[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR216.2]

[Page 193]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
                  CHAPTER II--RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
 
PART 216_ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ANNUITY--Table of Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec. 216.2  Definitions.

    Except as otherwise expressly noted, as used in this part--
    Age means an individual's age on the day preceding the anniversary 
date of his or her birth.
    Annuity means a payment due an entitled individual for a calendar 
month and made to him or her on the first day of the following month.
    Apply means to sign a form or statement that the Railroad Retirement 
Board accepts as an application for benefits under the rules set out in 
part 217 of this chapter.
    Attainment of age means that an individual attains a given age on 
the first moment of the day preceding the anniversary date of his or her 
birth corresponding to such numerical age.
    Board means the Railroad Retirement Board.
    Claimant means an individual who files an annuity application or for 
whom an annuity application is filed.
    Eligible means that an individual meets all the requirements for 
payment of an annuity but has not yet applied for one.
    Employee means an individual who is or has been in the service of an 
employer as here defined.
    Employer means a company, individual, or other entity determined to 
be a covered employer under the Railroad Retirement Act as provided by 
part 202 of this chapter.
    Entitled means that an individual has applied for and has 
established his or her rights to benefits.
    Railroad Retirement Act means the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, 
as amended.
    Re-entitled annuity means an annuity to which an individual becomes 
entitled after an earlier-awarded annuity has been terminated. A re-
entitled annuity is usually awarded on the basis of different factors of 
eligibility from the initial annuity, and may be awarded without the 
filing of another application.
    Retirement age means, with respect to an employee who attains age 62 
before January 1, 2000 (age 60 in the case of a widow(er), remarried 
widow(er) or surviving divorced spouse) age 65. For an employee who 
attains age 62 (or age 60 in the case of a widow(er), remarried 
widow(er), or surviving divorced spouse) after December 31, 1999, 
retirement age means the age provided for in section 216(1) of the 
Social Security Act.
    Social Security Act means the Social Security Act as amended.
    Tier I benefit means the benefit component calculated using Social 
Security Act formulas and based upon earnings covered under both the 
Railroad Retirement Act and the Social Security Act.
    Tier II benefit means the benefit component calculated under a 
formula found in the Railroad Retirement Act and based only upon 
earnings and service in the railroad industry.
    Year of service means 12 calendar months, consecutive or otherwise, 
of service creditable to an employee as described in part 210 of this 
chapter.