Railroad Board Seeks Comments on Death Benefit Paperwork
Published Date: 6/13/2025
Notice
Summary
The Railroad Retirement Board is asking for feedback on a form that helps people claim unpaid benefits when a railroad worker dies. This update aims to make the form clearer and easier to use, so folks can get their money without extra hassle. If you’re someone who might apply for these benefits, you’ve got 30 days to share your thoughts before the changes get final.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Updated employee certification form
The RRB proposes minor changes to Form G-346 (Employee's Certification) to the certification statement on page 2 and to the Paperwork Reduction Act contact information on page 3; no changes are proposed to Form G-346sum. Completion of G-346 or G-346sum is required to obtain a spouse annuity, and the RRB estimates 2,060 annual G-346 responses (5 minutes each = 172 hours) and 1,960 annual G-346sum responses (5 minutes each = 163 hours), totaling 4,020 responses and 335 burden hours per year.
Employer notices reinstated without change
The RRB is reinstating without change the RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System (Forms ID-4K and ID-4E) that notifies base-year employers when claims are filed and when claims are paid. Employers can receive notices by paper, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)/FTP, or online via the Employer Reporting System (ERS); the RRB estimates annual totals of 80,020 responses and 2,358 burden hours (for example, 63,000 ID-4K Internet responses and 15,600 ID-4K (FTP) responses).
Simpler claim form for death benefits
The Railroad Retirement Board proposes small edits to Form UI-63, Application for Benefits Due but Unpaid at Death, including replacing "his or her" with "their" on the cover letter and adding a "Telephone No." column in field 4 on page 2. This form must be completed to obtain accrued sickness or unemployment benefits after a railroad employee's death; the RRB estimates 30 annual responses, each taking 7 minutes (4 total burden hours). You have 30 days from the publication date to submit comments.
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Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
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2025-17981 — Proposed Collection; Comment Request
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