TN 27 (07-26)

DI 33025.010 Career Railroad (RR) or Surviving Dependent RR Annuitant Cases - Disability Hearings Unit (DHU) Cases

A career RR case involves a disability claim filed by a railroad worker who is eligible for or entitled to a Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) annuity. A worker meets this requirement with:

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  at least 120 months of creditable RR service; or

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  at least 60 months after December 31, 1995.

A dependent RR annuitant is someone who is eligible for or entitled to a survivor disability annuity with the RRB and files a disability claim with the Social Security Administration (SSA) under another Social Security number (SSN). See Categories of Railroad (RR) Claims DI 11050.005.

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  The Disability Determination Services (DDS) and State DHU do not have jurisdiction for career RR or surviving dependent RR annuitant cases.

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  If the DDS receives an RR case involving reconsideration of medical cessation or reconsideration of adverse reopenings, the DDS will send the case to Great Lakes Program Service Center-Disability Case Review (GLPSC-DCR). See Career Railroad and Railroad Annuitant Reconsideration Continuing Disability Review (CDR) Requests DI 29005.020.

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  If the State DHU receives a misrouted career RR or surviving dependent RR annuitant case for a disability hearing, the State DHU will send the case to the Federal DHU in Disability Adjudication (DA).

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  If GLPSC-DCR cannot issue a fully favorable determination on either type of case, a Federal disability hearing officer (DHO) in DA must conduct a disability hearing.

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  GLPSC-DCR forwards the case to the DA-DHU for a Federal disability hearing.

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  GLPSC-DCR coordinates the Federal DHO decision with RRB.