For Use With 

Survivor Annuity 

Applications

Survivor

Annuities

United States of America 

Railroad Retirement Board 

Visit Our Web site at www.rrb.gov 

FORM RB-17 (04-23)
INTRODUCTION

This booklet contains important information regarding your railroad retirement annuity. We 

recommend that you read it before contacting our office to file an application.

Your railroad retirement annuity is affected by certain “events” that may occur. A description of

these events and an explanation of how you should report them is covered in the booklet RB-9s, 

Events That Affect A Survivor Annuity. Because these events can take place any time after you

receive your annuity payments, you should keep this booklet and the RB-9s booklet for future

reference. Remember, these events can affect the amount of your payments and whether or not

you are eligible to receive them for certain months.

In this booklet, these terms are used in the following ways:

z Employee - the person who worked for the railroad.

z Applicant - the person who is applying to receive an annuity based on the employee’s railroad work.

z Widow(er) - the employee’s widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse who may be eligible to receive a widow(er)’s annuity.

z Spouse - a person entitled to a spouse annuity or divorced spouse annuity in the month

the employee died.

z Full Retirement Age - the age at which you become eligible to receive a full, unreduced

for age, annuity.

1. For widow(er) type annuitants born January 1, 1940, and earlier, full retirement age is 65.

2. For widow(er) type annuitants born January 2, 1940, and later, with annuity

beginning dates of January 1, 2000, and later, full retirement age is based on the

year of birth as shown below.

If your date of birth is then your Full Retirement Age is

1-2-40 through 1-1-41 65 and 2 months

1-2-41 through 1-1-42 65 and 4 months

1-2-42 through 1-1-43 65 and 6 months

1-2-43 through 1-1-44 65 and 8 months

1-2-44 through 1-1-45 65 and 10 months

1-2-45 through 1-1-57 66

1-2-57 through 1-1-58 66 and 2 months

1-2-58 through 1-1-59 66 and 4 months

1-2-59 through 1-1-60 66 and 6 months

1-2-60 through 1-1-61 66 and 8 months

1-2-61 through 1-1-62 66 and 10 months

1-2-62 or later 67

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Page

CONTENTS

Page 

Part l - Applying For Your Annuity

Section 1 - Requirements The Employee Must Have Met 1

Section 2 - What Happens If The Employee Does Not Meet The Requirements 1

Part ll - Types Of Annuities

Section 3 - Widow(er)’s Annuity 1

Section 4 - Mother’s/Father’s Annuity 1

Section 5 - Child’s Annuity 2

Section 6 - Student’s Annuity 2

Section 7 - Parent’s Annuity 2

Part lll - Requirements For An Annuity

Section 8 - Marriage Requirements For A Widow(er) or Mother/Father 3

Section 9 - Marriage Requirements For A Remarried Widow(er) or Remarried 

Mother/Father 3

Section 10 - Marriage Requirements For A Surviving Divorced Spouse 3

Section 11 - Marriage Requirements For A Divorced Mother/Father 3

Section 12 - Age Requirements For A Widow(er)’s Annuity 3

Section 13 - Age Requirements For A Child’s or Student’s Annuity 4

Part lV - Furnishing Proof To Support Your Application

Section 14 - General Information 4

Section 15 - Proof Of Marriage 4

Section 16 - Proof Of Divorce 4

Section 17 - Proof Of Age 5

Section 18 - Proof Of Death 5

Section 19 - Proof Of Military Service 5

Section 20 - Proof Of Relationship 5

Part V - General Information

Section 21 - If You Are Currently Receiving A Spouse Annuity 6

Section 22 - Beginning Date Of A Widow(er)’s Annuity 6

Section 23 - Beginning Date Of All Other Types Of Annuities 7

Section 24 - Effect Of A Monthly Annuity On Other Railroad Retirement Board 

Benefits 7

Section 25 - How Earnings Affect An Annuity 7

Section 26 - Credit For Employee’s Military Service 8

Section 27 - Payments Received After The Employee’s Death 8

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Page

CONTENTS

Page 

Part Vl - After You Apply For Your Annuity

Section 28 - Notice Of Railroad Retirement Board Decision About Your Application 8

Section 29 - Receiving Your Payments 9

Section 30 - Changing Account or Financial Organization 9

Section 31 - Change of Address 9

Part Vll - How Your Annuity Is Computed

Section 32 - The Parts Of A Railroad Retirement Annuity 9

Section 33 - Cost-of-Living Increases 10

Section 34 - Tier I 10

Section 35 - Tier II 10

Section 36 - Social Security Benefits 11

Section 37 - Public Service Pension 11

Section 38 - Widow(er)’s Rate Is Never Less Than Previous Rate 12

Part Vlll - Medicare Benefits

Section 39 - Medicare Benefits 12

Part lX - Federal Income Tax And Your Benefits

Section 40 - General Information 13

Section 41 - Tier I and Tier II 13

Section 42 - Information For Widow(er)s 13

Section 43 - Repayments 13

Section 44 - U. S. Citizen and Resident Tax Withholding 14

Section 45 - Nonresident Alien Tax Withholding 14

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Part I

Applying For Your Annuity

Section 1 - Requirements The Employee Must 

Have Met

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) can pay a 

survivor annuity only if the employee:

z was employed in the railroad industry for at least 

120 months or at least 60 months after 1995; and

z had a current connection with the railroad industry; that is, there was no regular employment

outside of the railroad industry between the time

when the employee left the railroad industry and

the time of retirement (or death if the employee

never retired).

z If the employee was alive on October 1, 1981, we 

will consider that there is a current connection 

with the railroad industry, if the employee:

z stopped working in the railroad industry

involuntarily and without cause on or after 

October 1, 1975; and

z had at least 25 years of service; and

z did not decline an offer to return to work in 

the same class or craft as his or her last railroad service.

Section 2 - What Happens If The Employee Does 

Not Meet The Requirements

If the employee does not meet the requirements

described in Section 1, the RRB cannot pay a survivor

annuity. However, the Social Security Administration

(SSA) might be able to pay you and we will transfer

your application to that agency. Therefore, you should

still file an application.

Your annuity can be paid by either the RRB or SSA

but not both, even though the employee may have

received payments from both agencies while he or she

was alive. No matter which agency pays your annuity,

all the employee’s work in the railroad industry or

under Social Security, will be used to calculate the

amount of your payments.

Part ll

Types of Annuities

Section 3 - Widow(er)’s Annuity

An eligible widow(er) is a:

z widow(er) - a person who was married to the 

employee at the time of death;

z remarried widow(er) - a person who was married 

to the employee at the time of death and has since 

remarried; or

z surviving divorced spouse - a person who was

married to the employee for at least 10 years and

was finally divorced from the employee.

Each of these groups of widow(er) have different

requirements concerning marriage to the employee, as

well as any remarriages. However, all widow(er)s have

the same age requirement. (Refer to the appropriate

sections in Part III for marriage and age requirements.)

If you are age 50 and a disability keeps you from 

earning money from working, you may file for a 

Disabled Widow(er)’s annuity.

NOTE: A widow(er) who is currently receiving a

spouse annuity does not need to file an application.

Refer to Part V, Section 21, for additional information.

Section 4 - Mother’s/Father’s Annuity

A Mother’s/Father’s annuity is payable to a widow(er) who is caring for the employee’s minor child 

(under age 18) or disabled child (age 18 or over and 

disabled before age 22) who is entitled to a Child’s 

annuity.

A Surviving Divorced Mother’s/Father’s annuity 

is payable to an individual who is finally divorced 

from the employee and has in his or her care the 

employee’s minor child (under age 16) or disabled 

child (age 16 or over and disabled before age 22) 

who is entitled to a Child’s annuity. NOTE: A 

surviving divorced mother/father does not have to 

meet the same 10-year marriage requirement as a 

surviving divorced spouse.

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A Remarried Mother’s/Father’s annuity is payable 

to a surviving legal or defacto spouse who has 

remarried after the employee’s death but is now 

unmarried and has in his or her care the employee’s 

minor child (under age 16) or disabled child (age 16 

or over and disabled before age 22) who is entitled 

to a Child’s annuity. The unmarried requirement is 

also met if the spouse remarried after attaining age 

60.

Applicants for the above annuities must meet

marriage and child-in-care requirements. No age 

requirement must be met.

If there is no child who is entitled to a Child’s annuity, a Mother’s/Father’s annuity cannot be paid.

In addition, the child’s relationship to the mother/

father (stepchild, grandchild, etc.) may determine

whether the Mother’s/Father’s annuity can be paid.

Section 5 - Child’s Annuity

In order for a child to qualify for an annuity, the 

child must be unmarried, under age 18, and related 

to the employee as a:

z natural child;

z stepchild;

z legally adopted child;

z deemed child (a child who was born of an invalid ceremonial marriage who would not have 

any rights under the state law for inheriting the 

employee’s property);

z equitably adopted child (a child who was never 

legally adopted by the employee);

z grandchild or step-grandchild, if the child’s parents are deceased or disabled or the child was 

adopted by the employee’s surviving spouse. 

There are also dependency requirements that a 

grandchild must meet before an annuity can be 

paid. These requirements can be explained to you 

by the personnel at the nearest field office.

Section 6 - Student’s Annuity

You may be paid a Student’s annuity if you:

z are unmarried, age 18, and attending elementary 

or secondary school full-time;

z meet the requirements to qualify as a child of the 

employee; and

z meet the age, attendance, and school requirements to qualify you as a full-time student.

NOTE: A student who is currently receiving a

Child’s annuity does not need to file an application.

Section 7 - Parent’s Annuity

Any person described below who is at least 60 years 

old and was receiving one-half support from the 

employee before the employee died, is considered 

an eligible parent who may file an application.

z The employee’s natural parent;

z the employee’s stepparent, if the stepparent married the employee’s natural parent before the day 

the employee reached age 16; or

z the person who adopted the employee, if the 

adoption took place before the employee reached 

age 16.

Part III

Requirements For An Annuity

Section 8 - Marriage Requirements For A

Widow(er) Or Mother/Father

In order to be considered a widow(er) or mother/

father, you must:

z be the legal widow(er) of the employee;

z have been married to the employee for at least 

9 full months before the employee’s death. You 

must not have been divorced from the employee 

at the time of death.

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z If you were not married to the employee for at

least 9 full months you should contact the nearest

Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) office. There are

a few specific exceptions to the 9-month marriage

requirement which the personnel in that office will

explain to you; and

z have not remarried since the employee’s death.

You must provide proof of your marriage to the

employee. Refer to Part IV, Section 15, for further

information.

Section 9 - Marriage Requirements For A

Remarried Widow(er) Or Remarried Mother/

Father

In order to be considered a remarried widow(er) or 

remarried mother/father, you must:

z be the legal widow(er) of the employee;

z have been married to the employee for at least 

9 full months before the employee’s death. You 

must not have been divorced from the employee 

at the time of death.

z If you were not married to the employee for at 

least 9 full months you should contact the nearest 

RRB office. There are a few specific exceptions 

to the 9-month marriage requirement which the 

personnel in that office will explain to you; and

z not be currently married, unless you remarried 

after age 60 (age 50 if you were entitled to a 

Disabled Widow(er)’s annuity before the remarriage occurred).

In addition to proof of your marriage to the employee, if you have remarried since the employee’s 

death, and your remarriage(s) occurred before you 

attained age 60 (age 50 if you were previously entitled to a Disabled Widow(er)’s annuity before the 

remarriage(s) occurred), you must furnish proof that 

the later marriage(s) has terminated.

Section 10 - Marriage Requirements For A

Surviving Divorced Spouse

In order to be considered a surviving divorced 

spouse entitled to a Widow(er)’s annuity, you must:

z be finally divorced from the employee;

z have been married to the employee for a period 

of 120 months immediately before the date the 

final divorce became effective; and

z not be currently married, unless you remarried

after age 60 (age 50 if you were previously entitled to a Disabled Surviving Divorced Spouse

annuity before the marriage occurred).

If you have remarried since your divorce from the

employee, and your remarriage(s) occurred before you

attained age 60 (age 50 if you were previously entitled

to a Disabled Surviving Divorced Spouse annuity

before the remarriage(s) occurred), you must furnish

proof that the later marriage(s) has terminated. Proof

of divorce from the employee must also be submitted.

Section 11 - Marriage Requirements For A

Divorced Mother/Father

In order to be considered a divorced mother/father 

entitled to a Mother’s/Father’s annuity, you must:

z be finally divorced from the employee; and

z be unmarried.

NOTE: If you are married to someone who is entitled to a retirement, survivor or disability annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act or Social

Security Act, you may be able to receive a benefit,

even though that marriage has not ended.

If you have remarried since your divorce from the

employee, you must furnish proof that the later

marriage(s) has terminated. Proof of divorce from

the employee must also be submitted.

Section 12 - Age Requirements For A Widow(er)’s 

Annuity

A widow(er), remarried widow(er), or surviving 

3
divorced spouse must be at least 60 years old, or 

age 50–59 and disabled, in order to be eligible for 

a Widow(er)’s annuity. If you become entitled to a 

Widow(er)’s annuity before attaining full retirement 

age, your annuity will be reduced.

You must submit proof of your age. Refer to Part IV, 

Section 17, for information on acceptable proofs.

Section 13 - Age Requirements For A Child’s Or 

Student’s Annuity

In order to be considered for a Child’s or Student’s 

annuity you must be:

z under age 18; or

z age 18 or older if you become disabled before 

age 22 and the disability is permanent; or

z age 18-19 if you are attending elementary or secondary school full-time.

You must submit proof of your age. Refer to Part IV, 

Section 17, for information on acceptable proofs.

Part IV

Furnishing Proof To Support

Your Application

Every application for a railroad retirement annuity 

must be accompanied by documentary evidence 

that supports the claim for benefits. The sections in 

this part discuss the types of acceptable evidence. If 

you are unable to secure the necessary information, 

please contact the nearest field office of the Railroad 

Retirement Board (RRB). The people there will be 

glad to assist you.

Section 14 - General Information

Evidence submitted in support of an applicant’s 

claim should be:

z an original document; or

z a copy of a public record certified by the custodian of the record; or

z a facsimile, if it is sent to the RRB by the official 

custodian of the record.

Documents which have been altered in any way do

not qualify as original or certified copies. Therefore,

they cannot be used as evidence.

Section 15 - Proof Of Marriage

The best proof of a ceremonial marriage is the 

original marriage certificate. If you cannot locate 

your original certificate, the following proofs are 

acceptable.

z A copy of a public record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record 

can be secured by contacting the Clerk of the 

Court in the city or county where the marriage 

license was obtained or the Bureau of Vital 

Statistics of the state in which you were married.

z A copy of a religious record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record 

can be secured by contacting the church where 

the marriage took place or the clergy who performed the service.

NOTE: A marriage license is NOT an acceptable

proof of marriage. If no marriage ceremony took

place, contact the nearest field office of the RRB.

Section 16 - Proof Of Divorce

The best proof of divorce includes:

z the original decree of the final or absolute divorce 

or divorce a vinculo matrimonii; or

z a copy of the divorce certificate by the custodian 

of the record.

A certified photocopy of one of the documents 

shown above is acceptable. If you are unable to 

obtain any of the documents listed above or if the 

decree is not for final divorce, absolute divorce, or 

divorce a vinculo matrimonii, contact the nearest 

field office of the RRB. The people there will be 

glad to assist you.

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Section 17 - Proof Of Age

Various types of acceptable proofs of age and the

places to secure them are listed below. If you are

unable to obtain one of these documents, you should

contact the nearest office of the RRB. The people

there will be glad to assist you.

Older records are generally considered the best 

records. Try to secure evidence made at or near the 

time of your birth. Any document to be used for 

proof of age must show the person’s name, age, or 

date of birth, and preferably, the date on which the 

record was established. Any document submitted 

as proof of age or date of birth must be based on a 

record that was established more than 5 years before 

the date on which you filed an application for an 

annuity or Medicare coverage with the RRB.

The best proofs of age include:

z a civil record of your birth, which can be secured 

from the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the state 

capital of your state of birth;

z the church record of your birth or baptism, which

can be secured by contacting the church where you

were baptized or confirmed;

z notification of registration of birth, which can be 

secured by contacting the county or city Health 

department in the city or county in which you 

were born; or

z the hospital birth record or certification.

Churches usually do not destroy their records and if 

there was a record of your date of birth made when 

you were an infant or a child, it is probably still on 

file at the church. Even if the church building is no 

longer in existence, the records may be available at 

the diocesan, state, or regional office of the denomination.

Our field offices have a complete list of addresses 

and fees for public birth records in the United States 

and in many foreign countries. Call or write the 

nearest field office to find out where to write and 

how much to send to obtain your birth record.

Section 18 - Proof Of Death

Proof of the death of the railroad employee is required

with all applications for benefits as the survivor of the

railroad employee. If the death occurred inside the

United States, the best proofs of death include:

z a certified photocopy of the death certificate, 

which can be secured from the Bureau of Vital 

Statistics or Department of Health for the city, 

county or state in which the death occurred;

z a signed statement of death by the funeral director on RRB Form G-273a or SSA’s Forms SSA721 or SSA-2872;

z a copy of the coroner’s report of death; or

z the verdict of the coroner’s jury of the state or 

community where death occurred.

A certified photocopy of any of the documents 

described above is acceptable. If you are unable to 

obtain any of these documents, contact the nearest 

field office of the RRB. The people there will be 

glad to assist you.

If the death occurred outside the United States, the 

proof of death can include:

z a report of death from a United States consul, 

or other agent of the State Department, bearing 

the signature and official seal (you can secure 

this report from the United States consulate or 

embassy);

z a certified copy of the public record of death; or

z a signed statement of death by a funeral director.

Section 19 - Proof Of Military Service

Proof of military service may be a certificate of

discharge, or any official military record that shows

the dates of service. If you cannot locate the military service record, contact the RRB for help.

Section 20 - Proof Of Relationship

Proof of relationship must be given by each person 

applying for benefits as the child, parent, brother, 

5
sister or grandchild of the former railroad employee. 

The best proof of relationship is a certified copy of 

the civil or religious birth record of the person filing 

for benefits showing the parent’s name.

When the relationship involves a legally adopted child

or the parents of a legally adopted child, the best proof

is a certified copy of the decree or order of adoption.

It may be necessary to submit more than one document to prove the relationship to the employee. The 

following situations are examples of when this may 

occur.

z A stepchild must show he or she is the child of 

the person married to the employee.

z A grandchild must show who his or her parents

are and prove that his or her parent is related to the

employee.

z A stepparent must show that the person he or she 

is married to is the employee’s parent.

Part V

General Information

Section 21 - If You Are Currently Receiving A

Spouse Annuity

If you are currently receiving a Spouse annuity from

the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), you do not

need to file an application for benefits; however,

proof of death must still be submitted. After we have

received all necessary information, your annuity will

be converted to a Widow(er)’s annuity.

You should carefully review the information in this 

booklet and booklet RB-9s, Events That Affect A 

Survivor Annuity. There is important information in 

these booklets concerning the events that may affect 

your annuity and how to report these events.

The RRB annuity that you are currently receiving 

will continue until we have converted your annuity.

Section 22 - Beginning Date Of A Widow(er)’s

Annuity

The beginning date of your annuity depends on 

several factors: the type of Widow(er)’s annuity for 

which you are applying, your age, and the date your 

application is filed at the RRB.

If you are applying for an annuity based on your age, 

your annuity can begin on the latest of the following 

dates.

1. If you have attained full retirement age in the 

month of filing:

z The month the employee died.

z The month you attained full retirement age.

z The month preceding the month you attained full 

retirement age if the employee died in that month 

and you are a remarried widow(er) or surviving 

divorced spouse.

z Six months before the month in which you file 

the application, but not before you attain full 

retirement age.

z The month your remarriage ends if you are 

a remarried widow(er) or surviving divorced 

spouse who remarried before age 60.

2. If you are under full retirement age in the month 

of filing:

z The month the employee died.

z The month you became age 60.

z The month in which you file your application.

z The month your remarriage ends if you are 

a remarried widow(er) or surviving divorced 

spouse who remarried before age 60.

z Six months before the month in which you file 

the application if you are a widow(er) between 

ages 60 and 62.

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Section 23 - Beginning Date Of All Other Types 

Of Annuities

The annuity can begin on the latest of these three 

dates:

z The month the employee died.

z The month all necessary requirements for an 

annuity are met.

z Six months before the month in which an application is filed.

Section 24 - Effect Of A Monthly Annuity On

Other Railroad Retirement Board Benefits

If the employee is survived by anyone eligible for 

an insurance annuity in the month in which the 

employee died, no lump-sum death benefit will be 

paid by the RRB.

If you are eligible to receive an annuity from

the RRB based on your own railroad service,

both that annuity and your survivor annuity will

be paid to you, although an adjustment will be

made in the amount of the survivor annuity.

If you are eligible to receive a Spouse annuity on 

another claim number or another survivor annuity 

(i.e., a Widow(er)’s annuity or Parent’s annuity) 

from the RRB, only the higher annuity will be paid.

Section 25 - How Earnings Affect An Annuity

Refer to Form G-77, How Earnings Affect Payment 

of Survivor Annuities, for the annual earnings

exempt amounts.

The term “annual earnings exempt amount” means 

the amount of money you can earn in a year without 

losing part of your annuity.

You may lose part of your annuity if you earn more

than the “annual earnings exempt amount” in a year.

An annuitant who has attained full retirement age 

(FRA) is not affected by this provision. See Page i, 

Introduction, for a definition of full retirement age.

There is also a “monthly earnings exempt amount” 

which is 1/12 of the annual earnings exempt amount. 

The “monthly earnings exempt amount” applies 

only in the first year in which:

z you are entitled to an annuity; and

z you have a “nonwork” month.

A “nonwork” month is one in which:

z you do not work; or

z you work but earn less than the “monthly earnings exempt amount;” or

z you work in self-employment but do not perform 

“substantial services.”

Example: A widow’s annuity began 8-1-2000.

She earned $40,000 before her retirement in July.

Because she was entitled to an annuity and had nonwork months in 2000 (August through December),

2000 is the widow’s grace year. The monthly earnings test allows payment of her annuity August

through December, even though her earnings of

$40,000 would have caused deductions under the

annual earnings test.

To determine whether you perform “substantial services” in self-employment, the RRB considers:

z the amount of time you devote to the business;

z the type of business;

z the type of service performed; and

z how all this compares to the work you did before 

you applied for your annuity.

When you figure your annual earnings, count all 

earnings from employment and self-employment for 

the entire year.

Earnings from employment include all wages, salaries, vacation pay, commissions, bonuses, fees, 

tips and retroactive wage increases. The cash value 

of any goods or services (such as meals or living 

quarters) furnished you for services performed are 

also counted as earnings from employment. Count 

all amounts before any payroll deductions for taxes, 

social security, insurance premiums and so on.

7
Earnings from self-employment mean your net

income (profit after deduction of allowable business 

expenses) for the year.

Do not include as earnings any money which you 

receive for any reason other than work, such as:

z interest from savings;

z income from investments – stocks, bonds, real 

estate;

z gifts;

z inheritances;

z pensions or other retirement payments.

In the calendar year you attain full retirement age,

for every $3.00 you earn over the “annual earnings

exempt amount,” up to the month you attain full

retirement age, $1.00 is deducted from your annuity.

If you have not attained full retirement age, for every

$2.00 you earn over the “annual earnings exempt

amount” in a calendar year, $1.00 is deducted from

your annuity.

Section 26 - Credit For Employee’s Military

Service

If the employee was never in the military service, go

to Section 27.

If the employee served in active duty in the United 

States Armed Forces, the RRB may be able to use 

that military service to increase your annuity.

Creditable military service can be counted as if it were

railroad service if the following conditions are met:

z The employee performed creditable railroad service in the same or preceding year in which the 

military service began.

z The military service was involuntary.

Voluntary service is only creditable when such service was entered during a war period. Special rules 

may apply if the military service was from June 15, 

1948, through December 15, 1950. Contact your 

local field office if this situation applies.

If the military service cannot be counted as railroad 

service, it still might be countable as wage credits. 

The RRB will determine if the military service is 

creditable, and also determine the most advantageous way to count it.

Section 27 - Payments Received After The

Employee’s Death

Any annuity payments received after the employee’s

death are not payable and should be returned. If the

employee was receiving his or her annuity by check,

the check can be returned to the nearest field office

of the RRB or to the address shown on the envelope.

If the annuity payments were being sent directly to

the employee’s financial institution, that institution

will return the funds after they are notified of the

employee’s death.

Part VI

After You Apply For Your 

Annuity

The sections in this part of the booklet explain 

what the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) does 

after receiving your annuity application. Included 

is important information about how soon you can 

expect a decision on your application and the different ways in which the RRB can send you your 

annuity payments.

Section 28 - Notice Of Railroad Retirement Board

Decision About Your Application

Using the information on your application and the 

proofs, the RRB will decide if an annuity can be 

paid. 

If an annuity cannot be paid, the RRB will send you 

a letter which explains:

z why an annuity cannot be paid; and

z what you can do if you disagree with the reason 

an annuity cannot be paid.

If an annuity can be paid, you will receive:

z a letter which shows the amount of the monthly 

8
z payment and other information about your entitlement to an annuity; and

z a payment for the amount which is due from 

the beginning date of your annuity through the 

month before the payment is received.

Sometimes the RRB will not be able to make a 

decision on your application without additional

information. If so, you will be contacted by an 

RRB representative. You will be asked to send us 

the additional forms, proofs, or statements that are 

needed.

You will receive your first payment, or a decision,

within 65 days of the date you file your application,

or become entitled to benefits, if later. If you are

already receiving a spouse annuity, you will receive

your first payment, or a decision, within 35 days of

the date we receive notice of the employee’s death. If

you do not hear from us within this time frame, please

contact us so we can find out what is causing the

delay. If you need to personally visit one of our field

offices, please call for an appointment. You will not

be refused service if you do not have an appointment,

but our staff can serve you better when an appointment is made. Railroad Retirement Board offices

are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.,

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and from

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday. To locate the

nearest RRB office, visit our web site at www.rrb.gov

or call 877-772-5772.

Section 29 - How Payments Are Made

In most cases, RRB annuity payments are deposited directly into the applicant’s checking or savings

account at their financial institution. Therefore, when

filing for an annuity, bring the following: your checkbook or a voided check; your bank statement; or the

name, location, and telephone number of your financial institution. This will allow the field office representative to properly route your payment.

The first payment which you receive from the RRB 

will include all back payments which are due. This 

payment may be received at any time during the 

month.

Payments issued after the back payment will be 

deposited into your account on the first day of the 

month. If the first day of the month falls on a Sunday 

or a holiday, the payment will be made on the next 

business day. The payment which is deposited at the 

beginning of the month actually represents the annuity which was due for the previous month.

In some situations, you can request that payments be made by check mailed to your home

address.

Section 30 - Changing Account or Financial

Organization

To arrange to have your payment sent to a different account or a different financial institution,

simply notify the nearest office of the RRB. To 

avoid delays in the receipt of your payment, do not

close the old account until your annuity payments

have begun to be deposited into the new account.

Section 31 - Change of Address

Always inform the RRB when there is a change in

your mailing address. It is important to report all

changes to the RRB, even if your payments are sent

directly to a financial institution. This mailing address

is used to send you any material other than your payments, such as award notices, notices of cost-of-living

increases, Medicare information, taxation information, new annual exempt amounts, etc.

To report a change of address, notify the nearest 

office of the RRB. You may telephone or write the 

office. If you write, include the following information:

z Your railroad retirement claim number.

z Your name.

z Your new address.

z Your old address.

z The date you will start receiving mail at the new 

address.

If you do not report your change of address, the 

RRB cannot be responsible for any important information which you do not receive.

9
 

 

 

 

 

Part VII

How Your Annuity Is Computed

Section 32 - The Parts Of A Railroad Retirement 

Annuity

Your annuity can be made up of one or two parts, 

depending on the type of annuity you are receiving. 

The first part, Tier I, is included in all annuities. See 

Section 34, for an explanation of how the Tier I is 

computed.

The second part, Tier II, (explained in Section 35), is not

included in your annuity computation if you are a remarried widow(er), surviving divorced spouse, divorced

mother/father or a parent, if other survivor annuitants are

entitled or potentially entitled to a widow(er), surviving

divorced spouse or child benefit.

Section 33 - Cost-of-Living Increases

Periodically, you will receive a cost-of-living

increase. Your gross Tier I increase will be the same 

percentage as the social security benefit cost-of-living increase. Your Tier II will generally increase by 

32.5 percent of the Tier I percentage increase. An 

increase may not be payable each year.

Section 34 - Tier I

The Tier I amount is based on the deceased employee’s combined railroad retirement and social security

credits. The Tier I you will receive is equal to a

percentage of the amount that the employee would

have received if he or she had retired under the social

security system only. The percentage depends on the

type of benefit you are receiving and the number of

annuitants who are qualified to receive a benefit. If

there are fewer than three qualified family members,

the percentages are as follows:

Widow 100%

Mother/Father 75%

Child 75%

Student 75%

One Parent 82-1/2%

Two Parents 75% each

If there are three or more qualified family members,

an amount called the “family maximum” applies to

the Tier I amount. The “family maximum” amount is

divided proportionately among the family members

to determine the individual annuity Tier I amounts.

The Tier I portion of the annuity is reduced for:

z the entire amount of any social security benefit

which you are entitled to receive on your own

account or on the account of another person;

z a portion of any railroad retirement annuity based 

on your own railroad industry work;

z two-thirds of the amount of any public service 

pension based on your earnings if you are receiving a widow(er) type benefit and you do not meet 

one of the exceptions given in Section 37.

If you are not entitled to a Tier II, you cannot receive 

an annuity if the amount of any social security benefit you receive is greater than the amount of the 

maximum Tier I which could be paid on the employee’s account.

Section 35 - Tier II

Widow(er)s–December 2001 legislation established

an “initial minimum amount” which yields, in effect,

a widow(er)’s tier II benefit equal to the tier II benefit the employee would have received at the time

of the award of the widow(er)’s annuity, minus

any applicable age reduction. It does this by adding a “guaranty amount,” initially set at 50% of the

employee’s tier II, to the 100% tier I and 50% tier

II benefits provided under prior law. The “initial

minimum amount” is computed as if it applied on

the widow(er)’s annuity beginning date and is not

increased for cost-of-living adjustments.

This “guaranty amount” is reduced each year by the

dollar amount of the cost-of-living increases payable

in both the tier I and tier II benefits provided under

prior law. Consequently, the widow(er)’s net benefit payment will not increase until, the annuity, as

computed under prior law exceeds annuity computed

under the initial minimum amount formula.

10
The widow(er)s’ guaranty provision applies to all 

widow(er)s entitled to a tier II effective February 1, 

2002. If the annuity beginning day is before February 

1, 2002 the increase due to the “initial minimum 

amount” may be zero, because of previous cost-ofliving adjustments.

If a widow(er) is also a railroad employee annuitant 

and both the widow(er) and the deceased employee 

started railroad employment after 1974, only the 

railroad retirement employee annuity or the survivor 

annuity, whichever is larger, is, in effect, payable to 

the widow(er) unless the smaller annuity is chosen.

Other survivors–Each child receives 15% of the 

deceased employee’s tier II amount, and each surviving parent receives 35%. the minimum total tier II 

amount payable to a family is 35% of the employee’s 

tier II amount, and the maximum, 130%.

A tier II benefit is not provided for a surviving 

divorced spouse or a remarried widow(er). A tier II 

benefit is not payable to surviving parents if other 

family members may receive benefits or if the parent 

has remarried. 

Section 36 - Social Security Benefits

If you are qualified to receive an old age, survivor, or 

disability insurance benefit from the Social Security 

Administration (SSA) at the time that you file your 

railroad retirement application, and you indicate on 

the application that you want to use your application 

to protect your filing date for a social security benefit, 

SSA will get in touch with you and advise you on 

how to file a social security application.

If you become qualified to receive any social security

benefits after you file your application for an annuity

with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), you must

contact the SSA office directly to file an application

for social security benefits. In either case, SSA will

decide if you are entitled to receive benefits and

will compute the amount of the benefits which can

be paid. However, the actual payment will be made

by the RRB and will be combined with your regular

monthly railroad retirement payment.

Section 34 explained how your annuity must be

adjusted for any social security benefit which you are

entitled to receive. In most cases, the total amount

which will be paid to you each month by both the

RRB and SSA will not change if you file for social

security benefits.

Filing for a social security benefit will usually 

increase the total benefits payable to you only if all 

of the following situations apply:

z Your social security benefit is larger than the 

Tier I part of your railroad retirement annuity; 

and

z you do not expect to earn more than the annual 

earnings exempt amount.

It is important to notify the RRB as soon as you file

a social security application for monthly benefits.

If you do not notify the RRB, a railroad retirement

annuity overpayment may result.

Section 37 - Public Service Pension

As explained in Section 34, a widow(er) type annuity must be adjusted for any public service pension 

payment, based on your earnings, that you receive.

A public service pension is the retirement pay 

you receive because you worked for the Federal 

Government of the United States, a state government or any political subdivision of a state, such 

as a city, county, town, township, village, school 

or sanitation district. The definition of “state”

includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 

Guam and American Samoa. Work for the government of a foreign country is not included.

The public service pension may either be monthly 

checks or a lump-sum payment. It may be administered by the government agency or a private insurance company. The following are not considered to 

be public service pension payments:

z Social security benefits.

z Railroad retirement annuities.

z Veteran affairs benefits.

z Worker’s compensation.

z Black lung benefits.

11
 

 

In addition, your annuity will not be adjusted for a 

public service pension if:

z If you were eligible for or entitled to a public

service pension before July 1, 1983, a special

exemption may apply to you. Contact an RRB

field office if this situation applies to you.

z If you worked for state or local government:

z Your application for benefits was filed after

March 2004 and your date last worked is

later than June 30, 2004 and FICA taxes were

deducted from your public service wages for 60

months. Coverage must include the last month

of employment.

z Your application for benefits was filed before 

March 2004 or your date worked is before 

July 1, 2004 FICA taxes must have been 

deducted on the last day of your public service employment.

z If you are a federal employee and you elected

coverage under the Federal Employee Retirement

System (FERS), If FERS coverage was elected in

1998, you must have worked for a minimum of

five years under FERS.

If you are receiving a public service pension when you

file an application, you must report to the RRB any

changes in the amount of the public service payment.

Section 38 - Widow(er)’s Rate Is Never Less 

Than Previous Rate

If you are currently receiving a retirement Spouse 

annuity, the total of your Widow(er)’s annuity will 

be compared to the amount you are now receiving. 

If the calculation of your Widow(er)’s annuity

results in an amount that is less than what you are 

currently receiving as a spouse, your Widow(er)’s 

annuity will be increased to equal that amount. Your 

Widow(er)’s annuity amount will never be less than 

the annuity you were receiving in the month before 

the employee’s death.

This guarantee does not apply to a Surviving

Divorced Spouse annuity.

Part VIII

Medicare Benefits

Section 39 - Medicare Benefits

Medicare is a Federal health insurance program for

people age 65 or older and certain disabled people.

There are two parts to the Medicare program. One

part is Hospital Insurance (also called Part A) and the

other part is Medical Insurance (also called Part B).

Medicare Part A helps pay for inpatient hospital care,

inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility following a hospital stay, home health care and hospice care. You do not

pay a premium for Part A coverage.

Medicare Part B helps pay for doctor’s services, outpatient hospital care, diagnostic tests, durable medical

equipment, ambulance services and many other health

services and supplies that are not covered by Medicare

Part A. If you are receiving a monthly payment from

the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), your premium

will be deducted from that monthly payment. If you are

not receiving a monthly payment or if your monthly

payment is not large enough to cover the premium, you

will be billed for the premium. If you wish to terminate

your Part B coverage, advise the RRB in writing.

You are eligible for Medicare if you are age 65 or 

over and receive or could receive a monthly railroad 

retirement annuity. If you are under age 65, you can 

get Medicare if you are rated disabled under the 

Social Security Act and have received a monthly 

railroad retirement annuity for 24 months. If you 

receive monthly payments, you will automatically 

be enrolled for Medicare at the appropriate time. If 

you are not receiving a monthly payment, contact 

the RRB about filing for Medicare.

If you decline Part B coverage when you are first eligible or terminate your Part B coverage, you will not

have another chance to enroll until the next general

enrollment period, unless you qualify for a special

enrollment period. You may also be charged a penalty for late enrollment unless you are covered under

an employer group health plan.

If you are under age 65 and you are receiving a 

monthly payment which is not based on disability 

and you become disabled, contact the RRB about 

12
 

 

filing for disability Medicare.

For more information about Medicare call

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24-hours a

day, for automated options.

Part IX

Federal Income Tax And Your

Benefits

Section 40 - General Information

Regular railroad retirement annuities consisting of

Tier I, Tier II, and Vested Dual Benefit components,

have been subject to United States Federal income

tax since 1984. Supplemental annuities have been

subject to Federal income tax since 1966. According

to the Railroad Retirement Act, Section 14 (45 U.S.C.

Section 231m), railroad retirement annuities are not

taxable for State income tax purposes.

Refer to booklet TB-25, Tax Withholding and Railroad

Retirement Payments, for more detailed information

regarding tax withholding on railroad retirement payments. Refer to booklet TB-85, Information about the

Taxation of Railroad Retirement Annuities, for general taxation information.

We only report taxable payments and repayments 

on tax statements. Questions about U.S. income 

tax information, what amounts to show on income 

tax returns or how to figure your taxable payments 

should be referred to the Internal Revenue Service. 

However, questions about railroad retirement benefit payments should be referred to your local 

Railroad Retirement Board office.

Section 41 - Tier I and Tier II

The Tier I component of a railroad retirement annuity is composed of two parts: (1) the Social Security 

Equivalent Benefit (SSEB) portion and (2) the NonSocial Security Equivalent Benefit (NSSEB) portion. Your Tier I may be composed of SSEB only, 

NSSEB only, or both.

The SSEB portion of Tier I is similar to a social 

security benefit and is treated as a social security 

benefit for Federal income tax purposes.

To determine if your SSEB portion of Tier I and/

or social security benefits are taxable, refer to the 

Social Security Benefits worksheet in the IRS booklet 1040 Instructions. For more detailed information, get IRS Publication 915, Social Security and 

Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits.

The NSSEB portion of Tier I and the Tier II portion of

a railroad retirement annuity are treated like contributory pensions for Federal income tax purposes. Only

the amount of the contributory pension that exceeds

the amount of contributions made by the wage earner

is taxable. Refer to IRS Publication 939, General Rule

for Pensions and Annuities, to determine your taxable

amount if you are not using the Simplified General

Rule.

Section 42 - Information For Widow(er)s

For widow(er)s that were paid as a spouse for part

of the year, only the annuity payments received as a

widow(er) should be used to compute the nontaxable

portion of the annuity payments.

For a widow(er) under age 60 who has a child in 

care, the Tier I portion of the railroad retirement 

annuity is considered all SSEB. However, the

Tier I portion of the railroad retirement annuity is 

considered all NSSEB if the Tier I is not payable 

under the rules established by the Social Security 

Administration. An example of Tier I considered 

as all NSSEB occurs when the child under the widow(er)’s care turns age 16 and is not disabled. 

Section 43 - Repayments

A repayment is a returned payment, a cash refund, 

or an amount withheld for overpayment purposes.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the RRB is 

allowed to give repayment credit for the SSEB 

and/or pre-SSEB portion of Tier I for any tax year. 

Refer to IRS Publication 915, Social Security and 

Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits, for information regarding current tax year or prior tax years’ 

SSEB repayment.

The NSSEB portion of Tier I and Tier II repayments

are composed of taxable and nontaxable portions.

There are tax implications when considering NSSEB

Tier II repayments. Therefore, the way you will han13
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dle the repayment will depend on the tax years to

which the repayment applies, and whether you had 

included the benefits that you repaid in your gross

income for those tax years. Refer to IRS Publication

575, Pension and Annuity Income, for information 

regarding NSSEB, Tier II, Vested Dual Benefits, and

SUPP repayments as well as instructions on how to 

handle current tax year and prior tax years’ repayments for income tax purposes.

Section 44 - U.S. Citizen and Resident Tax 

Withholding

The RRB allows citizens and legal residents of the

United States to elect tax withholding on their railroad 

retirement annuity. A tax withholding election must be 

filed on Form IRS W-4P, Withholding Certificate for 

Periodic Pension or Annuity Payments. RRB 

annuitants can also file Form IRS W-4V, 

Voluntary Withholding Request, to have taxes 

withheld from the SSEB portion of Tier I, or from 

their Social Security Benefit. Form IRS

W-4P allows annuitants to have taxes

deducted from the pension portions of the

annuity: NSSEB, Tier II, Vested Dual Benefits,

and SUPP.

If you elect to have income taxes withheld, by using

Form IRS W-4P, you may control the amount of taxes 

withheld from your regular monthly or accrued annuity payments by specifying your marital status and

the number of withholding allowances. You may also

request the RRB to withhold an additional amount or 

not to withhold any taxes from your annuity by using 

Form IRS W-4P. If an election is made, it will remain 

in force until changed or revoked. If an election is not 

made, the RRB is required by law to withhold taxes 

based on the current IRS default withholding 

amounts. However, tax withholding would not 

automatically be initiated unless your taxable 

annuity components paid in a month exceed the 

minimum mandatory withholding amount. Refer to 

booklet TB-25, Tax Withholding and Railroad 

Retirement Payments, for the minimum mandatory 

withholding amount and further information on tax 

withholding.

NOTE: If a U.S. citizen moves or resides out-side 

of the United States and has not filed Form 

RRB-1001, Nonresident Questionnaire, claiming 

U.S. citizenship, taxes will be withheld at the 

mandatory nonresident alien tax withholding rate 

until Form RRB-1001 is received at the RRB. 

See Section 45 below, for further information.

Section 45 - Nonresident Alien Tax Withholding

A nonresident alien is an individual who is neither

a citizen nor a resident of the United States. As prescribed by the Internal Revenue Code, nonresident 

aliens are subject to a mandatory tax withholding 

rate of 30% on 85% of the SSEB amount and 30% 

of the NSSEB and Tier II amounts.

The United States has a number of tax treaties with 

foreign countries which may result in a reduced tax 

withholding or, in some instances, no tax withholding 

for citizens or residents of those foreign countries. In 

order to take advantage of a tax treaty, you must claim 

an exemption based on a tax treaty in effect between 

the United States and your country of legal residence. 

Such a claim must be renewed every three years. Form

RRB-1001, Nonresident Questionnaire, is what a 

nonresident beneficiary should file in order to furnish 

citizenship, residence, and tax treaty claim exemption 

information to the RRB. If Form RRB-1001 is not 

filed or received, any nonresident beneficiary is 

assumed to be a nonresident alien and the mandatory 

tax withhold-ing rate prescribed by the Internal 

Revenue Code is applied to the railroad retirement 

annuity.

Therefore, we encourage our beneficiaries to file 

proof of citizenship and/or Form RRB-1001 before 

moving to a foreign country in order to avoid the 

mandatory nonresident alien tax withholding rate.

Contact an office of the RRB, an 

American Consulate, or an American Embassy 

if you need help completing Form RRB-1001, or 

if you need to submit proof of your legal residence 

or citizenship.

14
Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act Notices 

This notice is given under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 and the Privacy Act of 1974. The Privacy Act requires 

that the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) tell you the following whenever we ask you for information.

1) The law which allows us to ask for the information;

2) whether that law requires you to give us that information and what, if anything, might happen to you if you do

not give it to us;

3) the reason why the information is requested; and

4) the persons, organizations, and agencies to which we

may release the information without your permission.

The RRB’s authority for requesting this information

is Section 7(b) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974.

Providing us with this information is voluntary on your part.

However, if you fail to provide us with the requested information we may be unable to pay you any benefits. The RRB

needs this information to determine whether you are eligible to receive such benefits and, if so, the amount you are

entitled to receive. If your annuity application is approved

and we begin to pay you benefits, information that we may

request from you in the future will be used to determine

whether you are entitled to continue to receive such benefits.

Although the information we request is almost never used

for any purpose other than the payment of benefits under the

Railroad Retirement Act, the RRB does have the authority

to release information to the indicated individuals, organizations, and/or agencies listed below without your approval:

1) An attorney, the Office of the President, a Congressional

office, a labor union or the Department of State’s embassy

or consular offices if they allege to be representing you at

your request.

2) Other people who are receiving benefits based on the

same railroad retirement account as you are if the information affects their payments from the RRB.

3) A person who will receive benefits on your behalf if the

RRB decided that some medical condition keeps you from

receiving your own benefits; such information may also be

released in determining whether such a medical condition

exists and who is suitable to receive such benefits for you.

4) To people or organizations who are working for the RRB;

such information may include medical records.

5) The U.S. Treasury Department or U.S. Postal Service

to issue payments and to investigate lost, forged, or stolen

checks.

6) Your last employer to make sure that you are eligible

to receive railroad retirement benefits and you continue to

receive any available medical benefits, and to any railroad

industry employer (or to its insurance company) to make

sure that you can receive any private retirement or insurance benefits which may be offered by the employer.

7) The Social Security Administration, Center for

Medicare & Medicaid Services, Pension Benefit Guarantee

Corporation, Office of Personnel Management, Department

of Veterans Affairs, or Federal, state, or local welfare or 

public aid agencies to determine if you can receive benefits 

from these organizations and if any previous benefits were 

paid incorrectly.

8) The Internal Revenue Service or to state and local taxing

authorities for figuring your taxes and for use in audits.

9) Your last address and the name of your last employer

may be released to the Department of Health and Human

Services to be used in the Parent Locator Service.

10) The Government Accountability Office for audits and

for collecting overpayments owed to the RRB or the Social

Security Administration.

11) The U.S. Department of Labor as required by the

Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act.

12) In certain cases for law enforcement purposes and for

court proceedings.

13) Information about the determination and recovery of

an overpayment made to you may be released to any other

person from whom any portion of the overpayment is being

recovered.

14) Your name and address may be released to a Member

of Congress to inform you about current or proposed legislation which could affect the railroad retirement system.

15) Professional Standard Review Organizations and State

Licensing Boards when services provided by physicians or

practitioners suggest unethical or unprofessional conduct.

We estimate the application process takes an average of 20 

minutes per response to complete, including the time for 

reviewing the instructions, getting the needed data, and 

reviewing the completed application. 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 estimate or any other aspect of this 

process, including suggestions for reducing completion time, 

to the Associate Chief Information Officer for Policy and 

Compliance, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush 

Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.

Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act Notice 

The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 

requires the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) to advise 

you that information you have provided may be used, without your consent, in automated matching programs. These 

matching programs are a computer comparison of RRB 

records with records kept by other Federal, state, or local 

governmental agencies. Information from these matching 

programs can be used to establish or verify a person’s eligibility for Federally funded or administered benefit programs and for repayment of payments or delinquent debts 

under these programs.
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 with impaired vision or

hearing. 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 Railroad Retirement Board, OIG, Hot Line Officer, 844 North Rush Street,

Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275. Please do not call the Hot Line with questions

about eligibility requirements, delayed claims, or similar problems. Such matters should be directed to the nearest RRB field office.

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