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710.5 Types Of SS Benefits Paid By RRB 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will certify to the RRB any retirement or 

survivor insurance benefit for which the RRB has jurisdiction. Types of SS benefits that 

could possibly be certified to the RRB include a wife's benefit, divorced wife's benefit, 

remarried widow's benefit, father's benefit, etc. For a complete list of the types of SS 

benefits, see the SSA Beneficiary Identification Codes (BIC) appendix in FOM I-1615.5. 

Any SS benefit underpayments (accruals) due at the death of a beneficiary whose 

benefits were paid by the RRB will be certified to the RRB after SSA determines the 

proper payee. 

There are certain cases which SSA deems "critical." Generally, this means that SSA 

received a Congressional inquiry in the case. The RRB agreed to expedite these cases 

if SSA makes a "critical case" call to the Congressional Inquiry Section (CIS) in the 

Office of Administration/Public Affairs. 

710.10 SS Benefits Not Paid By RRB 

SSA has sole authority over all Title XVI Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments; 

they are not paid by the RRB. 

Also, SSA will pay all SS lump-sum death payments and any attorney's fees which 

result from the beneficiary's attempt to establish entitlement to SS benefits. The 

attorney's fees will be paid by SSA and SSA will tell the RRB the amount to withhold 

from the beneficiary's SS accrual. 

710.15 RRB Claim Numbers 

All SS benefit payments will be maintained under the RRB claim number. Checks will 

bear the RRB claim number only. 

A. Individuals who are already on our rolls or have previously been assigned an 

RRB claim number - Their SS benefits will be processed under the RRB claim 

number already assigned to them. 

B. Individuals who are not on our rolls or have previously been assigned an RRB 

claim number - Their benefits will be processed under the RR employee's social 

security number which will be the RRB claim number. 

710.20 Claim Number Prefixes 

RRB claim number prefixes will be determined as follows: 

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A. The railroad employee: "A". 

B. The employee's spouse: "MA". 

C. The divorced spouse: "XA". 

D. The aged or disabled widow of the employee: "WA" or "WD". 

E. All others (includes children, etc.): "WCA" or "WCD". 

710.25 Date Of Payment 

SS benefits paid by the RRB are payable on the first day of the month following the 

month in which they accrue. The same rule applies to all RR annuities. However, this 

differs from SS benefits paid by SSA which are paid on the third day of the month 

following the month in which they accrue. 

710.30 Trust Funds 

SSA has two trust funds from which SS benefits are paid. Retirement and survivor 

benefits are paid from the Retirement and Survivors Insurance (RSI) trust fund. 

Disability benefits are paid from the Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund. An auxiliary 

beneficiary, i.e., wife, child, etc., is paid from the same trust fund as the primary 

beneficiary, i.e., the wage earner. 

The RRB must make SS payments from the proper trust fund. This information does 

not appear on the benefit check; it is noted on the checkwriting tapes in Headquarters 

for accounting purposes. 

710.35 Combining RR And SS Benefits 

RR and SS accruals paid after an initial award, adjustment or reinstatement will always 

be issued in separate checks. After the accrual is paid, the RR and SS payments will 

be combined in the next regular recurring check. 

Once the benefits are combined, if one of the benefits is suspended or terminated, a 

check will be issued for the benefit which continues to be paid. 

When two SS benefits are certified to the RRB for payment to the same person: 

A. We will combine them into one check, with any RR annuity payable, if both SS 

benefits are being paid from the same trust fund. 

Example: A spouse is entitled to a retirement benefit based on her own earnings 

and a wife's benefit based on her husband's earnings. 

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B. If one SS benefit is paid from the RSI trust fund and the other is paid from the DI 

trust fund, we will combine the SS retirement or survivor benefit with any RR 

annuity payable and pay it in one check while paying the SS disability benefit in a 

second check. 

Example: A spouse is entitled to a disability benefit based on her own earnings 

and a wife's benefit based on her husband's earnings. 

710.40 Check Legends 

Beneficiaries receiving RR annuities and/or SS benefits will have an indication on their 

benefit checks showing the type of payment(s) they are receiving. 

A. The legend "RR SS BEN" will be shown on the face of the check below the check 

amount in SS payment only cases. 

B. In dual RR/SS payment cases, the legend "RR COMB BEN" will be shown below 

the check amount. If for any reason either benefit is suspended or terminated, a 

check will be issued for the benefit which continues to be paid. The legend on 

the check will be either "RR REG ANN," if the RR annuity remains payable, or 

"RR SS BEN," if the SS benefit remains payable. 

710.45 Notices Released By RRB 

The letters to be used in various SS benefit payment situations are shown below: 

Letter Use 

RL-130A Used as an initial award letter when no RR annuity is payable to 

the SS beneficiary or when an RR annuity application is pending 

but has not been awarded. (Initial SS Award/No RR Annuity 

Payable) See exhibit 2. 

RL-130B Used as an initial award letter when the RR annuity is in pay 

status and has already been correctly reduced for the SS benefit. 

(Initial SS Award) See exhibit 3. 

RL-130C Used when initial payments are one-payment-only awards. (Initial 

SS Award) See exhibit 4. 

RL-130E Used to inform the beneficiary that the SS payment material was 

returned to SSA. See exhibit 5. 

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RL-130R Used with initial awards when the full accrual is being withheld to 

be applied towards the RR annuity overpayment. (Initial SS 

Award) See exhibit 6. 

RL-130T Used with initial awards when part of the accrual is paid and the 

other part is withheld to offset the RR overpayment. (Initial SS 

Award) See exhibit 7. 

RL-130TC Used with initial awards when part of the accrual is being withheld 

to be applied towards the RR annuity overpayment. (Initial SS 

Award/RR Adjustment Involved) See exhibit 8. 

RL-130U Used to explain post-entitlement adjustments. (SS Reinstatement 

or SS Reinst/Recert Awards) See exhibit 9. 

RL-130UC Used to explain post-entitlement adjustments. (RR/SS 

Adjustment) See exhibit 10. 

RL-130XC Used to explain post-entitlement one-payment-only awards or to 

refund an over-withheld accrual. (RR/SS Adjustment) See exhibit 

11. 

RL-130Z Used as an award/adjustment letter for cases paid by PAM. The 

computer will print appropriate award data and code paragraphs 

on stationery with "Social Security Benefit Information" heading. 

See exhibit 12. Also used as a "stall" letter for beneficiaries 

whose SS benefits could not be paid by PAM but will be referred 

to an examiner for manual handling. See exhibit 12. 

RL130EZ Stall letter. Used to inform the beneficiary that we had received 

payment information from the Social Security to process their 

benefit award. See exhibit 13. 

RL-177 Used as an award/adjustment letter for cases paid by the System 

to Automate Zero Accrual (STAZA) program. See exhibits 14 and 

15. 

NOTE: (District office copy of the letter will be RL-177b.) 

710.50 Limits On RRB Adjudication Authority 

SSA is solely responsible for adjudicating claims for entitlement under the Social 

Security Act even though the RRB is paying the benefits. The adjudication 

responsibility includes determining initial entitlement, the effect of post-entitlement 

actions and Medicare entitlement. The RRB merely acts as the payment agent for SSA. 

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710.55 Actions Authorized By SSA 

The following is a list of actions that must be authorized by SSA: 

A. Initial awards; 

B. All adjustments, i.e., cost of living increases, recomputations, etc.; 

C. Suspensions; 

D. Terminations, except death terminations; 

E. Overpayment recovery; and 

F. Awarding of underpayments. 

When the RRB receives a notice of a death or a change of address for an SS 

beneficiary, immediate action can be taken without authorization from SSA. However, 

SSA is subsequently notified of our action. 

710.60 SSA On-Site Representative 

SSA's Great Lakes Program Service Center in Chicago has agreed to provide the RRB 

with one person daily who is authorized to adjudicate SS claims. (S)he is called an onsite representative. 

If the RRB receives direct notice of a post-entitlement event which requires immediate 

suspension or termination for a reason other than death, the on-site representative may 

be able to authorize such action when necessary. When dire need is involved, the 

representative may take SS benefit information over the telephone to provide for an 

initial award or a reinstatement award. 

710.65 Recovery Of SS Overpayments 

Social security overpayments may be detected by SSA or RRB in the course of policing 

actions, correcting erroneous rates or by direct contact from the beneficiary. If the RRB 

becomes aware of an overpayment situation, we will contact SSA, state the reason for 

the suspected overpayment and provide an actual payment summary. SSA will take all 

adjudicative actions with one exception: RRB may request the return or refund of 

outstanding SS benefit checks without adjudication by SSA when a social security 

benefit has terminated by death. 

Social security overpayments of $1.00 or more are now subject to recovery action. 

Previously, tolerance was applied to overpayments of $15.00 or less unless the 

overpayment could be recovered from SSA's LSDP. 

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710.65.1 SSA Actions 

Upon receipt of RRB's overpayment notice, SSA will determine the overpayment 

amount and notify the beneficiary of the overpayment, possible recovery methods and 

appeal rights. For sample wording of an SSA overpayment letter, see exhibits 15 and 

15A. 

SSA will initiate and pursue overpayment collection efforts for overpaid beneficiaries no 

longer entitled to SS benefits. 

If the overpaid beneficiary has continuing SS entitlement, SSA will request full 

repayment within 30 days or full withholding will be instituted. Beneficiaries are advised 

to contact the SSA district office if they want partial withholding, a different rate of 

adjustment, reconsideration or waiver. 

SSA will inform the RRB of the overpayment amount and the selected method of 

recovery for each overpaid beneficiary with continuing SS entitlement. 

710.65.2 RRB Actions 

When the RRB receives overpayment information from SSA, Headquarters will notify 

the beneficiary of the recovery action and the date recovery will begin. Next, we will 

adjust the SS benefit to effect recovery. We will properly control the case so that the 

benefit can be adjusted to the proper rate after the overpayment is recovered. 

The RRB district office will only become involved in SS overpayments when: 

1. The beneficiary comes in with an appeal of the overpayment, see FOM I 715.55; 

or 

2. The beneficiary wishes to make a cash refund directly to the RRB, see FOM I 

715.30. 

710.70 Recovery Of RR Overpayments Due To SS Entitlement 

A railroad overpayment due to SS entitlement may be recovered from a beneficiary's SS 

accrual. That is the only type of RR overpayment that can be recovered from SS 

benefits. 

If the SS accrual is insufficient to recover the overpayment, the remaining overpayment 

will be recovered from the RR annuity under current overpayment procedure. 

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