB must also 

notify your employer each time benefits are paid to 

you. Your employer may appeal the decision to pay 

benefits. The appeal does not prevent the timely payment of benefits. However, you may be required to 

repay benefits if the appeal is successful.

Taxability of

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefits paid under the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) are considered 

income for Federal income tax purposes. Each year, 

the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) sends railroad 

employees Form 1099-G showing the total amount 

of unemployment benefits paid during the preceding 

calendar year. You must report that amount on your 

Federal income tax return.

You may file Form W-4v with the nearest RRB office 

if you want the RRB to withhold Federal income tax 

from your benefits. To end withholding you must 

file another Form W-4v with the RRB. Form W-4v 

is available upon request from the Internal Revenue 

Service. The RUIA specifically exempts railroad 

unemployment benefits from State income taxes.

Job Placement Service

The RRB operates a free job placement service with 

the primary purpose of helping experienced railroad 

workers who have lost their jobs find new employment. When you apply for unemployment benefits, 

you also apply for employment service. You will be 

interviewed by an RRB representative who will try to 

help you find new employment. You may be referred 

by an RRB representative to a suitable railroad job; 

otherwise, an effort will be made to place you in a 

nonrailroad job for which you are qualified.

The RRB maintains a list of job vacancies reported 

by railroads to its field offices. Information about job 

vacancies is available at all offices of the RRB, and 

online at www.rrb.gov.

RRB Booklet UB-12, How to Find a Job, is available 

upon request from any RRB office.

Instructions for Completing 

Application for Unemployment 

Benefits and Employment 

Service (Form UI-1)

To apply for unemployment benefits, complete the 

application enclosed with this booklet and mail it to 

the Railroad Retirement Board’s office whose address 

appears on the enclosed return envelope. If there is no 

application enclosed with this booklet, you can obtain 

an application from your railroad employer, union official, any RRB office or the RRB’s website at www.

rrb.gov. Your application must be received at the RRB 

within 30 days of the first day for which you wish to 

claim benefits. You may lose benefits if your application is filed late.

Complete only one application during a benefit year 

even if you become unemployed more than once 

during that benefit year. When the RRB district office 

receives your completed application, the RRB will 

notify your employer that you have applied for benefits. Your employer may respond to the district office 

with any information relating to your eligibility.

Once we process your application, we will mail you a 

claim form. You must complete and return the claim 

to the RRB district office. A notice of your claim will 

then be sent to your employer.

Read the following instructions carefully before 

completing your application. If your application is 

not completed correctly, your benefits may be delayed. 

Contact your local RRB office if you have questions or 

need assistance in completing the form.

SECTION A - IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

Items 1-6 are self-explanatory. 

SECTION B - EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

Item 7

Enter the name of the railroad company for which 

you worked most recently (for example, “Amtrak”) 

in Item 7a.

Enter the title of your job (for example, 

“Trainman”) in Item 7b.

Enter the city and state where you last performed 

your railroad job in Item 7c.

Check the box in Item 7d that indicates why you are 

not now working for your last railroad employer. If 

you check box 9, “Other,” write an explanation in 

the space provided.

6
United States of America

Railroad Retirement Board

Form Approved

OMB No. 3220-0022

Application for Unemployment Benefits

and Employment Service

Instructions

Identifying Information

Employment Information

Before completing this application, read the section Instructions for Completing Application for Unemployment Benefits and 

Employment Service (Form UI-1) in the UB-10 booklet, which explains information needed to answer questions on this 

application. PRINT all answers in ink or use a typewriter. See the UB-10 booklet for the Privacy and Paperwork Reduction Act Notices.

1. Name (First, Middle Initial, Last)

3. Mailing Address (Include Apartment Number)

6a. Home/Cell/Message Telephone Number (Include Area Code)

7a. Last Railroad you worked for

b. Last Railroad Job Title (i.e., Clerk, Trainman, etc.)

c. Location of Last Railroad Job (City and State)

d. Why are you not now working for your last railroad employer? Check one:

o 1. Laid Off/Furloughed/Abolished/Bumped o 4. Quit or Resigned o 7. Suspended

o 2. Extra Board/Part-Time o 5. Retired o 8. Strike/Work Stoppage

o 3. Sick or Injured o 6. Discharged o 9. Other, explain below

Explanation

e. Have you quit or resigned any work

(railroad or other) during the last 3 years? o Yes - Complete (1) & (2) below o No - Go to Item 7f.

(1) Date resigned or quit and Employer’s Name

(2) Date resigned or quit and Employer’s Name

f. Are you discharged or suspended? o Yes - Complete (1) - (4) belowo No - Go to Item 7g.

(1) Date of discharge or suspension period: From To

(2) Are you seeking reinstatement to your job? o Yes o No

(3) Will you claim pay for time lost? o Yes o No

(4) Name of Union Official

Address

City, State, ZIP Code

Telephone Number (Include Area Code) ( )

g. Complete this item ONLY if you are unemployed due to a strike or work stoppage.

Name of your labor union

6b. Work Telephone Number (Include Area Code)

City, State, ZIP Code County

2. Social Security Number

4. Date of Birth 5. Sex

o Male

o Female

Month Day Year

CONTINUE ON BACK UI-1 (03-12) 

Refer to the instructions in Booklet UB-10 before completing Item 8.

8a. Date you want your first claim to begin.

b. Date you last worked for a railroad before date in Item 8a.

Instructions

Instructions Section B

Instructions

Section A
Mail your signed application immediately to the Railroad Retirement Board using the enclosed envelope.

SIGNATURE DATE

UI-1 (03-12)

9. Are you covered by a job protection plan guaranteeing you a certain amount of work or pay? o Yes o No

If “Yes,” enter name of employer providing the guarantee, below.

Employer

10. Have you been paid severance pay or a separation allowance? o Yes - Complete a. and b., below o No - Go to Item 11

a. Date of separation

b. Name of employer that paid

11. Have you been self-employed in the past 2 years? o Yes - Complete a. and b., below o No - Go to Item 12

a. Type of self-employment

b. Date you were last self-employed

15. Are you receiving social security benefits, military retirement, retainer pay,

or any other unemployment, retirement or survivor benefits

 provided by law? o Yes - Complete a.-c., below o No - Go to Item 16

a. Type of benefit(s) b. Effective date

c. Monthly amount before deductions $ Attach a copy of your most recent award notice.

16. Benefits are normally paid by Direct Deposit to your bank, savings and loan, credit union, or other financial institution. To

provide the information we need to correctly deposit your payments, attach a voided personal check and go to Item 17, or

call your financial institution for the information you need to complete Items a. through d.

a. Routing Transit Number b. Account Number

c. Account Type: o Checking o Savings

d. Name of Financial Institution

17. I certify that the information I have provided on this form is true, correct, and complete. I know that I must immediately

report to the Railroad Retirement Board any changes which might affect my entitlement to benefits. I understand that

disqualifications and civil and criminal penalties may be imposed on me for false or fraudulent statements or claims or for

withholding information to get benefits. I understand and agree to the requirements set forth in Booklet UB-10.

12. a. Have you been employed by a nonrailroad

employer in the past 2 years? o Yes - Complete (1)-(5) and b., below o No - Go to Item 13

(1) Employer Name

(2) Employer Address (Street, City, State, ZIP Code)

(3) Date Last Worked (4) Occupation

(5) Reason Not Working

b. Did you have other nonrailroad employment in the past 2 years? o Yes o No

13. Are you an active member of the National Guard or a military reserve unit? o Yes o No

School Information

Other Benefits

Direct Deposit Information

Certification and Signature

14. a. Are you now attending school? o Yes - Go to Item 15 o No - Complete b., below

b. Do you plan to attend school in the next 6 months? o Yes o No

If “Yes,” enter the month and year you will begin school

Instructions Section C

Instructions Section D

Instructions Section E

Instructions Section F
If you have quit or resigned any railroad or nonrailroad 

job within the past 3 years, answer Item 7e “Yes.”

Enter the date you resigned or quit, and the name(s) of 

your former employer(s) in Items (1) and (2).

If you are claiming unemployment benefits 

because you were discharged or suspended from 

your last railroad job, you must complete Item 7f

(1)–(4). If you are suspended be sure to enter both 

the beginning and ending dates of the suspension 

period in Item 7f (1).

Only complete Item 7g if you are unemployed due 

to a strike or work stoppage and give the name of 

your labor union.

Item 8

Enter the date that you want your first unemployment claim to begin in Item 8a. The date you enter 

should be the first day after you last worked for 

either a railroad or nonrailroad employer and for 

which you were available for work and did not 

receive any pay. The date will be the first day of 

your waiting period.

Enter in Item 8b the date you last worked for 

your last railroad employer prior to the date you 

entered in Item 8a.

Item 9

If you are covered by a job protection plan under 

the National Job Stabilization Agreement or under 

a similar plan, check Item 9 “Yes.” You should 

also check “Yes” if you are affected by a merger or 

line sale, and may be entitled to a guaranteed wage. 

Also enter the name of the employer providing the 

guarantee.

Item 10

If you have been paid a severance, termination, 

or separation allowance or buyout, check Item 10 

“Yes.” In Item 10a, enter the date of separation 

and in Item 10b, enter the name of the employer 

that paid the allowance.

Item 11

If you have been self-employed in the past 2 years 

or you are currently self-employed, you must 

answer Item 11 “Yes.” In addition, enter the type 

of self-employment in Item 11a (for example, 

“tax-preparer,” “carpenter”), and the date you were 

last self-employed in Item 11b.

Item 12

If you have been employed by a nonrailroad employer 

in the past 2 years, answer Item 12a “Yes.” Enter 

the employer name in Item 12a(1), the employer 

address in Item 12a(2), your date last worked for 

that employer in Item 12a(3), your job title in Item 

12a(4) and the reason you are not now working for 

that employer in Item 12a(5). If you have worked 

for more than one nonrailroad employer in the past 2 

years, answer Item 12b “Yes.”

Item 13 is self-explanatory.

SECTION C - SCHOOL INFORMATION

Item 14 is self-explanatory.

SECTION D - OTHER BENEFITS

Item 15

Unemployment benefits under the Act are not payable, or are payable at a reduced amount, if you 

are also receiving social security benefits, military 

retirement pay, retainer pay, or any other retirement, unemployment or survivor benefits provided 

by law.

If you are receiving any other benefits under any 

law, answer Item 15 “Yes.” Enter the type of 

benefit(s) in Item 15a, the effective date in Item 

15b, and the monthly amount you receive before 

deductions in Item 15c.

SECTION E - DIRECT DEPOSIT INFORMATION

Item 16

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) 

requires all federal benefit payments to be 

made electronically. You will need to choose 

an electronic payment option. You can choose to 

have your payments made by Direct Deposit to a 

bank, savings and loan, credit union account or other 

financial institution or to a Direct Express® Debit 

Mastercard®. Both options save money by eliminating the need to print and mail checks. 

An electronic payment has many advantages. 

Payments are generally available 2 or 5 days sooner 

than payment by check. You do not have to worry 

about a check being lost, stolen or misplaced and 

you can be away from home without the worry of 

a check sitting unprotected in your mailbox. There 

is no need to wait for mail delivery of a check or to 

make a special trip to your financial institution.

7
To provide the information we need to correctly 

deposit your benefit payments, attach a voided 

personal check to your application or call your 

financial institution for the information needed to 

complete Items 16a-d.

If you change financial institutions or your 

account while claiming benefits, be sure to give 

the RRB information to establish Direct Deposit to 

your new account. Do not close your old account 

until you receive the first RRB payment in your 

new account.

If you do not have an account at a financial 

institution or you prefer to receive your benefit payments on a prepaid debit card, you can 

call 1-888-544-6347 or visit www.GoDirect.org 

for information about enrolling in the Direct 

Express® program.

Electronic Payment Waiver Conditions

Treasury will allow benefit payments to be paid via 

paper check to individuals who:

z were born before May 1, 1921

z have a mental impairment and do not have 

representative payee,

z live in a remote area of the country that lack

infrastructure to support electronic financial

transactions, or

z had a Direct Express® Debit Mastercard

that was suspended or cancelled.

You will need to contact Treasury directly at 

1-800-333-1795 to apply for a waiver.

SECTION F -CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURE

Item 17 is self-explanatory.

Instructions for Completing 

Claim for Unemployment 

Benefits (Form UI-3)

After we receive your application, we will mail your 

first claim to you. Claims for subsequent 14-day periods will be mailed to you for as long as you remain 

unemployed and eligible for benefits. You must complete and return each claim promptly by mail, or file 

online at www.rrb.gov, or you may lose benefits. The 

time for filing a claim, including time for mailing, 

is limited to 15 days from the last day of the claim 

period or 15 days from the date the claim form was 

mailed to you, whichever is later.

If you return to work and do not have at least 5 

claimed days during a claim period, do not return the 

claim form. This will stop the release of additional

claims to you.

If you stop claiming benefits during a benefit 

year, but become unemployed again and need a 

new claim form, contact your local Railroad 

Retirement Board office to obtain a new claim. 

You must request your new claim within 30 

days of the first day for which you wish to 

claim benefits or you may lose benefits.

Read the following instructions carefully before 

completing your claim form. Failure to complete 

your claim correctly could delay the payment of 

your benefits.

Item 1a

This item shows the 14-day period of your claim. 

Below each day of the claim period, you must 

enter the correct letter code to show whether you 

want to claim benefits for the day; or whether you 

worked, received vacation pay, holiday pay, or 

other earnings; or that you cannot claim benefits 

for some other reason.

Remember that you cannot claim benefits for any 

day on which you worked or otherwise earned 

wages, holiday pay, vacation pay, or other pay. 

This includes pay from full-time and part-time 

work in either railroad or nonrailroad employment, and from self-employment. In addition, you 

cannot claim benefits for any day on which you 

were not available for work. This means that you 

must not have been sick or injured on any day for 

which you claim benefits, and you must have been 

willing and ready to work on the day.

Use the following letter codes to show whether 

you are claiming benefits for the days in the claim 

period:

X—Enter an “X” if you did not work on 

the day, will not receive any type of pay for 

the day, were not sick or unable to work 

because of injury or mental infirmity on the 

day, and were willing and ready to work.

Any day you mark with an “X” is considered 

8
to be a day of unemployment for which you 

are claiming benefits.

Use an “X” to show your normal rest days,

unless you worked or otherwise received pay 

from either a railroad or nonrailroad employer 

for the day, or unless you were sick or otherwise unable or not available for work on the 

day.

E—Enter an “E” if you were employed 

either full-time or part-time on the day. 

Include work for either a railroad or 

nonrailroad employer, and any self-employment. Also show an “E” for days you were 

on active duty with the National Guard or a 

Reserve unit.

P—Enter a “P” for any day that you were 

not employed, but will receive payment 

from a railroad or nonrailroad employer. 

This includes such payments as vacation pay, 

holiday pay, daily wage guarantee payments, 

and pay for time lost.

If you receive guarantee pay or pay for time 

lost for days for which you previously claimed 

unemployment benefits, the benefits paid to 

you must be refunded to the RRB. You should 

notify us if you are eligible for guarantee pay 

or claiming pay for time lost so we can arrange 

for your employer to deduct the proper amount 

for refund to the RRB. Verify the accuracy 

of the amount of benefits withheld from your 

pay by checking your own record of RRB 

payments or by contacting the RRB. Notify us 

promptly if you believe the correct amount was 

not withheld.

Do not enter a “P” for days you received 

payments under a supplemental unemployment insurance plan paid or financed by your 

employer. Such payments are normally paid in 

addition to your unemployment benefits from 

the RRB. However, if railroad retirement taxes 

are deducted from payments by your employer, 

the payments are not “supplemental” payments 

and must be reported on your claim form.

O—Enter an “O” for days on which you 

did not work and did not receive any type 

of payment, but which you cannot claim 

because you were not able and available for 

work on the day.

Enter an “O” for days that you:

were unable to work due to sickness or 

injury;

marked off, missed a call to work, or did 

not report to work because of personal 

business or family obligations;

did not work due to laying over or standing 

by between regularly assigned trips;

failed to exercise seniority to obtain a 

suitable job for which you are qualified;

did not work because the day is an extra rest 

day after you worked four 10-hour days;

did not perform work which was available 

to you.

An example of how the boxes are to be completed is 

shown on the next page.

Item 1b

Enter the dollar amount of your total gross earnings 

from all full-time and part-time work performed in 

the claim period. Include earnings from railroad, 

nonrailroad, and self-employment. Include pay for 

personal and vacation days and any other paid leave 

for days in the claim period. Also include any pay 

you would have earned except for your failure to 

mark up in time or report for duty, or because you 

missed a turn in pool service or were otherwise not 

available for work. Do not include payments you 

receive during the claim period that were earned 

on days outside the claim period. All earnings for 

a work shift are attributable to the day the shift 

begins. Do not include payments received under 

a supplemental unemployment benefit plan. See 

Examples A and B on pages 3 and 4.

Item 2

Enter the complete company name of your last 

railroad employer in Item 2a, and your last railroad occupation in Item 2b. Enter an “X” in the 

appropriate box in Item 2c to show the reason why 

you are not now working for your last railroad 

employer.

Item 3

This item is prefilled with the name and address of 

your local Railroad Retirement Board office. Mail 

your completed claim to that office.

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CLAIM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

110920 C. SMITH 01-02 201 XXX-XX-6789

1a. This claim is for unemployment benefits for the 14 consecutive days shown below. To claim benefits, mark the box  under each date with the appropriate code (X, E, P, or O). X — Claimed day of unemployment (Including rest days); E — Day employed; P — Vacation or holiday pay;  O — Day not claimed, other reason This claim is for 11/04/20 through 11/17/20 Mark each box with X, E, P or O 

b. Enter the gross amount of wages and/or other pay (before deductions) that you received

or will be paid for days in this period. Do not include RRB benefits or payments receivedunder a supplemental unemployment benefit plan. This item must be completedif you entered “E” or “P” for any day in Item 1a.

Item 4

This item is prefilled with your name and address. 

If necessary, show corrections to your name and 

address in the box.

Item 5

If you have worked for a nonrailroad employer 

since your last day of railroad work, answer Item 

5a “Yes.” Enter the nonrailroad employer’s name 

and address in Item 5b and the date last worked 

before this claim for the nonrailroad employer, in 

Item 5c. If you have stopped working for that non-

railroad employer, enter the reason why in Item 5d. 

If you have not stopped working for that nonrail-

road employer, enter “Still Working” in Item 5d.

Item 6

If you worked in train and engine service or passen-

ger service, answer Item 6a “Yes.” Enter the num-

ber of miles or hours you worked during the 14-day 

claim period in Item 6b. Include miles or hours 

earned for regular pay, premium pay, overtime, 

and deadheading. Enter the days that you did not 

work because of a layover or stand-by rule, mileage 

restriction, or because you missed a turn in pool ser-

vice in Item 6c.

Item 7

You must enter an “X” in either “Yes” or “No” for 

all of the questions in Item 7. If you complete a 

box that has an asterisk (*) in front of it, be sure to 

explain your answer. Unless otherwise indicated, 

the questions should be answered for days included 

in the claim period.

Item 8

By signing and dating this item you certify that 

the information contained on your claim form is 

true and complete. Do not complete and sign 

the claim form before the last day of the claim 

period. If your claim is mailed before the last 

day of the claim period, benefits due you may be 

delayed or denied.

10

4

X X E P O X X X X E E E X X

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Railroad Retirement Board Form Approved OMB 3220-0022

(Copy of front of Form UI-3)

$ 675.00
11

Record of

Claims Submitted

Beginning Date

of Claim

Number of 

Days Claimed

Date Mailed

to RRB

Record of

Payments Received

Amount of

Payment

Date Payment

Received

Checking Your Benefits by Telephone or Online

You can obtain detailed information about your 

unemployment benefit payments and claims at any 

time, by calling our national automated telephone 

service. Calling this number gives you access to:

We update payment information once each night; we 

update information about applications and claims, as 

we receive the forms.

You will need your social security number and your 

Personal Identification Number (PIN) to get information about your benefit payments and claims. Your 

PIN is printed on the back of each claim form we mail 

to you. 

 To access your benefit information by telephone:

Note: People who are deaf or hard of hearing may

call our TTY number at 312-751-4701.

You can also access your benefit information online.

You must have a login.gov account to use online services. To learn more about establishing an account, 

visit our website at www.rrb.gov, select myRRB

at the top of the page, click on the button labeled 

SIGN IN WITH LOGIN. GOV, and follow the 

guide. Once you have established an account, 

click on myRRB to log in followed by View RUIA 

Account to access your benefit information.

the amount and date of your latest benefit payment, 

and the claim period for which the payment was 

made;

information about your last 5 benefit payments; and

confirmation of whether we have received your 

application or latest claim.

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Call the Railroad Retirement Board at

877-772-5772.

Press “1” to select our automated HelpLine services.

Press “1” again to access the Unemployment 

Benefits Menu.

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Each claim you receive will have a record of your last 3 payments. Use the HelpLine services, RRB website, and the 

tables below to keep track of your claims and payments.

Please allow at least 15 days from the date you mail your claim to receive a payment.
Privacy Act Notice

To receive unemployment benefits you must apply 

for them and furnish information. Information that the 

RRB asks you to furnish is used to determine if you are 

eligible for benefits and the amount of benefits payable 

to you. Although furnishing information, including your 

social security number, is voluntary, the RRB cannot 

pay you benefits without this information. The RRB’s 

authority for requesting information is section 5(b) of 

the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. 

The RRB may routinely furnish information from its 

records to the following individuals, organizations, and/

or agencies to administer the Railroad Unemployment 

Insurance Act, the Social Security Act, or other benefit 

programs under Federal and State laws:

The U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Postal 

Service, to issue benefit payments and to report 

non-delivery, forgery, theft, or loss of a benefit 

check.

A person or company which the claimant reports 

may award pay for time lost or some similar payment for the same period for which the RRB pays 

benefits.

Persons or companies named by the claimant as 

liable for paying damages for the same injury or 

illness for which the RRB pays sickness benefits.

The Internal Revenue Service for use in 

administering Federal tax laws.

(Continued on next page) 

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

4.

Record of Attempts To Find Work

If you do not have good prospects of returning to work soon, you must be looking for work. Keep a record of your 

attempts to find work. You may start your record by using the form below. Continue your record on a separate 

sheet of paper or notebook.

 Name and Address

 of Employer Date Contacted Results

12
A private collection agency, the Government 

Accountability Office, the Department of Justice, 

or the Internal Revenue Service for the collection 

of an overpayment.

Employers or insurance companies for use in 

administering supplemental benefit plans.

Law enforcement agencies and the Department of 

Justice for investigating or prosecuting a violation 

of law.

Employers to verify entitlement to benefits and to 

provide notice of benefit payment determinations.

State unemployment agencies to verify entitlement 

to benefits.

Other than information that may be disclosed routinely, no information about your claim may be disclosed 

without your consent.

Computer Matching and Privacy 

Protection Act Notice

In addition to the uses of information described in 

the preceding Privacy Act Notice, information you 

provide may be used, without your consent, in automated matching programs. These matching programs 

are a computer comparison of Railroad Retirement 

Board records with records kept by other Federal 

agencies or State and local governmental agencies. 

Information from these matching programs is used to 

establish or verify a person’s eligibility for benefits 

and for repayment of benefits or delinquent debts.

What are Computer Matching Programs?

Computer matching programs compare our records with 

those of other Federal, State, or local government agencies. All agencies may use matching programs to find or 

prove that a person qualifies for benefits paid for by the 

Federal Government.

Paperwork Reduction 

Act Notice

To receive unemployment benefits, you must complete an application and claim form(s). Estimates of 

how long we think it takes to complete these forms are 

shown below. The estimates include time for reviewing the instructions, getting the needed information, 

and reviewing the completed form. Federal agencies 

may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not 

required to respond to, a collection of information 

unless it displays a valid OMB number. If you wish, 

send comments regarding the accuracy of our estimates or other aspect of the forms, including suggestions for reducing completion time, to the Associate 

Chief Information Officer of Policy and Compliance, 

Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, 

Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275. Be sure to include the 

form title with your comments.

 Estimated

Form Completion Time

 No. Title (Minutes)

UI-1 Application for 10

 Unemployment

 Benefits and Employment

 Service (3220-0022)

UI-1 Internet Application for 10

 Unemployment Benefits and

 Employment Service (3220-0022)

UI-3 Claim for 6

 Unemployment

 Benefits (3220-0022) 

UI-3 Internet Claim for 6

 Unemployment

 Benefits (3220-0022) 

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

How Do Computer Matching Programs 

Affect You?

On forms that you fill out for us, you give us facts about 

yourself. Sometimes, we check the facts you and others 

give us. We use computer matching to do the checking. 

The law allows us to check this way even if you do not 

agree to it. We can also give any facts we have about you 

to other governmental agencies for them to use in their 

computer matching programs.

13
Important Reminders

Filing requirements ––To avoid losing unemployment benefits, your benefit application must be 

received by a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) office within 30 days of the first day for which you 

want to claim benefits. Your unemployment claims must be filed within 15 days of the last day of the 

claim or 15 days from the date we mail the form to you, whichever is later.

File only one application during a benefit year even if you become unemployed more than once 

during the year. In that case, you must request a new claim form from an RRB office within 30 

days of the first day for which you want to claim benefits. Do not forget to sign and date your 

application and each claim form.

Benefit Year/Base Year––A new benefit year begins each July 1. Eligibility for benefits in a benefit 

year is based on your earnings in the previous calendar year (base year). For example, see the section 

titled Qualification Requirements.

Waiting period requirement––Benefits are payable for your days of unemployment over 7 in your 

first claim in each benefit year in order to satisfy a waiting period requirement. Even though no 

benefits are payable for the first claim if it has only 5, 6, or 7 days of unemployment, you must file 

the claim for your days of unemployment during the waiting period, Otherwise you may lose benefits 

for claims after the waiting period.

Do not claim benefits for days you work or receive pay––Benefits are not payable for any day for 

which you receive pay. This includes wages from military reservist duty, full-time or part-time work 

for a railroad, nonrailroad employer or self-employment. It also includes vacation pay, holiday pay, 

pay for time lost, guarantee pay and other types of remuneration.

If you are fully protected under a wage guarantee plan, it is not to your advantage to claim benefits 

since your unemployment benefits are subject to recovery by the RRB from your wage guarantee payable for the same period.

Reconsideration rights––You may request reconsideration of any decision denying you benefits. 

A request for reconsideration must be made in writing within 60 days from the date of notice of the 

Railroad Retirement Board’s adverse decision.

Please allow at least 15 days from the date you mail your claim to receive a payment. That amount 

of time is needed for delivery of your claim and payment, and to allow your employer time to submit 

information about your claim. If you do not receive payment within 15 days, you should contact your 

local RRB office about your claim.

When reporting earnings for a claim period, report only pay you are entitled to for days in the claim 

period. Do not include pay you received during the claim period that was earned on dates outside of 

the claim period. All earnings for a work shift are attributable to the day the shift begins.
Nondiscrimination on the 

Basis of Disability

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) 

regulations, no qualified person may be discriminated against on the basis of disability. RRB 

programs and activities must be accessible to all qualified applicants and beneficiaries, including those who are vision- or hearing-impaired. Disabled persons 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 Director of Administration, 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.

Fraud and Abuse Hot Line

Call the toll-free Fraud and Abuse Hot Line if you have reason to believe that someone is receiving railroad retirement or unemployment/sickness benefits to which (s)he is not entitled; that 

persons responsible for the financial affairs of minors or incompetent beneficiaries are misappropriating benefits; or that a doctor, hospital, or other provider of health care services is performing unnecessary or inappropriate services or is billing Medicare for services not received. 

You may also use the Hot Line to report any suspected misconduct by a Railroad Retirement 

Board (RRB) employee. The Hot Line has been installed by the RRB’s Inspector General to 

receive any evidence of fraud or abuse of the RRB’s benefit programs.

Call (toll-free) 1-800-772-4258. Or you may send your complaints in writing to the RRB, OIG, Hot 

Line Officer, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275. 

Please do not call the Inspector General’s Hot Line with questions about eligibility requirements, delayed claims, or similar problems. Such matters should be directed to the nearest 

RRB field office.

Railroad employees do not pay for their 

unemployment benefits protection. The 

funds come from a payroll tax on employers.

A fine, jail sentence, and disqualification

may be imposed upon any person found to 

have withheld information or to have made 

false or fraudulent statements or claims

for the purpose of causing benefits to be 

paid.

We encourage you to file certain proofs in 

advance of retirement––age, military service, and marriage. If married, you should 

also submit proof of your spouse’s age. 

We record and store the information electronically until your retirement. Filing 

proofs in advance speeds the application 

process and helps avoid any delay in processing that could occur due to inadequate 

or missing proofs.

Did You Know. . .
_________________________

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

(

UB-10

10-21)

Printed Matter