APPLICATION OUTCOMES FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS, 2014 

Railroad retirement employee disability awards are based either on total disability or on occupational disability. A total disa

on disability for all employment and is payable at any age to employees with at least 10 years of service. Employees with lrailroad service, but at least 5 years of service after 1995, may qualify on the basis of total disability if they also meet certai

earnings requirements.a An employee is considered totally disabled if medical evidence shows that a permanent physical o

exists which prevent the performance of any regular work. A condition is considered to be permanent if it has lasted or ma

at least 12 months. An occupational disability annuity is based on disability from the employee’s regular railroad occupation and is payable to e

current connection with the rail industry at age 60, if the employee has 10 years of service, or at any age, if the employee hservice. An employee who worked for a railroad in at least 12 months in the 30 months immediately preceding the month h

retirement annuity begins will meet the current connection requirement. If an employee does not qualify for a current conn

has 12 months of service in an earlier 30-month period, he or she may still meet the current connection requirement.b An e

occupationally disabled if medical evidence shows that a permanent physical or mental condition exists which prevents the her regular railroad occupation. An employee considered occupationally disabled for work in his or her regular railroad occperform other kinds of work. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, also known as a disability frSecurity Act. The standards for disability freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria 

Also, an employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early Medicare coverage and lower Federal income taxes on 

For calendar year 2014, there were 270,500 active railroad employees of which 182,400 were eligible for a disability annuit

of railroad service. Of these eligible employees, approximately 0.6 percent were awarded disability benefits. This percent 

awarded disability benefits has steadily decreased from 1.4 percent in calendar year 2008. The chart below displays this d

railroad employees who were awarded a disability. 

a Ordinarily, a disability annuity is comprised of a Tier I component and a Tier II component. However, if a total disability annuity is pa

with less than 10 years of service, the Tier II component is not payable until the employee attains age 62. b The current connection alternative generally applies if the employee did not have any regular employment outside the railroad indu

last 30‐month period which included 12 months of railroad service and before the month the annuity begins or the date of death. Fu

nonrailroad employer in the interval between the end of the last 30‐month period including 12 months of railroad service and the mo

annuity begins, or the month of death if earlier, can break a current connection. For additional information on current connection se

https://www.rrb.gov/pdf/opa/pub_1511.pdf.
Source: Numbers provided by the Bureau of the Actuary. Data thru 2013 is from the April 2015 Retirement Master Benefit File. Data fo

2016 Retirement Master Benefit File. 

As illustrated by the chart below, disability applications have decreased from 3,519 applications filed in calendar year 2008 

calendar year 2014, almost a 40.0 percent decline.

Source: Table 1 

1.4%

1.3%

1.2%

1.1%

0.9%

0.7%

0.6%

0.60%0.70%0.80%0.90%1.00%1.10%1.20%1.30%1.40%1.50%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

% of Eligible Railroad Employees Who Were Awarded a Disability 

(by calendar year)

2,0002,2002,4002,6002,8003,0003,2003,4003,600

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Disability Applications Filed in Year

(by Calendar Year)
Tables 1-4 provide data on the application outcomes for disability benefits at different levels of adjudication (initial, reconsid

appeals, and above). These new tables are derived from the Application Tracking System which is maintained by the Offic

year this report will be updated to include data from the previous year. The data in these tables is reported by the disability 

and includes decisions through the administrative appeals process. The administrative appeals process is defined as all asubsequent to the initial level. For this report’s first year, the decisions are through April 14, 2016 for applications filed duri

through 2014. Released: May 2016 
Denialsc Number Rated Number Percente Number Percentf Denialsc Number Rated N

2008 3,519 0 19 159 1,074 87.1% 902 84.0% 172 16.0% 27 2,240 98.8% 2009 3,383 0 20 145 1,153 88.8% 997 86.5% 156 13.5% 30 2,035 98.5% 2010 3,372 0 27 157 1,191 88.4% 1,024 86.0% 167 14.0% 26 1,971 98.7% 2011 3,050 0 25 176 1,090 86.1% 961 88.2% 129 11.8% 29 1,730 98.4% 2012 2,675 0 13 166 949 85.1% 826 87.0% 123 13.0% 18 1,529 98.8% 2013 2,440 2 15 155 915 85.5% 787 86.0% 128 14.0% 49 1,304 96.4% 2014 2,120 15 33 188 779 80.6% 680 87.3% 99 12.7% 35 1,070 96.8% 

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications were denied for non-medical reasons.c. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.d. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowe. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.f. Non- freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through April 14, 2016.a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, also known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security Acdeterminations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. Also, an employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freeze determinations.

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa F

Freeze Non-Freeze 

Allowances

Table 1: Outcomes of Disability Applications at All Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2014

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsb

Total Disability Occupatio

Allowances
Denialsc Number Rated Number Percente Number Percentf Denialsc Number Rated N

2008 3,519 0 19 330 903 73.2% 781 86.5% 122 13.5% 48 2,219 97.9% 2009 3,383 0 20 332 966 74.4% 853 88.3% 113 11.7% 39 2,026 98.1% 2010 3,372 0 27 333 1,015 75.3% 896 88.3% 119 11.7% 36 1,961 98.2% 2011 3,050 0 25 317 949 75.0% 858 90.4% 91 9.6% 43 1,716 97.6% 2012 2,675 0 13 265 850 76.2% 758 89.2% 92 10.8% 28 1,519 98.2% 2013 2,440 2 15 251 819 76.5% 721 88.0% 98 12.0% 74 1,279 94.5% 2014 2,120 15 33 229 738 76.3% 657 89.0% 81 11.0% 37 1,068 96.7% 

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications were denied for non-medical reasons.c. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.d. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowae. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.f. Non- freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through April 14, 2016.

Table 2: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Initial Adjudicative Level

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2014

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsb

Total Disability Occupatio

Allowances Allowances

a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, also known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security Acdeterminations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. Also, an employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freeze determinations.

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa F

Freeze Non-Freeze 
Denialsb Number Ratec Number Percentd Number Percente Denialsb Number Ratec Num

2008 270 0 184 60 24.6% 50 83.3% 10 16.7% 13 13 50.0% 2009 266 1 192 59 23.5% 47 79.7% 12 20.3% 8 6 42.9% 2010 242 0 183 40 17.9% 35 87.5% 5 12.5% 13 6 31.6% 2011 235 1 172 41 19.2% 33 80.5% 8 19.5% 16 5 23.8% 2012 188 0 149 25 14.4% 22 88.0% 3 12.0% 9 5 35.7% 2013 215 2 141 30 17.5% 20 66.7% 10 33.3% 33 9 21.4% 2014 166 31 98 19 16.2% 9 47.4% 10 52.6% 17 1 5.6% 

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.c. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials p

d. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.e. Non- freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through April 14, 2016.

Table 3: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Reconsideration Adjudicative Level

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2014

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Allowances Allowances

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa Free

Freeze Non-Freeze 

a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, also known as a disability freeze, under the Social Sedisability freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. Also, an employee granted a disability frecoverage and lower Federal income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freez
Denialsb Number Ratec Number Percentd Number Percente Denialsb Number Ratec Num

2008 137 2 16 111 87.4% 71 64.0% 40 36.0% 0 8 100.0% 2009 155 2 22 128 85.3% 96 75.0% 32 25.0% 0 3 100.0% 2010 159 2 16 136 89.5% 93 68.4% 43 31.6% 1 4 80.0% 2011 134 3 20 100 83.3% 70 70.0% 30 30.0% 2 9 81.8% 2012 104 8 17 74 81.3% 46 62.2% 28 37.8% 0 5 100.0% 2013 131 23 25 66 72.5% 46 69.7% 20 30.3% 1 16 94.1% 2014 79 46 7 22 75.9% 14 63.6% 8 36.4% 3 1 25.0% 

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.c. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials p

d. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.e. Non- freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowance decisions.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through April 14, 2016.

Table 4: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Hearings and Appeals or Above Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2014

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa

Allowances Allowances

Free

Freeze Non-Freeze 

a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, also known as a disability freeze, under the Social Sedisability freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. Also, an employee granted a disability frecoverage and lower Federal income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freez