SSDI and Railroad Retirement Disability Benefits
TL;DR: Railroad workers are covered by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) instead of Social Security. The RRB administers its own disability program with two types: total disability (similar to SSDI) and occupational disability (unable to do your railroad job, available after 20 years of service). You apply through the RRB, not the SSA. Railroad retirement disability includes its own Medicare coverage. If you also have non-railroad work credits, coordination between RRB and SSA may be needed.
Railroad workers pay into their own retirement system rather than Social Security. The Railroad Retirement Board handles disability claims for these workers using its own rules and processes.
Two Types of RRB Disability
- Total disability: Similar to SSDI. Unable to do any regular work. Requires 5 years of railroad service (or 10 years with less than 5 in last 10).
- Occupational disability: Unable to do your regular railroad job. Requires 20 years of railroad service or age 60 with 10 years of service.
Occupational disability has a lower medical bar and is available to long-service railroad workers even if they could do non-railroad work.
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