Standards
When you apply for these benefits, you can expect us to process your
application within the number of calendar days shown below.
Employee and spouse
retirement benefits
|
Filed in advance of the beginning date of your annuity |
35 days of the beginning date of your annuity |
Not filed in advance of the beginning date of your annuity |
60 days of the date you file your application |
Initial survivor benefits |
60 days of the beginning date of your annuity |
Conversion from spouse to survivor benefits |
30 days of the date you file your application |
Lump-sum death benefits |
60 days of first notice of the employee's death |
Unemployment and sickness
insurance benefits
|
Unemployment and sickness applications |
10 days of the date you file |
Subsequent claims for unemployment and sickness benefits when found entitled |
10 days of the date we receive your claim |
Disability benefits
Note: Processing applications for disability benefits is
more complex than our other benefits due to the need to develop
medical evidence. When you file an application for
disability benefits, our field office staff will provide you
with additional information on our processing times for
decisions and payments. |
100 days of the date you file |
After our decision is completed
Notice of Award or Denial
You should receive a decision notice within 2 weeks.
Benefit Payment
If you are entitled to benefits, generally
you can expect that the payment will be deposited in your bank account within 1
week of our decision.
Additional Information
Occasionally, claims for some benefits may
take longer to handle than others if they are more complex, or if we have to get
information from outside the agency. If this happens, we will give you an
explanation and an estimate of the additional time required to make a decision.
If you do not receive your payment or decision
notice within the time periods stated in our standards, contact the office where
you filed your application or claim. They will provide the current status
and an estimate of when you can expect a decision or payment.
Openness
- We will display in each office annually how well we are
meeting the established standards.
- When you visit our offices, the staff you see will
identify themselves by name.
- When you telephone us, we will identify ourselves
by name.
- Our letters will be easy to understand and the person writing to you will
give you his or her name, unless the letter is a computer-generated notice.
Accessibility
- If you have access to the Internet, you can get more information on the
agency and its programs through our web site. The agency’s
Benefit Online Services provides information regarding services that are currently
available online.
If you take advantage of these options, generally you can expect to receive
services faster than if you handled these transactions by traditional methods,
though these are still available. You can also send a secure message to a
field office.
- A toll-free automated Help Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
at 1-800-808-0772. You can use the Help Line to find the locations of RRB
field offices, obtain information on unemployment-sickness benefits or
statements of creditable service and compensation, request a letter to verify
your current monthly benefit rate, secure a replacement Medicare card, or
request a duplicate RRA tax statement.
- You may telephone our offices during our business hours if you have a
question about your benefits. If you leave a message, we will generally return
your call by the next business day.
- Before visiting one of our offices, we encourage you to make an
appointment to enable us to service you more promptly. If you cannot come to
our offices, we may be able to visit you at one of our regularly scheduled
Customer OutReach Program service locations.
- When inquiring with us by letter, we will respond to you in a timely
fashion. Generally this will be within 2 to 4 weeks depending on the nature
of your letter. If we cannot answer your question fully within that time
frame, we will acknowledge your contact and let you know when you can expect
to receive a full response.
Accountability
- The information you provide us is protected under the provisions of the
Privacy Act.
- If things go wrong, at the very least you are
entitled to a good explanation and an apology.
- If you don't agree with our decision about your benefits, you have
the right to ask for review and to appeal. We will tell you about
these rights each time we make a decision about your benefits.
- A Customer Assessment Survey form is available in
every office for you to tell us how we did and how we can improve our service.
- If you are not satisfied with our service, you may contact the manager of
the office or the Regional Director who is responsible for that office. Their
names and addresses are available here.
Customer Service Pledge
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
recognizes that all its services are financed by our customers: the nation's
railroad workers and employers. They are entitled to high quality
service, responsive to their needs, provided efficiently at a reasonable cost.
This has been recognized in the agency mission statement:
In carrying out its mission, the Railroad Retirement Board will
pay benefits to the right people, in the right amounts, in a timely manner, and
will take appropriate action to safeguard our customers' trust funds. The Railroad Retirement Board will treat every person who comes
into contact with the agency with courtesy and concern, and respond to all
inquiries promptly, accurately and clearly.
The Customer Service Plan is centered on
the following principles of public service: standards; openness; accessibility;
and accountability. It is published nationally and posted in each office of the RRB
in order to communicate these standards to our customers and to reinforce them
with our employees. There is a clear presumption that our service will
progressively improve as our operations become more efficient. The plan will be
reviewed and updated periodically as we gain more experience with it and as we
compare our service with the best in the private sector.
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