What the Next of Kin Must Do When A Railroad Employee Dies

Contact Norfolk Southern’s Human Resource Representative (HR) as soon as

possible. HR will need specific information and this should be gathered before

contacting HR.

HR will need:

1. The date of the employee's death, and

2. The full name of the Next of Kin (first name, middle initial & last name)

with a telephone number. If the Next of Kin is the employee’s spouse,

include their social security number and date of birth.

NS HR can be contacted at: (757) 629-2820

Also notify the employee's Trainmaster at: (302) 731-2580 or (302) 429-6081.

NS Bank Operations & Finance Requirements

Verification of employee's death and verification of estate beneficiary are

required by NS Banking Operations & Finance (BO&F) before any unpaid

compensation; remaining current year vacation or credit for subsequent year’s

vacation (if earned) will be paid.

BO&F will receive the notice of employee's death from HR.

BO&F sends the beneficiary verification forms to the Next Of Kin reported to HR.

These forms must be completed, notarized and returned to BO&F before any

funds will be released by NS.

Call Met/Life for insurance information at: (800) 310-7770 and select “Option 1.”

Benefits include:

• Active Employee's Benefit $20,000.

• Accidental Death Benefit $16,000 in addition to the $20,000.

• Retired Employee's Benefit $2,000.

Met/Life requires:

1. Deceased’s date of birth, and

2. Deceased’s social security number, and

3. Deceased’s address, and

4. Deceased’s date of death, and

5. Deceased’s death certificate.

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Contact the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at:

(215) 597-4546 or the National Help Line at: (800) 808-0772.

What you need to file with the RRB:

1. Photocopies of the deceased’s and spouse’s social security cards, and

2. Deceased’s birth certificate (must be raised seal original), and

3. Spouse's birth certificate (must be raised seal original), and

4. Certificate of marriage (must be raised seal original), and

5. Military records: Record Of Separation from Active Duty Form DD214

(must be the original), and

6. Deceased’s death certificate (must be raised seal original)

All raised seal original documents will be copied and will be returned to the

sender by certified mail if the RRB receives them by certified mail.

The amount of burial fund money received is determined by the years of service

and date when service began ($255 could be paid to the Spouse or survivors).

Health Insurance Options

Dependent health care benefits (GA-23000) will continue until the end of the

fourth month following the month of the employee’s death. These four months

are part of the thirty-six-months’ eligibility.

COBRA coverage may be continued for thirty-six months from the date of the

employee's death at a rate of $642.76 per month. A qualified beneficiary has

sixty days to elect to take COBRA.

Major medical expense benefits are available under GA-23111 Plan C until

Medicare-eligible for $425.00 per month.

Eligible dependents will continue to be covered under the plan until the end of the

fourth month following the death of the employee.

Other Areas Not To Be Overlooked

Contact NS HR. HR will contact either Vanguard (NS TRIP) or Merrill Lynch

(BLET 401K) and then they, in turn, will contact the beneficiary listed on the

account.

Veteran Benefits

Contact your local American Legion or Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Post (VFW) for

information concerning benefits available.

Contact Job Insurance Companies

Some job insurance companies provide Accidental Death Policies.

The Brotherhood’s Relief & Compensation Fund (BRCF) can be contacted at:

(800) 233-7080.

The Locomotive Engineers & Conductors Mutual Protective Association

(LE&CMPA) can be contacted at: (800) 514-0010.

The estate should contact either (or both) company that the member had a policy

with and make sure that all benefits are received. In addition, they should make

contact with all insurance companies which the family had policies with to take

full advantage of any benefits available through those sources.

Some local units have policies available to their membership. Contacting the

Local Chairman will ensure that all benefits are made available to the family.

Contacting your Local Chairman will help find the right people to contact.