The information in this section explains what the Railroad Retirement Board
does after you file your annuity application. Included is important information
about how soon you can expect a decision on your application.
Notice of Decision About Your Application
When you are ready to retire, contact your RRB field office to file your
spouse annuity application. Our goal is to process your application as quickly
as possible. Claims for some benefits may take longer to handle than others if
they are more complex, or if we have to get information from other people or
organizations. If this happens, we will give you an explanation and an estimate
of the time required to make a decision.
Sometimes we will not be able to make a decision on your application for
benefits without some additional information from you. If so, we will contact
you by telephone or mail and ask you to send us the required forms, proofs, or
statements.
If you do not receive a notice that additional information is needed, you
should receive the decision on your annuity application as follows.
Advance Filing Cases -
When you file up to three months before the earliest date your
spouse annuity
or divorced spouse annuity can begin, you should receive your annuity award
letter and first payment within 35 days of the date your annuity can begin.
However, note that no payment is due until the first day of the month after
the first month of annuity entitlement, as explained in the following section.
Other Than Advance Filing Cases -
If you do not file your application in advance of the earliest date on which
your annuity can begin, you should receive your annuity award letter and first
payment within 65 days from the date you file your application.
Annuity Denial -
If you cannot be paid an annuity, the RRB will send you a decision within 35
days of the beginning date you requested, if you filed in advance, or within 65
days of the date you filed, if you did not file in advance, explaining why you
cannot be paid and what you can do if you disagree with the reason you cannot be
paid. If you think we made the wrong decision about your benefits, you have the
right to ask for a review and to appeal within the required time limit shown in
the denial letter.
How Payments are Made
The first payment you receive from the RRB will be separate from your annuity
award letter. Annuities are payable at the beginning of the month following the
month for which the annuity accrued. The payment that you receive at the
beginning of the month actually represents the annuity that accrued for the
previous month.
Advance Filing Cases -
When you file up to three months before the earliest date your
spouse annuity
or divorced spouse annuity can begin, no payment is due until the first day of
the month after the first month of annuity entitlement.
Other Than Advance Filing Cases -
If you are not filing in advance of your annuity beginning date, the initial
payment may be a partial payment, with an estimated monthly rate, representing
payment due through the end of the preceding month. You will continue to receive
this partial amount until your final rate can be determined and awarded. Once
your final rate has been certified, you will receive any increase due from your
annuity beginning date. You may receive this payment at any time during the
month.
Remember: The payment that you receive after your initial payment will be
made once a month 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 received on the next
business day. The payment that you receive at the beginning of each month
actually represents the annuity that accrued for the previous month.
Direct Deposit to a Financial Institution
The Federal Government now requires that most government payments be sent
directly to a savings or checking account at a financial institution, instead of
being sent to the recipient's home. Under the RRB's Direct Deposit program, your
monthly annuity payment will be made directly to your savings or checking
account at the financial institution that you indicate on your annuity
application. You will find that this is both safe and convenient.
If you decline direct deposit based on hardship, you can still change your
mind at a later date. Telephone or visit your RRB field office. Have one of your
personal checks handy. It contains the information needed to start direct
deposit. The field office personnel will enter the information into our payment
system and tell you when the direct deposit will take effect.
You may also take one of your annuity checks to your financial institution
and ask them to complete an automated Quick$tart enrollment or a Form SF-1199A
"Authorization for Deposit of Federal Recurring Benefits". Your financial
institution will submit your enrollment to the RRB. Shortly after the RRB
receives your direct deposit information, your monthly annuity payments will
start going directly to your savings or checking account.
If you later change your account or financial institution, follow the steps
indicated above for direct deposit to your new account. Keep your old account
open until the direct deposit of payments to your new account begins.
Even though your payments are on direct deposit, be sure to keep your home
address on our records current.
Change of Address
Notify the nearest RRB office immediately if you change your address, even
when your monthly annuity payments are going directly to your savings or
checking account. All correspondence from the RRB is sent to your home mailing
address on record. This mailing address is used to send any material other than
your payments to you (such as notices of cost-of-living increases, Medicare
information, new Annual Earnings Exempt Amounts, and tax statements). If you do
not report your change of address, the RRB cannot be responsible for any
important information that you do not receive.
A notice of change of address must always include:
- your RRB claim number;
- your name;
- your new address;
- your old address;
- the date you will start receiving mail at the new address, and;
- a statement that your notice of change of address applies for both you and
the employee or applies to you alone.
When Your Annuity Is Not Payable
Spouse Annuity -
A spouse annuity is not payable for any month in which:
- the employee's annuity is not payable;
- you work for a railroad employer;
- neither you nor the employee began railroad service before 1975 and you
become entitled to your own RRA employee annuity that exceeds the amount of
the spouse annuity; or,
- you become entitled to an RRA survivor annuity on a different RRB earnings
record that exceeds the spouse annuity rate.
Divorced Spouse Annuity -
A divorced spouse annuity is not payable for any month in which:
- the employee's annuity is not payable;
- you work for a railroad employer; or,
- you become entitled to an RRA annuity based on your own earnings record
that exceeds your RRA divorced spouse annuity rate.
When Your Annuity Ends
Spouse Annuity -
A spouse annuity ends the month before the month in which:
- you die;
- the employee dies (a widow(er)'s annuity may become payable at this time);
- the employee's entitlement to an employee annuity terminates due to
recovery from disability;
- your marriage to the employee ends by absolute divorce (a divorced spouse
annuity may become payable at this time);
- your marriage to the employee is dissolved by annulment; or,
- the child qualifying you for an annuity is no longer in care or attains
age 18 or recovers from disability. Your spouse annuity will end unless you
are old enough to receive a spouse annuity based on age.
Divorced Spouse Annuity -
A divorced spouse annuity ends the month before the month in which:
- you die;
- the employee dies (a surviving divorced spouse annuity may become payable
at this time);
- the employee's entitlement to an employee annuity terminates due to
recovery from disability;
- you marry;
- you become entitled to social security benefits on your own earnings
record that are greater than the RRA divorced spouse gross annuity; or,
- you become entitled to an RRA survivor annuity based on another claim
number that exceeds the amount of the RRA divorced spouse annuity.
Records You Should Keep
We recommend that you keep this booklet, even after you file your annuity
application. It contains important information concerning your entitlement to
railroad retirement benefits. You should also keep your annuity award notice or
denial notice.
Also keep:
- any notes from the RRB representatives who helped you file your annuity
application. The notes should detail any special aspects of your claim (such
as why a certain employer was or was not your LPE);
- a copy of the AA-3, Receipt For Your Claim;
- a copy of your Federal Income Tax Form W-4-P Withholding Election Form;
and,
- booklet RB-9 Employee and Spouse Annuities - Events That Must Be Reported
to help you comply with RRB's reporting requirements.
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