Effective January 1, 1975, the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (Act) requires the Railroad Retirement Board (Board) to provide for the payment of monthly social security benefit payments on behalf of the Social Security Administration to certain individuals as described in § 235.3 of this part. However, any such individual who was receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration prior to January 1, 1975, will continue to receive benefits from that agency unless he or she becomes eligible for a different type of social security benefit after that date and files a new application with the Social Security Administration for that benefit. Benefits under the new entitlement will be paid by the Board. The Act provides an offset in the railroad retirement benefits of individuals who are also eligible for social security benefits. Because the Board is required to make this offset, the payment of social security benefits by the Board is authorized for the purpose of convenience in the administration of the Act.

This part is related to a number of other parts in this chapter:

(a) Part 216 describes when a person is eligible for an annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act.

(b) Part 222 defines family relationships (for example, who is the wife or widow of an employee) for use when it is necessary to establish such a relationship in order to receive a benefit under the Railroad Retirement Act.

The following individuals, if entitled to social security benefits, are paid such benefits by the Board:

(a) A railroad employee who has been credited with at least 120 months of railroad service (or at least 60 months of railroad service, all of which accrue after December 31, 1995);

(b) A wife or husband of a railroad employee who has been credited with at least 120 months of railroad service (or at least 60 months of railroad service, all of which accrue after December 31, 1995);

(c) A divorced wife or husband of a railroad employee who has been credited with at least 120 months of railroad service (or at least 60 months of railroad service, all of which accrue after December 31, 1995);

(d) A survivor of a railroad employee, including a surviving divorced spouse, remarried widow(er), surviving divorced mother or father, who is entitled, or upon application would be entitled, to an annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act; and

(e) Any other person entitled to benefits under title II of the Social Security Act based on the social security wages of a railroad employee who has been credited with at least 120 months of railroad service (or at least 60 months of railroad service, all of which accrue after December 31, 1995), except survivors of a railroad employee when the Social Security Administration has jurisdiction for survivor benefits. See part 221 of this chapter.

(a) When an individual described in § 235.3 of this part is determined by the Social Security Administration to be entitled to social security benefits, the Social Security Administration certifies such benefits to the Board for payment by the Board. Once social security entitlement is certified to the Board, the Board then certifies the amount of the social security benefit to the Department of the Treasury for payment and makes any necessary adjustments in the individual's railroad retirement benefit.

(b) The Board has no authority with respect to the adjudication of the benefit to be paid under the Social Security Act. Entitlement to and the computation of such benefits is a matter solely within the jurisdiction of the Social Security Administration.