TN 49 (08-08)

A. Background -- RR Disability cases

The RR Retirement Act provides a system of benefits for RR employees and their dependents and survivors, and is integrated with the Social Security Act to provide a coordinated system of retirement, survivor, dependent and disability benefits. These benefits are payable based on an individual's work in the RR industry, and in employment and self-employment covered by the Social Security Act.

A claimant's RR compensation after 1936 may be considered wages under the SS Act for Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) and freeze purposes if the claimant has less than 120 months of creditable RR service (and has less than 60 months of creditable RR service after 12/31/95) at the time of adjudication. In such cases the claimant is considered a casual or non-vested employee.

When counting months of service, include months of RR service before 1937 and any months of military service (MS) that are creditable under the RRA.

These cases are DIB cases and are processed by Field Office (FO) and State Disability Determination Services (DDS).

If the claimant has at least 120 months of creditable RR service (or has at least 60 months accrued after 12/31/95), the RR compensation after 1936 may be used to meet the disability insured status requirement for the disability freeze only.

The claimant is considered a career RR employee.

For a complete discussion of the effect of RR compensation on DIB and freeze cases, see Disability Freeze Determinations for Railroad (RR) Employees - DI 11050.005.

Disability claims (Title II and/or Title XVI) for career RR workers and most claims for dependent RR annuitants of deceased railroad workers (see Jurisdiction of Disability and Freeze Applications for Career Railroad (RR) Employee and Surviving Dependent RR Annuitant - DI 11050.025) are excluded from State DDS jurisdiction. After all development and system updates are complete send these claims directly to:

Great Lakes PSC (GLPSC-DPB)
P.O. Box 87755
Chicago, Illinois 60680-0955

USE DDS SITE CODE V32

B. Processing career Railroad cases

See Railroad (RR) Cases - DI 11050.000 for processing instructions.