Policy and Systems

Important Reminders

Filing Requirements - To avoid losing sickness benefits, your benefit application must be received by a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) office within 10 days of the first day for which you want to claim benefits. Your sickness claims must be filed within 30 days of the last day of the claim or 30 days from the date we mail the form to you, whichever is later.

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Checking Your Benefits by Telephone

You can obtain detailed information about your sickness benefit payments and claims at any time, by calling our national automated telephone service. Calling this number gives you access to:

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Fraud and Abuse Hotline

Call the toll-free Hot Line if you have reason to believe that someone is receiving railroad unemployment or sickness benefits to which he or she is not entitled. The Hot Line has been installed by the Railroad Retirement Board's Inspector General to receive any evidence of fraud or abuse of the RRB's benefit programs.

The toll-free Hot Line number is 1-800-772-4258. Or you may send your complaints in writing to the RRB, OIG, Hot Line Officer, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275.

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Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability

Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) regulations, no qualified person may be discriminated against on the basis of disability. RRB programs and activities must be accessible to all qualified applicants and beneficiaries, including those who are vision or hearing impaired. Disabled persons needing assistance (including auxiliary aids or program information in accessible formats) should contact the nearest RRB office.

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Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

To receive sickness benefits, you must complete an application and claim form(s). You may also be asked to complete other forms. Some of these forms are listed below along with estimates of how long we think it takes to complete them. The estimates include time for reviewing the instructions, getting the needed data, and reviewing the completed form. Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number.

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Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act Notice

In addition to the uses of information described in the preceding Privacy Act Notice, information you provide may be used, without your consent, in automated matching programs. These matching programs are a computer comparison of Railroad Retirement Board records with records kept by other Federal agencies or State and local governmental agencies. Information from these matching programs can be used to establish or verify a person's eligibility for benefits and for repayment of benefits or delinquent debts.

What Are Computer Matching Programs?

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Privacy Act Notice

To receive sickness benefits you must apply for them and furnish information. Information that the RRB asks you to furnish is used to determine if you are eligible for benefits and the amount of benefits payable to you. Although furnishing information, including your social security number, is voluntary, the RRB cannot pay you benefits without this information. The RRB's authority for requesting information is Section 5(b) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.

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Notices

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Claim for Sickness Benefits (Form SI-3)

The following instructions are for claim forms mailed to you by the RRB. Read the instructions carefully before completing your claim forms. Failure to complete your claim correctly could delay the payment of benefits.

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Statement of Authority to Act for Employee (Form SI-10)

Completion of Form SI-10, Statement of Authority to Act for Employee, is not required for an employee who can sign papers or can sign by a mark and who understands transactions related to his or her application for benefits.

Section 1 - Statement of Individual Acting for Employee

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