APPLICATION OUTCOMES FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS, 2015 

EMPLOYEE 

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 2015, there were 271,000 active railroad employees of which 181,500 were eligible for a disability annuit

of railroad service. Of these eligible employees, approximately 0.5 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, an employee disability annuity is comprised of a Tier I component and a Tier II component. However, if a total disability a

employee 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.
Note: The figures in the chart above may change since some decisions for certain years have not been made yet. Source: Numbers pro

the Actuary. Data is from the December 2016 Retirement Master Benefit File. As illustrated by the chart below, employee disability applications have decreased from 3,540 applications filed in calendar 

applications in calendar year 2015, over a 42.1 percent decline. 

Source: Table 1 

1.4%

1.3% 1.2%

1.1%

0.9% 0.8%

0.7%

0.5

0.4%0.5%0.6%0.7%0.8%0.9%1.0%1.1%1.2%1.3%1.4%1.5%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20

% of Eligible Railroad Employees Who Were Awarded a Disability

(by Calendar Year)

1,8002,0002,2002,4002,6002,8003,0003,2003,4003,600

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20

Employee Disability Applications Filed in Year

(by Calendar Year)
SURVIVOR

Annuities are payable to surviving widow(er)s, children, and certain other dependents. The Railroad Retirement Board (RRdisability annuities to: 

 Widow(er)s, Remarried Widow(er)s, and Surviving Divorced Spouses ages 50 to 59 who are totally disabled and u

regular employment; and 

 Unmarried disabled child over age 18 if the child became totally disabled before age 22. 

Eligibility for survivor benefits depends on whether or not the railroad employee was "insured" under the Railroad Retireme

death. An employee is insured if he or she has at least 120 months (10 years) of railroad service, or 60 months (5 years) performe

"current connection" with the railroad industry as of the month the annuity begins or the month of death, whichever occurs f

If a deceased employee was not so insured, jurisdiction of any survivor benefits payable is transferred to the Social Securitand any survivor benefits are paid by that agency instead of the RRB. Regardless of which agency has jurisdiction, the derailroad retirement and social security credits will be combined for the purpose of survivor benefit computations. Disabled Widow(er), Remarried Widow(er), Surviving Divorced Spouse These survivor annuities include the widow(er)s, remarried widow(er)s, and surviving divorced spouses payable at ages 50 disabled and unable to work in any regular employment. The disability for each of these type annuitants must have begun 

railroad employee’s death or within 7 years after the termination of an annuity based on caring for a child of the deceased ecases, a 5-month waiting period is required after the onset of disability before a disability annuity can begin. These annuita

portion of a survivor annuity equivalent to a social security benefitc. 

Each of these groups of disabled widow(er) type annuitants has different requirements concerning marriage to the employe

remarriages. Generally, the widow(er) must have been married to the employee for at least 9 months prior to death, unless natural or adopted parent of their child, the employee's death was accidental or while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forcpotentially entitled to certain railroad retirement or social security benefits in the month before the month of marriage, or the postponed due to State restrictions on the employee's prior marriage and divorce due to mental incompetence or similar in

A disabled surviving divorced spouse may qualify if she or he was married to the employee for a period of at least 10 years 

date the divorce became final, and is unmarried or remarried under certain conditions. 

c Survivor disability annuities, like retirement annuities, consist of Tier I and Tier II components. Tier I is based on the deceased emplo

retirement and social security credits, and is generally equivalent to the amount that would have been payable under social security. 

percentages of the deceased employee’s Tier II amount. NOTE: The surviving divorced spouse and remarried widow(er) are only ent
Disabled Adult Child 

Survivor annuities are also payable to an unmarried disabled child over age 18 if the child became totally disabled before aAs illustrated by the chart below, widow(er)s’ disability applications (includes widow[er]s, remarried widow[er]s, and survivin

have decreased from 244 applications filed in calendar year 2008 to 178 applications in calendar year 2015, about a 27.1 p

children’s disability applications have also decreased from 227 applications filed in calendar year 2008 to 151 applications 

almost a 33.5 percent decline.

Source: Table 5Tables 1-8 provide data on the application outcomes for disability benefits at different levels of adjudication (initial, reconsid

appeals, and above) for the employee and survivor disability benefits. New for this year are Tables 5-8 which provide data applications for survivor disability benefits. These tables are derived from the Application Tracking System which is mainta

Programs. Each year this report will be updated to include data from the previous year. The data in these tables is reporte

application filing year and includes decisions through the administrative appeals process. The administrative appeals procadjudicative levels subsequent to the initial level. For this report, the decisions are through February 2, 2017 for applicationyears 2008 through 2015. Released: February 2017

0

50

100150200250300

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Survivor Disability Applications Filed in Year

(by Calendar Year)

Widow(er) Children
Denialsc Number Rated Number Percente Number Percentf Denialsc Number Rated N

2008 3,540 0 20 183 1,061 85.3% 892 84.1% 169 15.9% 39 2,237 98.3% 2009 3,413 0 22 172 1,144 86.9% 987 86.3% 157 13.7% 40 2,035 98.1% 2010 3,399 0 29 186 1,177 86.4% 1,011 85.9% 166 14.1% 38 1,969 98.1% 2011 3,075 0 26 197 1,083 84.6% 954 88.1% 129 11.9% 38 1,731 97.9% 2012 2,703 0 15 181 949 84.0% 824 86.8% 125 13.2% 24 1,534 98.5% 2013 2,461 1 19 167 918 84.6% 793 86.4% 125 13.6% 50 1,306 96.3% 2014 2,156 0 34 182 819 81.8% 724 88.4% 95 11.6% 40 1,081 96.4% 2015 2,048 85 34 187 724 79.5% 605 83.6% 119 16.4% 24 994 97.6% 

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 February 2, 2017.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, 2008-2015

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsb

Total Disability Occupatio

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

2008 3,540 0 20 356 888 71.4% 770 86.7% 118 13.3% 60 2,216 97.4% 2009 3,413 0 22 364 952 72.3% 843 88.6% 109 11.4% 52 2,023 97.5% 2010 3,399 0 29 361 1,002 73.5% 885 88.3% 117 11.7% 49 1,958 97.6% 2011 3,075 0 26 342 938 73.3% 849 90.5% 89 9.5% 54 1,715 96.9% 2012 2,703 0 15 285 845 74.8% 755 89.3% 90 10.7% 36 1,522 97.7% 2013 2,461 1 19 270 815 75.1% 720 88.3% 95 11.7% 79 1,277 94.2% 2014 2,156 0 34 254 747 74.6% 678 90.8% 69 9.2% 47 1,074 95.8% 2015 2,048 85 34 211 700 76.8% 591 84.4% 109 15.6% 27 991 97.3% 

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 February 2, 2017.

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

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 294 1 207 57 21.6% 49 86.0% 8 14.0% 16 13 44.8% 2009 296 0 218 61 21.9% 47 77.0% 14 23.0% 9 8 47.1% 2010 262 0 205 36 14.9% 30 83.3% 6 16.7% 15 6 28.6% 2011 256 0 191 42 18.0% 33 78.6% 9 21.4% 17 6 26.1% 2012 199 0 158 26 14.1% 22 84.6% 4 15.4% 8 7 46.7% 2013 226 2 151 29 16.1% 21 72.4% 8 27.6% 33 11 25.0% 2014 186 2 135 26 16.1% 16 61.5% 10 38.5% 21 2 8.7% 2015 135 37 71 20 22.0% 10 50.0% 10 50.0% 4 3 42.9% 

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 February 2, 2017.

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

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Allowances Allowances

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa Free

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

2008 147 0 22 116 84.1% 73 62.9% 43 37.1% 1 8 88.9% 2009 164 1 28 131 82.4% 96 73.3% 35 26.7% 0 4 100.0% 2010 167 2 18 139 88.5% 96 69.1% 43 30.9% 3 5 62.5% 2011 143 2 26 103 79.8% 72 69.9% 31 30.1% 2 10 83.3% 2012 110 6 21 78 78.8% 47 60.3% 31 39.7% 0 5 100.0% 2013 134 14 27 74 73.3% 52 70.3% 22 29.7% 1 18 94.7% 2014 100 31 12 46 79.3% 30 65.2% 16 34.8% 6 5 45.5% 2015 40 25 11 4 26.7% 4 100.0% 0 0.0% 0 0 0.0% 

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 February 2, 2017.

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

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa

Allowances Allowances

Free

Freeze Non-Freeze 
Denialsb Allowances

2008 244 0 7 29 208 87.8%2009 247 0 10 31 206 86.9%2010 252 0 7 34 211 86.1%2011 240 0 5 31 204 86.8%2012 245 1 7 36 201 84.8%2013 223 1 9 37 176 82.6%2014 205 0 4 38 163 81.1%2015 178 12 4 23 139 85.8%2008 227 0 6 51 170 76.9%2009 202 0 4 42 156 78.8%2010 190 0 8 48 134 73.6%2011 189 0 3 35 151 81.2%2012 204 1 5 50 148 74.7%2013 172 1 6 29 136 82.4%2014 186 0 8 39 139 78.1%2015 151 16 4 27 104 79.4%

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications were denied for non-medical reasons.b. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through February 2, 2017.

Table 5: Outcomes of Disability Applications at All Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsa

Medical Allowanc

Rate

c. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowances.

Widow(er)s

Adult Children
Denialsb Allowances

2008 244 0 7 48 189 79.7%2009 247 0 10 49 188 79.3%2010 252 0 7 44 201 82.0%2011 240 0 5 45 190 80.9%2012 245 1 7 43 194 81.9%2013 223 1 9 43 170 79.8%2014 205 0 4 45 156 77.6%2015 178 12 4 26 136 84.0%2008 227 0 6 60 161 72.9%2009 202 0 4 47 151 76.3%2010 190 0 8 53 129 70.9%2011 189 0 3 39 147 79.0%2012 204 1 5 51 147 74.2%2013 172 1 6 31 134 81.2%2014 186 0 8 44 134 75.3%2015 151 16 4 27 104 79.4%

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications were denied for non-medical reasons.b. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through February 2, 2017.

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

c. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowances.

Table 6: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Initial Adjudicative Level

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsa

Medical Allowanc

Rate
Denialsa Allowances

2008 30 0 20 10 33.3%2009 33 0 19 14 42.4%2010 24 0 18 6 25.0%2011 21 0 15 6 28.6%2012 18 0 14 4 22.2%2013 21 0 19 2 9.5%2014 16 0 15 1 6.3%2015 13 3 8 2 20.0%2008 25 0 22 3 12.0%2009 20 0 18 2 10.0%2010 16 0 16 0 0.0%2011 19 0 16 3 15.8%2012 18 0 17 1 5.6%2013 10 0 9 1 10.0%2014 20 2 17 1 5.6%2015 9 3 6 0 0.0%

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rate

a. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through February 2, 2017

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

b. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowances.

Table 7: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Reconsideration Adjudicative Level

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Medical Allowance 

Rateb
Denialsa Allowances

2008 12 0 3 9 75.0%2009 7 0 3 4 57.1%2010 6 0 2 4 66.7%2011 10 0 2 8 80.0%2012 4 0 1 3 75.0%2013 7 0 3 4 57.1%2014 9 2 1 6 85.7%2015 2 1 0 1 100.0%2008 9 0 3 6 66.7%2009 6 0 3 3 50.0%2010 10 0 5 5 50.0%2011 5 0 4 1 20.0%2012 5 0 5 0 0.0%2013 4 1 2 1 33.3%2014 9 1 4 4 50.0%2015 0 0 0 0 0.0%

NOTES: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rate

a. Applications were denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through February 2, 2017

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

b. Yearly allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowances.Table 8: Outcomes of Disability Applications at the Hearings and Appeals or Above Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2015

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Medical Allowance 

Rateb