§ 375.7 Operating regulations.

(a) Retirement claims. (1) In a national emergency as defined in § 375.2, applications for and development and certification of claims for retirement, disability, and survivor benefits shall be to the extent possible as set forth in subchapter B of this chapter, except that: (i) Standards of evidence may be relaxed, although legal requirements for entitlement to payments shall remain unchanged; (ii) In determining relationships, employment, birth, death, etc., consideration shall be given to the information possessed by the applicants and beneficiaries or the Board office adjudicating a claim; (iii) If prescribed forms are not available, any writing that contains substantially the necessary information shall be acceptable; and (iv) In a national emergency when the headquarters office is inoperable, the development and certification of claims shall be assumed by the district offices. (2) To provide the necessary authority for a decentralized program as outlined in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, those authorities related to claims processing and certification which have been delegated to the Director of Programs or Director of Field Service are hereby delegated to the network managers or their surviving successors. (b) Unemployment and sickness claims. (1) In a national emergency as defined in § 375.2, receipt, adjudication, and certification of claims for unemployment and sickness benefits shall be to the extent possible as set forth in subchapter C of this chapter, except that: (i) Where the Board's wage records have been destroyed or are otherwise unavailable, the wage-record evidence in the possession of the claimant, or the employer's wage records will be acceptable in determining qualifications for benefits. (ii) In the event normal record sources are destroyed or otherwise unavailable, other evidence of previous benefit payments shall be considered in determining the periods for which benefits are currently payable and the amounts. (iii) In developing sickness benefit claims where medical evidence in the form of a doctor's statement is not available, an affidavit from the claimant or other person having knowledge of the claimant's sickness or injury shall be acceptable. (iv) If prescribed forms are not available, any writing that contains substantially the necessary information shall be acceptable. (v) Eligibility interviews, investigations, and checking procedures shall be curtailed. (vi) If claims cannot be submitted to the processing offices in headquarters because of the national emergency, the development and certification of claims shall be assumed by district offices. (2) To provide the necessary authority for a decentralized program as outlined in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, those authorities related to claims processing and certification which have been delegated to the Director of Programs or Director of Field Service are hereby delegated to the network managers or their surviving successors.