How To - Avoid Form Rejections
Updated - 17 December 2018
RST aim to process the forms submitted and facilitate your requests as quickly as possible, but from time to time we have to ask for additional information or reject a form as it has been completed incorrectly or has the wrong attachments provided. Unfortunately, this may delay our reply to you and will result in a additional time to get a response or staff travel facilities to you.
This page, therefore, contains some tips for completing our most frequently used forms to help avoid delays in updating your record and responding to your request. From the list below, just select the form that you are completing.
General Problems on Most Forms
The following items apply across most of our forms:
- Please complete the form in "Title Case". The only fields that need completing in UPPER case are NI Number, Town and Postcode (and the form should enforce this).
- Check that the email address is complete and accurate. The form validates the format but cannot check the accuracy.
- If your address has changed, please use the separate Change of Address form. On all other forms we are not expecting this change and may not pick it up.
- Attachments should be in PDF or JPEG format on less than 1Mb.
- There is no need to send an application for a family member if they already hold a card as they are already on our system.
- Please sign and date any forms that have been manually completed.
Form List
When completing this form please check that:
- You have attached a readable scan or image of the whole of the Marriage Certificate or Partner Declaration
- You have completed details of any existing staff travel facilities that they already hold
- The scan or image of the Marriage Certificate or Partner Declaration is attached to and sent with the form
- Any cards or passes held by a previous Spouse or Partner have been returned to RST for cancellation
When completing this form please check that:
- The child's relationship to you is correctly recorded in the dropdown field
- You have attached a readable scan or image of the child's full Birth Certificate that shows the parent's names (as this establishes the link to you directly or through your Spouse or Partner)
- You have completed details of any existing staff travel facilities that they already hold
- The scan or image of the Birth Certificate is attached to and sent with the form
- If the child is a step child, then the 3 questions that relate to Step Children have been completed
When completing this form please check that:
- You have selected the correct eligibility code
- The name of the education establishment (if they are still studying) is completed
- Any evidence of attendance at education requested shows actual attendance and not just an offer of a place
- Any payslip evidence of income shows the most recent 3 consecutive months (or 13 consecutive weeks) payslips
- If the child is a step child, then the 3 questions that relate to Step Children have been completed
When completing this form please check that:
- You have completed details of any existing staff travel facilities that they already hold
- The 3 proofs of address are completed for both yourself and your partner before signature
- The 3 proofs of address are from valid sources (listed on the rear of the form)
- Any proofs of address from similar sources, e.g. banks, make it clear that they are from different organisations (e.g. Bank A and Bank Z)
- You have signed and dated the declaration
- Your solicitor has fully completed their section, signed and dated the declaration
- Your solicitor has used their official stamp on the declaration (or provided a confirmation on a separate letterhead)
When completing this form please check that:
- A full description of the child's circumstances has been completed before signature
- You have signed and dated the declaration
- Your solicitor has fully completed their section, signed and dated the declaration
- Your solicitor has used their official stamp on the declaration (or provided a confirmation on a separate letterhead)
One of the biggest issues with this form is the date that we receive it. RST must be in receipt of the correctly completed form at least 7 days before you want the season ticket to start. This is to allow us time to approve, issue and send it and for you to purchase a ticket before the start date. Ticket Offices will not issue tickets on forms that are out of date.
If you are sending by email and you receive our automated response, then we will have received the form on that date. If you are sending the form through the post, then please allow sufficient time for it to get to us (bearing in mind the time of year also).
When completing this form please check that:
- You complete the form with a valid journey, i.e. from your nearest station to home and work
- You have completed your work location
- The journey does not use a service to which you are not entitled, e.g. LUL or DLR for Non-Safeguarded Employees
- The period requested is between 1 month and 1 year
One of the biggest issues with this form is the date that we receive it. RST must be in receipt of the correctly completed form at least 7 days before you want the season ticket to start. This is to allow us time to approve, issue and send it and for you to purchase a ticket before the start date. Ticket Offices will not issue tickets on forms that are out of date.
If you are sending by email and you receive our automated response, then we will have received the form on that date. If you are sending the form through the post, then please allow sufficient time for it to get to us (bearing in mind the time of year also).
When completing this form please check that:
- You complete the form with a valid journey, i.e. from their nearest station to home and the required destination (college/uni)
- You have completed their destination location
- The journey does not use a service to which they are not entitled, e.g. LUL or DLR for Non-Safeguarded Employees
- The period requested is between 1 month and 1 year
- Applications for a Child Dependant season ticket must include details of their educational establishment
- Applications for a Spouse / Partner season ticket must include proof of their attendance at an educational estblishment and that they receive no travel grant
There are 3 major issues with the completion of this form that do not relate to the data on it. These are that the form is often completed even though the Employee (or eligible family member) already holds an FIP Card or the Employee is not yet eligible for the FIP Card or it is completed as a request for renewal. Any lost or mislaid cards will need to be replaced using a replacement form subject to the appropriate fee for replacement. Further, the FIP Cards are now automatically renewed and sent to you every 2 years. There is no need to request renewal or updating of these cards.
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not completed the form with different names to that shown on your national rail staff travel facilities
- If your passport name is different, then you will need to send the form manually with a covering letter
One of the biggest issues with this form is the date that we receive it. RST must be in receipt of the correctly completed form at least 14 days (2 weeks) by online submission or at least 21 days (3 weeks) by email or postal submission before you want the International Coupon to start. This is to allow us time to approve, issue and send it to you.
If you are sending by email and you receive our automated response, then we will have received the form on that date. If you are sending the form through the post, then please allow sufficient time for it to get to us (bearing in mind the time of year also).
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not completed the form with different names to that shown on your national rail staff travel facilities
- If your passport name is different to that shown on your national cards, then you will need to send the form manually with a covering letter
- The outward travel date is the date that you need to receive the coupons at your home address for travel
- All of the FIP countries to be visited are selected - the checkbox is to the right of the name and not the one preceding it
- If you want coupons for your family as well that you use the International Coupon Family Form
One of the biggest issues with this form is the date that we receive it. RST must be in receipt of the correctly completed form at least 14 days (2 weeks) by online submission or at least 21 days (3 weeks) by email or postal submission before you want the International Coupon to start. This is to allow us time to approve, issue and send it to you.
If you are sending by email and you receive our automated response, then we will have received the form on that date. If you are sending the form through the post, then please allow sufficient time for it to get to us (bearing in mind the time of year also).
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not completed the form with different names to that shown on your national rail staff travel facilities
- If your passport name (or any of your family members) is different to that shown on your national cards, then you will need to send the form manually with a coverung letter
- The outward travel date is the date that you need to receive the coupons at your home address for travel
- All of the FIP countries to be visited are selected - the checkbox is to the right of the name and not the one preceding it
One of the biggest issues with this form is the date that we receive it. RST must be in receipt of the correctly completed form at least 42 days (6 weeks) before you want the FIP travel documents to start. This is to allow us time to approve, issue and send it to you. In some instances the documents are sent from abroad so the lead time may be as much as 10 weeks.
If you are sending by email and you receive our automated response, then we will have received the form on that date. If you are sending the form through the post, then please allow sufficient time for it to get to us (bearing in mind the time of year also).
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not completed the form with different names to that shown on your national rail staff travel facilities
- If your passport name (or any of your family members) is different to that shown on your national cards, then you will need to send the form manually with a coverung letter
- The travel details are completed as fully as possible showning from and to locations and dates for both outward and return journeys, as required
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not completed the form with different names to that shown on your national rail staff travel facilities
- The outward travel date is the date that you need to receive the coupons at your home address for travel
- All of the FIP countries to be visited are listed
- The form has been signed
- The form has been counter-signed by an authorised representative of your Employer
When completing this form please check that:
- You have completed your new address in the top section of the form and your old address in the bottom section of the form
- Only the Employee needs to complete a form. It is not required for each family member through an Employee's record
When completing this form please check that:
- You have completed your address in the top section of the form correctly
- You have completed details of your spouse/partner (if applicable) in the correct section of the form including date of birth
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not used this form to advise us of a change of address - you should use the change of address form for that purpose
- You have completed your main personal email address together with your current home and mobile phone numbers
When completing this form please check that:
- All notes relate to the reason selected
When completing this form please check that:
- All notes relate to the reason selected
When completing this form please check that:
- The copies of the documents submitted are relating to legal change of name
- The existing cards and passes are returned for reissue by signed for post
When completing this form please check that:
- The copies of the documents submitted are relating to legal change of name
- The existing cards and passes are returned for reissue by signed for post
When completing this form please check that:
- Your Spouse/Partner's details (if you have one) has been fully completed, especially their date of birth
When completing this form please check that:
- You have not put your payment card details on the form. You can provide these when you call us
- If the card(s) have been stolen, that the crime reference number is supplied together with evidence on headed paper from the recording police force
- The lost or stolen card is correctly identified in the list of replacements section
When completing this form please check that:
- The current Staff Travel Card details have been completed
- The form is counter-signed by the Employee
Please note that copies of bank statements are not acceptable as evidence of no income.
When completing this form please check that:
- The evidence of continuing unemployment is attached
- Any declaration is correctly counter-signed by a solicitor and stamped with their official stamp