Under the Railroad Retirement Act, a “current connection with the railroad industry” is one of the eligibility requirements for both the occupational disability and supplemental annuities payable by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). It is also a factor in determining whether the RRB or the Social Security Administration pays monthly benefits to survivors of a railroad employee.
Click here to read the RRB release that describes the current connection requirement and the ways the requirement can be met.