An application is a claim for an annuity or lump sum if it meets all of the following conditions:

(a) It is on an application form completed and filed with the Board as described in § 217.6;

(b) It is signed by the claimant or by someone described in § 217.17 who can sign the application for the claimant;

(c) It is filed with the Board on or before the date of death of the claimant. (See § 217.10 for limited exceptions.)

(a) General. An application filed with the Board is generally one that is filed on a form set up by the Board for that purpose. See part 200 of this chapter for a list of application forms.

(b) Claim filed with the Social Security Administration. An application filed for benefits under title II of the Social Security Act on one of the forms set up by the Social Security Administration for that purpose (except an application for a disability insurance benefit that terminated before the employee completed his or her 120th month of creditable railroad service) is also considered an application for an annuity or lump sum if it is filed as shown in § 217.7.

(c) Claim filed with the Veterans Administration. An application filed with the Veterans Administration on one of its forms for survivor benefits under section 3005 of title 38, United States Code, is also considered an application for a survivor annuity.

(a) Claim is for life benefits. An application for life benefits under title II of the Social Security Act is an application for an annuity if the conditions either in paragraphs (a)(1), (2), and (3) or in paragraph (a)(4) of this section are met:

(1) The application was filed because the applicant did not know he or she was eligible for an annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act. The Board must have or receive evidence indicating why the applicant thought that he or she lacked eligibility for an annuity.

(2) The claimant would have been entitled to and would currently be entitled to an annuity under subpart B or D of part 216 of this chapter if the applicant had applied for the annuity on the date the social security application was filed.

(3) The applicant asks the Board in a written statement to consider the application for social security benefits as an application for an employee or spouse annuity.

(4) The application was filed because the employee had less than 10 years of creditable railroad service, and having established entitlement to social security benefits and continued working in railroad service, subsequently acquired 10 years of railroad service.

(b) Claim is for death benefits. An application for death benefits under title II of the Social Security Act is an application for an annuity or lump sum if—

(1) The application is filed based on the death of an employee and the Board has jurisdiction for the payment of survivor benefits based on the compensation record of the deceased employee; and

(2) The claimant is eligible for an annuity or a lump-sum death payment on the date the application is filed.

An annuity application filed with the Board is generally considered as an application for other benefits to which a person is or may be eligible. Therefore a claimant does not need to file another application to be entitled to any of the following types of benefits:

(a) An employee age annuity if—

(1) The employee's application for a disability annuity is denied and the employee is eligible for the age annuity on the date the application is filed; or

(2) The employee is entitled to a disability annuity in the month before the month he or she is 65 years old.

(b) An employee disability annuity if an application for an age annuity is denied and the employee is eligible for the disability annuity on the date the application is filed.

(c) An accrued employee or supplemental annuity, or a residual lump sum, if a claimant is eligible for one of these payments when he or she files an application for a survivor annuity or lump-sum payment under this chapter.

(d) A widow(er)'s annuity if the widow(er) was entitled to a spouse annuity in the month before the month the employee died.

(e) A widow(er)'s annuity if the widow(er) was included in the computation of the employee's annuity under the social security overall minimum provision of the Railroad Retirement Act in the month before the month the employee died.

(f) A child's annuity if the spouse of the employee had the child “in care” and was entitled to a spouse annuity in the month before the month the employee died.

(g) A child's annuity or child's full-time student annuity if the child of the employee was included in the computation of the employee's annuity under the social security overall minimum provision of the Railroad Retirement Act in the month before the month the employee died.

(h) A widow(er)'s annuity based on age if the widow(er) was entitled to a widow(er)'s annuity based on disability in the month before the month in which he or she attains age 60.

(i) A widow(er)'s annuity based on age or disability if a widow(er), who was receiving an annuity because he or she had the employee's child “in care”, is eligible for an age or disability annuity when he or she no longer has an eligible child “in care”.

(j) A spouse annuity based on age if a spouse, who was receiving an annuity because he or she had the employee's child “in care”, is eligible for an unreduced age annuity when he or she no longer has an eligible child “in care”.

(k) A widow(er)'s annuity based upon having the employee's child “in care” if during the time the widow(er) is entitled to an annuity based on disability, he or she has “in care” a child of the deceased employee.

(l) A divorced spouse annuity if the divorced spouse was entitled to a spouse annuity reduced for age in the month before the month of the effective date of the final decree of divorce.

(m) A divorced spouse annuity if the spouse claimant has remarried the employee during the six-month retroactive period of the spouse annuity application.

(n) A divorced spouse annuity if the divorced spouse was entitled to a spouse annuity not reduced for age in the month before the month of the effective date of the final decree of divorce and would also be entitled to a divorced spouse annuity not reduced for age.

(o) A surviving divorced spouse annuity if the surviving divorced spouse was entitled to a divorced spouse annuity in the month before the month the employee died.

(p) A remarried widow(er)'s annuity if the remarried widow(er) was entitled to a widow(er)'s annuity in the month before the month of remarriage.

(q) A remarried widow(er)'s annuity or a surviving divorced spouse annuity based on age or disability if the remarried widow(er) or surviving divorced spouse, who was receiving an annuity because he or she had the employee's child “in care”, is eligible for an age or disability annuity when he or she no longer has an eligible child “in care”.

(r) A remarried widow(er)'s annuity or a surviving divorced spouse annuity based on age if the remarried widow(er) or the surviving divorced spouse was entitled to an annuity based on the disability in the month before the month in which he or she attains age 65.

(s) A remarried widow(er)'s annuity or a surviving divorced spouse annuity based on age if the remarried widow(er) or surviving divorced spouse, who was receiving an annuity based on disability, is 60 years old or older when he or she recovers from the disability.

(t) A benefit under title II of the Social Security Act unless the applicant restricts the application only to an annuity payable under the Railroad Retirement Act.

(u) An accrued annuity due at the death of a spouse or divorced spouse if the claimant is entitled to an employee annuity on the same claim number.

(v) A full-time student's annuity if the student was entitled to a child's annuity in the month before the month the child attained age 18.

(a) When effective period ends. The effective period of an application ends on the date of the notice of an initial decision denying the claim. If a timely appeal is made (see part 260 of this chapter) the effective period of the application ends on the date of the notice of the decision of the referee, on the date of the notice of the final decision of the Board, or when court review of the denial has been completed. After the effective period of an application ends, the person must file a new application for any annuity or lump sum to which the claimant believes he or she is eligible.

(b) Application filed before claimant is eligible—(1) General rule. Except as shown in paragraph (b)(2) and paragraph (b)(3) of this section, an application for an annuity must be denied if it is filed with the Board more than three months before the date an annuity can begin.

(2) Application for disability annuity. If the Board determines that a claimant for a disability annuity is disabled under part 220 of this chapter, beginning with a date after the application is filed and before a final decision is made, the application is treated as though it were filed on the date the claimant became disabled. The claimant may be an employee, widow(er), surviving divorced spouse, remarried widow(er), or surviving child.

(3) Application for spouse annuity filed simultaneously with employee disability annuity application. When the qualifying employee's annuity application effective period is determined by the preceding paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a spouse who meets all eligibility requirements may file an annuity application on the same date as the employee claimant. The spouse application will be treated as though it were filed on the later of the actual filing date or the employee's annuity beginning date.

(c) Application filed after the claimant is eligible—(1) Application for lump-sum death payment. An application for a lump-sum death payment under part 234 of this chapter must be filed within two years after the death of the employee. This period may be extended under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, or when the applicant can prove “good cause” under § 217.11 of this chapter for not filing within the time limit.

(2) Application for annuity unpaid at death. An application for an annuity due but unpaid at death under part 234 of this chapter must be filed within two years after the death of the person entitled to the annuity. This period may be extended under the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, or when the applicant can prove “good cause” under § 217.11 of this chapter for not filing within the time limit.

(3) Application for residual lump sum. An application for a residual lump sum under part 234 of this chapter may be filed at any time after the death of the employee.

(4) Application for a period of disability. In order to be entitled to a period of disability under part 220 of this chapter, an employee must apply while he or she is disabled under part 220 or not later than 12 months after the month in which the period of disability ends except that an employee who is unable to apply within the 12-month period after the period of disability ends because his or her physical condition limited his or her activities to the extent that he or she could not complete and sign an application or because he or she was mentally incompetent, may apply no later than 36 months after the period of disability ends.

(a) A survivor eligible for an annuity or lump sum under this chapter may file an application to establish a period of disability if the employee dies before filing an application for a disability annuity. A period of disability is defined in part 220 of this chapter. The application must be filed within three months after the month the employee died.

(b) A person who could receive payment for the estate of a person who paid the burial expenses of the deceased employee may file an application if the person who paid the burial expenses dies before applying for the lump-sum death payment under part 234 of this chapter. The application must be filed within the two-year period shown in § 217.9 (c)(1).

(c) A widow(er) or surviving divorced spouse may file an application for a spouse or divorced spouse annuity after the death of the employee if the widower(er) or surviving divorced spouse was eligible for a spouse or divorced spouse annuity in any month before the month the employee died. The spouse or divorced spouse annuity is payable from the beginning date set forth in part 218 of this chapter.

(a) An applicant has “good cause” for a delay in the filing of an application for a lump-sum death payment or an annuity unpaid at death, as shown in § 217.9(c)(1) and (2), if the delay was due to—

(1) Circumstances beyond the applicant's control, such as extended illiness, mental or physical incapacity, or communication difficulties; or

(2) Incorrect or incomplete information furnished by the Board; or

(3) Efforts by the applicant to secure evidence without realizing that evidence could be submitted after filing an application; or

(4) Unusual or unavoidable circumstances which show that the applicant could not reasonably be expected to have been aware of the need to file an application within the set time limit.

(b) An applicant does not have good cause for a delay in filing if he or she was informed of the need to file within the set time limit but neglected to do so or decided not to file.