Filing Requirements
To avoid losing unemployment benefits, your benefit application must be received by a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) office within 30 days of the first day for which you want to claim benefits. Your unemployment claims must be filed within 15 days of the last day of the claim or 15 days from the date we mail the form to you, whichever is later.

File only one application during a benefit year even if you become unemployed more than once during the year. In that case, you must request a new claim form from an RRB office within 30 days of the first day for which you want to claim benefits. Do not forget to sign and date your application and each claim form.

Benefit Year/Base Year
A new benefit year begins each July 1. Eligibility for benefits in a benefit year is based on your earnings in the previous calendar year (base year). For example, see the section titled Qualification Requirements.

Waiting Period Requirement
Benefits are payable for your days of unemployment over 7 in your first claim in each benefit year in order to satisfy a waiting period requirement. Even though no benefits are payable for the first claim if it has only 5, 6, or 7 days of unemployment, you must file the claim for your days of unemployment during the waiting period, otherwise you may lose benefits for claims after the waiting period.

Do not Claim Benefits for Days You Work or Receive Pay
Benefits are not payable for any day for which you receive pay. This includes wages from military reservist duty, full- time or part-time work for a railroad, nonrailroad employer, or self-employment. It also includes vacation pay, holiday pay, pay for time lost, guarantee pay and other types of remuneration.

If you are fully protected under a wage guarantee plan, it is not to your advantage to claim benefits since your unemployment benefits are subject to recovery by the RRB from your wage guarantee payable for the same period.

Reconsideration Rights
You may request reconsideration of any decision denying you benefits. A request for reconsideration must be made in writing within 60 days of the date of notice of the Railroad Retirement Board's adverse decision.

Please allow at least 15 days from the date you mail your claim to receive a payment. That amount of time is needed for delivery of your claim and payment, and to allow your employer time to submit information about your claim. If you do not receive payment within 15 days, you should contact your local RRB office about your claim.

When reporting earnings for a claim period, report only pay you are entitled to for days in the claim period. Do not include pay you received during the claim period that was earned on dates outside of the claim period. All earnings for a work shift are attributable to the day the shift begins.