Effective Dates: 07/14/2025 - Present Previous | Next

TN 6 (07-25)

DI 44001.101 Introduction to Processing Railroad (RR) Cases

A. Responsibility for processing RR claims

The Federal Disability Determination Division Chicago (FDDD) is responsible for processing disability claims filed by claimants who receive, or are eligible for, an annuity with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) and for coordination between the two agencies.

FDDD processes railroad (RR) disability claims using the same disability criteria and guidelines used by the State disability determination services (DDS), and discloses the determinations to the RRB.

These RR cases are divided into 2 groups:

  • •

    Dual eligibility, and

  • •

    Joint freeze.

NOTE: 

The material contained in this chapter is unique to processing dual eligibility RR cases.

B. Dual eligibility cases

Dual eligibility cases are claims for disability filed with SSA, including:

1. Career RR

A disability claim filed by a RR worker who has at least 60 months of creditable RR service earned after 12/31/95 (or 120 months earned at any time).

2. Dependent RR survivor disability annuitant

A claimant who is receiving or filing for a childhood disability annuity or a disabled widow(er)’s annuity with RRB on the account of a deceased RR employee, and is filing a disability claim with SSA on a different Social Security account.

The surviving child or widow(er)’s RR annuitant could be filing for disability with SSA for:

  • •

    Disability insurance benefits (DIB) on their own record and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI),

  • •

    Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) on another parent’s record, or

  • •

    Disabled Widows Benefits (DWB) on another prior spouse’s record.

IMPORTANT: 

If the spouse or child of a living career RR worker files for DIB or SSI on his or her own Social Security number, FDDD does not have jurisdiction of the claim. Route the claim to the DDS in the claimant’s state of residence, per DI 11050.010.

Dual eligibility processing:

  • •

    The field office (FO) takes a disability claim that fits the dual eligibility RR criteria and forwards the case to FDDD instead of the DDS.

  • •

    FDDD makes the determination on an initial or reconsideration claim and returns the case to the FO for final processing.

  • •

    If the claimant files for reconsideration on a dual eligibility claim, FDDD has jurisdiction.

  • •

    Case processing at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level is unchanged. The PSC that effectuates the ALJ decision is required to forward a copy of the decision to FDDD for coordination with the RRB.

  • •

    FDDD has jurisdiction for initial and reconsideration determinations on continuing disability review cases (CDR). If FDDD cannot issue a fully favorable decision on a CDR at the initial or reconsideration level, it refers the case to the Federal Disability Hearing Office in Region V for a disability hearing, per DI 33025.010.

C. Joint freeze cases

Joint freeze cases are claims for disability filed with RRB by a career RR worker.

An application for a disability annuity with the RRB is deemed a freeze application (joint freeze) with SSA. The number holder does not need to contact SSA for a freeze determination. The RRB makes its determination based on SSA disability program policy and procedures and sends the file to FDDD for review and processing of the SSA freeze.

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0444001101
DI 44001.101 - Introduction to Processing Railroad (RR) Cases - 07/14/2025
Batch run: 07/14/2025
Rev:07/14/2025