Prepared by Public Affairs 312-751-4777

Railroad retirement beneficiaries and rail employees can now access a number of new Benefit Online Services through the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s website. The services available include requests for:

• Statements of individual railroad service and compensation history
• Replacement Medicare cards
• Duplicate benefit information statements for income tax purposes
• Annuity rate verification letters

Individuals accessing the RRB’s website for these services will be asked to complete and submit an on-line form. The agency is utilizing the most secure encryption technology available to ensure all information it receives through the Internet remains confidential and safe from unauthorized access. Upon receipt, the RRB will process the item requested and mail the material to the individual’s address of record. As an additional security feature, if an address provided on the electronic form does not match the address in the agency’s computer systems, the item will be forwarded to the RRB’s nearest field office which will contact the individual to ensure delivery to the correct address.

While these same services are available through the RRB’s toll-free automated Help Line at 1-800-808-0772, or through any of the agency’s 53 field offices nationwide, this marks the first time the agency has made such transactions available through the Internet. Benefit Online Services provides a description of the security features that will be employed. Also included is an Internet Customer Survey to allow visitors to provide feedback on the types of services they would like to see the RRB offer over the Internet.

An independent Federal agency headquartered in Chicago, the RRB administers the $8 billion-a-year benefit programs provided under the Federal Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Insurance Acts covering the nation’s railroad workforce and their families.

###