Disability | RRB.Gov

Q&A: The Social Security Fairness Act and its Impact on Railroad Retirement Annuities

The Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA), which was signed into law on January 5, 2025, eliminates the reduction previously applied to the railroad retirement annuities or social security benefits of individuals who also receive pensions from work not covered by social security.

The following questions and answers describe how the SSFA impacts the computation of railroad retirement annuities and provide information related to the law’s implementation.

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New Law Can Increase Payments to Recipients of Public Pensions

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed by the President on January 5, 2025, will end two statutory reductions for railroad retirees, their spouses, and survivors who are receiving public pensions from work not covered by social security. In cases where the reductions applied, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) reduced the tier-I amount of the individual’s railroad retirement annuity, which is a social security equivalent benefit, due to receipt of such a pension.

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Disability Application Determination Average Processing Time

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Due to budgetary and staffing constraints, our average processing time for disability applications is 471 days. Once a determination has been finalized, you will receive a letter in the mail of our decision. If your doctor has advised you of any changes to your diagnosis or you have developed new conditions after you filed for disability and are currently awaiting a decision, please contact us to update your application.

Published by: Bureau of Field Service Field Office Locator

RRB Will Use Survey Results to Improve Disability Benefit Programs

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) earned a score of 70 in a recent survey of disability annuitants using methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The study was conducted by the Federal Consulting Group and Claes Fornell International over a one-month period in November and December of 2022. A total of 258 individuals took part in the telephone survey.

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Railroad Retirement Board Resumes In-Person Service

Effective April 25, 2022, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is offering in-person appointments at its nationwide network of 53 field offices.

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Railroad Retirement Board Closes Field Offices to Public

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.

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International Direct Deposit

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International Direct Deposit Form

Optional Form 1199-I
June 2005

The Railroad Retirement Board offers International Direct Deposit (IDD) of benefit payments to beneficiaries residing in the following countries:

Albania	Ghana	Norway
Algeria	Greece	Oman
Andorra	Grenada	Pakistan
Anguilla	Guatemala	Palau
Antigua & Barbuda	Guinea	Palestine
Argentina	Guyana	Panama
Armenia	Haiti	Papua - New Guinea
Aruba	Honduras	Paraguay
Australia	Hong Kong	Peru
Austria	Hungary	Philippines
Azerbaijan	Iceland	Poland
Bahama Islands	India	Portugal
Bahrain	Indonesia	Qatar
Bangladesh	Iraq	Romania
Barbados	Ireland	Rwanda
Belgium	Israel	Saint Martin
Belize	Italy	Samoa
Bermuda	Jamaica	San Marino
Bhutan	Japan	Saudi Arabia
Bolivia	Jordan	Senegal
Bonaire	Kenya	Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Kuwait	Seychelles
Botswana	Kyrgyzstan	Sierra Leone
Brazil	Laos	Singapore
British Virgin Islands	Latvia	Sint Maarten
Brunei	Lebanon	Slovak Republic
Bulgaria	Lesotho	Slovenia
Cabo Verde	Liberia	Solomon Islands
Cambodia	Libya	South Africa
Cameroon	Liechtenstein	South Korea
Canada	Lithuania	Spain
Cayman Islands	Luxembourg	Sri Lanka
Chile	Macao	St. Kitts and Nevis
China	Macedonia	St. Lucia
Colombia	Madagascar	St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Comoros	Malawi	Sudan
Congo	Malaysia	Suriname
Costa Rica	Maldives	Sweden
Cote D'Ivoire	Mali	Switzerland
Croatia	Malta	Taiwan
Curacao	Marshall Islands	Tanzania
Cyprus	Martinique	Thailand
Czech Republic	Mauritania	Timor-Leste
Denmark	Mauritius	Togo
Dijbouti	Mexico	Tonga
Dominica	Micronesia	Trinidad and Tobago
Dominican Republic	Moldova	Tunisia
Ecuador	Monaco	Turkey
Egypt	Mongolia	Turkmenistan
El Salvador	Montenegro	Turks and Caicos Islands
Eritrea	Montserrat	Uganda
Estonia	Morocco	Ukraine
Ethiopia	Myanmar	United Arab Emirates
Fiji Islands	Nauru	United Kingdom
Finland	Nepal	Uruguay
France	Netherlands	Vanuatu
French Polynesia	New Caledonia	Vietnam
Gambia	New Zealand	Yemen
Georgia	Nicaragua	Zimbabwe
Germany	Nigeria

As more countries meet the requirements of the Federal Reserve Bank and become eligible, the list of eligible countries will be updated.

IDD is Safe and Secure

IDD is much more secure than receiving your benefit by check. Mailed checks can be subject to loss, misrouting or even theft. Funds transferred through IDD are sent encrypted and arrive safely at your bank.

IDD and Currency

IDD puts your money directly into your local bank in local currency. If you reside in Canada and have a U.S. dollar account, you may elect to receive your payment electronically in U.S. dollars.

Note: This option is only available in Canada.

Enrollment in IDD

To sign up for International Direct Deposit, complete the enrollment form, OF 1199-I, and mail to:

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
Direct Deposit Specialist
844 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611

Make sure the form is completed accurately and signed. If your form is received and processed before the 15th of the month, your benefit payment will be sent to the new account beginning with the next month's payment.

If you currently have your benefit sent to a stateside financial institution, do NOT close that account until you have verified receipt at the new local bank. Otherwise, your benefit could be returned to the RRB, causing a delay.

With IDD, your money is deposited on the day you are scheduled to receive your benefit. For example, if your benefit is scheduled to be received on the third of the month, your money is available to you at the opening of the business day on the third. You can check with your bank to be sure that your money has been deposited.

If your IDD benefit is not in your account within the first three business days of the month, please call the Railroad Retirement Board at (877) 772-5772 to speak with a representative or, you may contact your servicing U.S. Embassy to report non-receipt. The U.S. Embassy will notify the RRB.

Published by: Policy and Systems | Email: webmaster@rrb.gov