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 **U.S. Railroad Retirement Board**
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 Tier I
 Home
          Survivor Annuity
          Part VII - How Your Annuity Is Computed
          Tier I
 Topics
    

      
              Part I - Applying For Your Annuity
          Part II - Types of Annuities
          Part III - Requirements For An Annuity
          Part IV - Furnishing Proof To Support Your Application
          Part V - General Information
          Part VI - After You Apply For Your Annuity
          Part VII - How Your Annuity Is Computed
                                The Parts Of A Railroad Retirement Annuity
          Cost-of-Living Increases
          Tier I
          Tier II
          Social Security Benefits
          Public Service Pension
          Widow(er)'s Rate Is Never Less Than Previous Rate
          Part VIII - Medicare Benefits
          Part IX - Federal Income Tax And Your Benefits
          Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act Notices
          Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability
          Fraud and Abuse Hot Line Tier I
							 
							
							
            The tier I amount is based on the deceased employee's combined railroad retirement and social security credits. The tier I you will receive is equal to a percentage of the amount that the employee would have received if he or she had retired under the social security system only. The percentage depends on the type of benefit you are receiving and the number of annuitants who are qualified to receive a benefit. If there are fewer than three qualified family members, the percentages are as follows:

Family Member
			Per CentWidow
			100Mother/Father
			75Child
			75Student
			75One Parent
			82-1/2Two Parents
			75 each



If there are three or more qualified family members, an amount called the "family maximum" applies to the tier I amount. The "family maximum" amount is divided proportionately among the family members to determine the individual annuity tier I amounts.

The tier I portion of the annuity is reduced for:

the entire amount of any social security benefit which you are entitled to receive on your own account or on the account of another person;
	a portion of any railroad retirement annuity based on your own railroad industry work;
	two-thirds of the amount of any public service pension based on your earnings if you are receiving a widow(er) type benefit and you do not meet one of the exceptions given in the section "Public Service Pension."If you are not entitled to a tier II, you cannot receive an annuity if the amount of any social security benefit you receive is greater than the amount of the maximum tier I which could be paid on the employee's account.
        ‹ Cost-of-Living Increases | 
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U.S. Railroad Retirement BoardWilliam O. Lipinski Federal Building844 North Rush Street
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 Last updated: 06/10/2017