On March 13, the President declared the COVID-19 virus outbreak a national emergency. While U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) employees continue to work both on-site and remotely, out of an abundance of caution, the RRB decided to close its 53 field offices to the public effective Monday, March 16, until further notice.
Older individuals with underlying medical conditions comprise a significant percentage of individuals who visit their local field office for assistance. Unfortunately, this same group of people are also within the group of people at high-risk of contracting the virus. The decision to close public access to field offices was made in order to mitigate the exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Limiting personal contact is the best method for combating widespread transmission of the virus for both our customers and our employees. While closed physically, these offices will continue to remain accessible by phone and email.
This regrettable situation allows for the opportunity to become better acquainted with self-service options which are available for RRB customers. These options are available 24/7. Customers can request the following documents and get the following information online by visiting myRRB or by using the automated menus on the toll-free number (1-877-772-5772):
- Letters verifying income and monthly benefits rates
- Service and compensation statement
- Replacement Medicare card
- Duplicate tax statement (1099, 1099R)
- General benefit information
- RRB field office addresses
In addition, railroad employees who have established myRRB accounts can login and:
- Apply for and claim unemployment benefits
- Claim sickness benefits
- Check the status of their unemployment or sickness benefit claims
- View their railroad service and compensation history
- Get an estimate of retirement benefits
If a customer absolutely needs to talk to an RRB employee, they always have the option of connecting with a representative through the toll-free number (1-877-772-5772). However, customers are being asked to be patient because of the expected increase in call volume due to the office closures.
Customers also have the option of sending a secure e-mail to their local office by accessing Field Office Locator and clicking on the link at the bottom of their servicing office’s page.