Your age and service annuity cannot begin until you stop all railroad work for pay. Also note that, after the annuity is awarded, payment cannot be made for any month in which you return to work for a railroad employer.
Under advance filing procedure, you may file for an age and service annuity up to three months before your annuity beginning date. If you are still working in railroad service when you file, this means that the date that you certify on your annuity application as the date you will stop railroad service and relinquish rights is a date in the future. If your plans change, you must promptly report any change in your last day of railroad service to the nearest RRB field office. Otherwise, your annuity beginning date could be incorrect, resulting in erroneous payments.
The RRB will release a Form G-88A.1, Request for Verification of Date Last Worked, to your last railroad employer if your date last worked is within 15 months of the date that you file your employee annuity application. This will notify your employer of your claimed date last worked and relinquishment of rights.