Military service may be creditable under both the Railroad Retirement and Social Security Acts, but there are provisions under those Acts to prevent duplicate use of the service. The Railroad Retirement Board will determine whether an employee's military service should be used as railroad service or as Social Security service. The Board's determination is intended to be to the employee's advantage; however, if the employee does not agree with the Board's determination for use of the employee's military service, the employee may request that it be changed.
Generally, it is to the employee's advantage for the employee's military service to be creditable as railroad service where any of the following conditions may be met with the use of the employee's military service as railroad service:
It gives the employee 10 years of service (120 months), which is the minimum needed to qualify for an annuity based on age and service or total disability, as provided for in part 216, subpart B; or
It gives the employee 20 years of service (240 months), which is the minimum needed to qualify for an occupational disability annuity, as provided for in § 216.6 of this chapter; or
It gives the employee 25 years of service (300 months), which is the minimum needed to qualify for a supplemental annuity, as provided for in part 216, subpart C; or
It gives the employee 30 years of service (360 months), which would allow the employee to retire at age 60 with a full annuity and will also provide a full annuity to a qualified spouse at age 60, as provided for in part 216, subparts B and D; or
It gives the employee sufficient railroad service to entitle the employee to vested dual benefit payments, as provided for in part 216, subpart H.
In certain cases it may be to the employee's advantage for the employee's military service to be credited under the Social Security Act. This is generally true under the following conditions:
Crediting the military service under the Social Security Act would entitle the employee and any eligible children to social security benefits, since direct benefits are not payable to children of retired employees under the Railroad Retirement Act; or
Crediting the military service under the Social Security Act would entitle employee to vested dual benefit payments.
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