Every application for railroad retirement benefits must be accompanied by documentary evidence that supports the claim for benefits. The sections in this part discuss the types of acceptable evidence. If you are unable to secure the necessary information, please contact the nearest field office of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). The people there will be glad to assist you.

General Information

Evidence submitted in support of an applicant’s claim should be:

• An original document; or
• a copy of a public record certified by the custodian of the record (CDC and Vital Records Information are two on-line sources from which to obtain birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates); or
• a photocopy or transcript of either of the above.

Facsimiled copies or documents which have been altered in any way do not qualify as original or certified copies. Therefore, they cannot be used as evidence.

Proof Of Death

Proof of death is required with all claims for benefits. If the death occurred inside the United States, the best proof of death includes:

• A certified copy of the death certificate. This can be secured from the Bureau of Vital Statistics or Department of Health for the city, county or state in which the death occurred.
• A signed statement of death by the funeral director on RRB Form G-273a or SSA’s Forms SSA-721 or SSA-2872. This is not an acceptable proof of death if the applicant is a funeral director or a representative of a funeral home.
• A copy of the coroner’s report of death.
• The verdict of the coroner’s jury of the state or community where death occurred.

A certified photocopy of any of the documents described above is acceptable. If you are unable to obtain any of these documents, contact the nearest field office of the RRB. The people there will be glad to assist you.

If the death occurred outside the United States, the proof of death can include:

• A report of death by a United States consul, or other agent of the State Department, bearing the signature and official seal. You can secure this report from the United States consulate or embassy.
• A certified copy of the public record of death.
• A signed statement of death by a funeral director.

Proof Of Marriage

The best proof of a ceremonial marriage is the original marriage certificate. If you can not locate your original certificate, the following proofs are acceptable.

• A copy of a public record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record can be secured by contacting the Clerk of the Court in the city or county where the marriage license was obtained or the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the state in which you were married.
• A copy of a religious record of the marriage certified by the custodian of the record. This record can be secured by contacting the church where the marriage took place or the clergy who performed the service.

NOTE: A marriage license is NOT an acceptable proof of marriage. If no marriage ceremony took place, contact the nearest field office of the RRB.

Proof Of Payment Of Burial Expenses

To prove the payment of all or any part of the burial expenses you must either submit RRB Form G-273a or an itemized, receipted statement or bill from the funeral director and other persons furnishing goods and services. The receipt must identify the deceased person, be signed by the funeral director or other person to whom payment was made and give all of the following information:

• Total amount of all burial expenses.
• Name of each person who paid the burial expenses.
• Amount and date of each payment.
• Amount of unpaid burial expenses.

If more than one funeral home is involved, proof of payment of burial expenses must be furnished by each one.

NOTE: If there are unpaid burial expenses, RRB Form G-273a must be submitted.

Proof Of Military Service

Proof of military service may be a certificate of discharge, or any official military record that shows the dates of service. If you cannot locate the military service record, contact your local field office for help.

Creditable military service can be counted as if it were railroad service if the following conditions are met:

• The employee performed creditable railroad service in the same or preceding year in which the military service began.
• The military service was involuntary.

Voluntary service is only creditable when such service was entered during a war period. Special rules may apply if the military service was from June 15, 1948, through December 15, 1950. Contact the local field office if this situation applies.

If the military service cannot be counted as railroad service, it still might be countable as wage credits. The RRB will determine the most advantageous way to count it.

Proof Of Appointment As Legal Representative

Evidence of appointment as legal representative is required of anyone filing an application for benefits on behalf of the employee’s estate. A legal representative can be the guardian, trustee, committee or conservator of an individual or the administrator or executor of an estate.

Proof of Court Appointment includes:

• a certified copy of letters of appointment;
• a "short" certificate;
• a certified copy of the order of appointment;
• any official document issued by the clerk or other proper official of the appointing court.

The document submitted must bear the court seal or the signature of the court clerk. If the court papers of appointment were made more than one year before the application is filed, the certification must show that they are still in full force and effect.

Proof Of Relationship

Proof of relationship must be given by each person applying for benefits as the child, parent, brother, sister, or grandchild of the former railroad employee. The best proof of relationship is a certified copy of the civil or religious birth record of the person filing for benefits showing the parents’ names.

When the relationship involves a legally adopted child or the parent of a legally adopted child, the best proof is a certified copy of the decree or order of adoption.

It may be necessary to submit more than one document to prove the relationship to the employee. The following situations are examples of when this may occur.

• A stepchild must show he or she is the child of the person married to the employee.
• A grandchild must show who his or her parents are and prove that his or her parent is related to the employee.
• A brother or sister of the employee must furnish his or her birth record and the employee’s showing that they both have the same parents.
• A stepparent must show that the person he or she is married to is the employee’s parent.