Upon request, the RRB will provide a report of the amount of the monthly annuity being paid to a retired railroad employee and a breakdown of the divisible and non-divisible components. If the employee is not retired but has completed 10 years of railroad service, or 5 years of railroad service after 1995, the RRB will estimate the divisible and non-divisible monthly benefit amounts that would be payable if the employee were of retirement age at the time of the request. Estimates are not available until the employee has acquired the above-noted railroad service. Also, estimates are computed in June for service in the preceding calendar year.  For example, estimates based on service in calendar year 2010 are not available until June 2011.

Basis of Statement or Estimate

The RRB computes benefit estimates on the basis of its record of the employee's service and earnings. The RRB's records are updated annually on the basis of employer reports of employee service and earnings for the previous year. Benefit estimates are gross annuity amounts before any reductions. (Examples of annuity reductions include age reduction for early retirement, reduction for additional benefit entitlement, deductions for work, Medicare premium deductions, etc.)

Report of Creditable Service and Compensation

Each year, the RRB issues Form BA-6, Certificate of Service Months and Compensation, to railroad employees, showing the employee's service for the previous calendar year and his or her total creditable railroad service and compensation. The amount of creditable railroad compensation does not in any way reflect the "value" of the employee's railroad retirement benefits.

Future Benefits

 The RRB cannot furnish the present value of future benefits. Further, the RRB will not make computations based upon statistics or procedures not maintained by the RRB in its administration of the RRA. The RRB can provide information only to the extent it is maintained in its official records.

Disclosure of Employee Information

Other than annuity amounts and estimates, the RRB can provide information about the employee only if the employee authorizes the RRB to release it to another party. Information concerning an individual is not subject to disclosure even though it has been made the subject of a subpoena. See 20 CFR §§ 200.8 and 295.6. See also Hubbard v. Southern Railway Company, 179 F.Supp. 244 (D.C. M.D. Ga., 1959). As stated in 20 CFR § 295.6, the RRB treats a subpoena as a request for a benefit report or estimate.