Quarterly Benefit Statistics

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Published by Public Affairs

844 North Rush Street and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275

www.rrb.gov

Railroad Retirement and 

Unemployment Insurance Programs

List of Tables: Table 1 - Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

Table 2 - Retirement and Survivor Programs, Financial Statistics

Table 3 - Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Benefit Statistics

Table 4 - Benefits and Beneficiaries

September 13, 2021 

Employees

51.2% Spouses

28.4%

Survivors

20.4%

Selected Current Statistics for October - December 2020

NOTE.--Some 6,000 employees also received spouse annuities 

and approximately 2,000 employees also received survivor 

annuities.

Railroad Retirement and 

Survivor Beneficiaries 

on the Rolls, by Type,

December 2020

(497,000 beneficiaries)
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

October - December 2020

 Employee annuities

 Total1 

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- 

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 a

Number in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2020 620,175 497,364 185,837 49,425 19,428 113,584 November 2020 620,908 497,790 185,955 49,383 19,579 113,881 October 2020 622,002 498,596 186,170 49,344 19,774 114,151 Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,022.58 $2,660.20 $2,907.36 $41.51 November 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,989.97 2,630.44 2,874.17 41.51 October 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,987.48 2,627.98 2,871.76 41.51 Number awarded during periodDecember 2020 1,796 1,664 457 . . . . . . . . 148 132 November 2020 1,984 1,792 491 . . . . . . . . 124 192 October 2020 2,207 2,014 582 . . . . . . . . 158 193 10/20 - 12/20 5,987 5,470 1,530 . . . . . . . . 430 517 10/19 - 12/19 6,168 5,472 1,638 . . . . . . . . 295 696 Average amount awarded during period4

December 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,245.56 . . . . . . . . $3,102.66 $41.35 November 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,182.26 . . . . . . . . 3,169.06 38.35 October 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,320.27 . . . . . . . . 3,083.98 40.49 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5December 2020 $1,095,256 . . . . . . . . $556,617 $129,572 $63,621 $4,723 November 2020 1,094,934 . . . . . . . . 557,140 129,370 63,521 4,739 October 2020 1,093,375 . . . . . . . . 556,654 128,998 63,419 4,752 10/20 - 12/20 3,283,565 . . . . . . . . 1,670,411 387,940 190,561 14,214 10/19 - 12/19 3,253,384 . . . . . . . . 1,649,369 373,102 203,596 14,657 

Age

Awarded age 

annuity

Disability 

converted to 

age annuity2

1Includes dependent parents' annuities. Except for benefit payment data, excludes insurance lump-sum and residual payment figures. Benefit payments also include hospital ins

Canada. 2A disability annuity ends when the retiree attains full retirement age, at which time the annuity converts to an age and service annuity. Consequently, these annuitants 

annuities. Full retirement age gradually increases, from age 65 to 67, for those born between 1937 and 1960. It is age 67 for those born after 1959 and age 65 for those born be

payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Averages are after court-ordered partitions. 4Regular employee and spouse annuity averages are 

in July 2019, data is from the Monthly Treasury Statement. Prior to July 2019, data was provided by the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.NOTE.--MONTHLY BENEFITS in CURRENT-PAYMENT STATUS at the end of month include all benefits awarded to date and payable for the month. BENEFITS AWARDED co

time on either a partial or final basis. BENEFIT PAYMENTS for a month, shown in both the benefit and financial statistics, consist of recurrent monthly checks dated the first of th

sum payments made during the month, less returned checks (excluding those not yet distributed by Account), refunds of benefits paid previously, etc. 
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

October - December 2020 -- Continued

Annuities

Period

Aged

widows and

widowers

Disabled

widows and

widowers6

Widowed

mothers and

fathers

Remarried

widows and

widowers

Divorced

widows and

widowers Children

Insurance

lump sums

Number in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2020 78,935 3,142 568 2,540 9,736 7,699 . . . . . . . November 2020 79,015 3,137 570 2,547 9,735 7,697 . . . . . . . October 2020 79,235 3,157 574 2,562 9,737 7,699 . . . . . . . Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2020 $1,856.82 $1,451.36 $1,995.80 $1,208.11 $1,223.22 $1,217.08 . . . . . . . November 2020 1,848.65 1,441.15 1,999.65 1,193.64 1,206.22 1,200.70 . . . . . . . October 2020 1,844.11 1,438.48 1,997.62 1,192.31 1,205.99 1,197.83 . . . . . . . Number awarded during periodDecember 2020 403 10 9 7 50 44 141 November 2020 455 4 10 7 53 42 115 October 2020 421 2 6 13 60 36 164 10/20 - 12/20 1,279 16 25 27 163 122 420 10/19 - 12/19 1,158 16 22 20 147 85 459 Average amount awarded during period4December 2020 $2,400.11 $1,611.83 $1,888.97 $1,284.57 $1,352.42 $1,566.69 $906 November 2020 2,385.13 2,433.54 1,654.88 1,492.57 1,216.47 1,606.72 867 October 2020 2,357.86 2,155.92 1,681.51 1,302.23 1,306.78 1,571.99 924 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5December 2020 $147,033 $4,870 $1,240 $3,056 $11,802 $10,050 $133 November 2020 147,097 4,723 1,230 3,072 11,798 9,893 102 October 2020 146,544 4,610 1,177 3,085 11,756 9,738 155 10/20 - 12/20 440,674 14,203 3,647 9,213 35,356 29,681 390 10/19 - 12/19 440,437 14,440 3,620 9,533 34,654 29,654 436 

Survivor benefits

6Number and average in current-payment status, and benefit payments during period, includes annuities to disabled widow(er)s age 60 and over now payable as aged widow(er)s' annuitie

spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise entitled to an annuity. Partition payments from employees on the rolls are included with the employees' 

NOTE.--(Continued from previous page.)FOR WIDOWS and WIDOWERS aged 60 and over and WIDOWED MOTHERS and FATHERS, the number of benefits being paid and benefit payments include benefits temporarily being pending award of survivor annuities.INSURANCE LUMP SUMS and RESIDUAL PAYMENTS are each counted only once with respect to an employee's death even though divided among 2 or more persons. Award data for benefits, i.e., those payable a year after the employee's death.Data on benefit payments are for CALENDAR MONTHS; all other data are for ACCOUNTING MONTHS ending on approximately the 29th of each month.
Table 2: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Financial Statistics

October - December 2020 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item December

2020

November

2020

October

2020

October 2020 -

December 2020

October 2019 -

December 2019

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $156,224 $164,190 $146,779 $467,193 $633,923 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,000 73,000 67,000 

 Financial interchange advances3 475,385 419,247 467,876 1,362,509 1,129,727 

 RRB-SSA financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Interest on investments4 1,422 1,936 1,427 4,785 -10,527 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $627,788 $626,038 $626,150 $1,879,976 $1,860,268 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 RRB-CMS financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Transfer to Railroad Retirement Account5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses 1,017 . . . . . . . . 4,428 5,445 7,479 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 95 . . . . . . . . 431 526 724 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $168,176 $177,836 $165,588 $511,600 $620,727 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102,000 102,000 100,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 165,689 167,837 168,229 501,755 484,209 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust5 650,000 176,000 382,000 1,208,000 426,000 

 Transfer from SSEB Account5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Interest on investments4 357 1,064 608 2,029 -12,102 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $466,458 $467,864 $466,175 $1,400,497 $1,389,410 

 Payments of SSA benefits 166,262 167,926 168,025 502,213 483,980 

 Loans to Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account 21,000 21,000 15,000 57,000 . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses 3,585 . . . . . . . . 15,071 18,657 22,534 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 351 . . . . . . . . 1,459 1,810 2,184 

Cash and investment balance at end of period6 $26,225,822 $26,006,179 $24,107,895 $26,225,822 $26,275,255 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 7

Vested dual benefit payments $1,010 $1,032 $1,050 $3,093 $3,706 

NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT INVESTMENT TRUST

1Net of U.S. Treasury adjustments for payroll tax refunds to certain carriers and their employees for prior periods. 2Amounts include U.S. Treasury adjustments for prior period income tax 

reconciliations. 3Includes interest. 4Net of adjustments for payroll tax refunds (see note 1). 5Under the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001, as amended, the portion 

of the RR Account not needed to pay current administrative expenses is to be transferred to the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (Trust). The Trust may transfer funds back to the 

RR Account for payment of benefits. The balance of the SSEB Account not needed to pay current benefits and administrative expenses is to be transferred to the Trust or to the RR Account. 6Source: National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust. 7Total vested dual benefits paid during a fiscal year are limited to the amount appropriated to the Dual Benefits Payments Account for 

that year. Any amounts not spent are returned to the U.S. Treasury. The benefit appropriation, including income tax transfers, for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 was $16.0 and $13.0 million, 

respectively. 

NOTE.--This Table has been revised to only include information from the Monthly Treasury Statements and other resources within the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of the 

Actuary and Research.
Table 3: Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Benefit Statistics

October - December 2020

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Unemployment

December 2020 1,713 1,792 120 8,731 8,703 November 2020 2,445 1,080 57 8,701 8,681 October 2020 1,765 1,303 25 8,963 8,865 7/20 - 12/20 19,096 17,880 570 20,480 20,273 7/19 - 12/19 10,078 7,333 161 7,909 7,817 

Sickness

December 2020 3,224 1,136 148 6,711 6,679 November 2020 2,768 1,105 57 5,784 5,758 October 2020 2,183 1,236 29 5,473 5,413 7/20 - 12/20 19,443 9,901 515 13,944 13,783 7/19 - 12/19 11,489 8,818 375 9,300 9,162 

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Unemployment

December 2020 20,440 20,335 105 8.8 $375.65 November 2020 16,046 15,982 64 8.8 376.95 October 2020 18,386 18,204 182 8.8 376.25 7/20 - 12/20 123,414 121,220 2,194 8.4 376.70 7/19 - 12/19 41,273 40,089 1,184 9.0 363.50 

Sickness

December 2020 14,504 14,322 182 7.9 $375.70 November 2020 11,436 11,339 97 8.0 375.10 October 2020 11,834 11,566 268 8.2 375.80 7/20 - 12/20 71,134 67,735 3,399 7.8 377.00 7/19 - 12/19 52,502 49,972 2,530 9.0 365.65 

NORMAL BENEFIT ACCOUNTS are opened when the first payment is made.PAYMENTS generally cover 14-day registration periods. Benefits are payable for days over 7 during an employee's first 14-day registration period. -- Sickness benefits are paid for days of sickness after the 4th consecutive day of sickness in the first claim in each period of continuing sickness; for subsequent registration  in the same period of continuing sickness, payments are made for all days of sickness over 4 whether or not consecutive. -- Unemployment benefits are paid for days of unemployment over 4. However, in the case of unemployment benefits due to a legal authorized strike, unemployment benefi until after a 14-day waiting period. Non-strikers unemployed due to an illegal strike must also serve a 14-day waiting period.

1 Benefit days--average benefit days per registration period. Benefit per week--equal to 5 times average daily benefit2 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 6.9% under sequestration for days of unem

 and sickness after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018, 5.9% for days after September 30, 2019, and 5.7 after September 30, 2020.

NOTE .--Beginning in May 2020, RUIA claimants have also been paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020. Special Extended Unemployment Benefits and Enhanced Benefits were paid to unemployment beneficiaries, and Waived Waiting Period Benefits were paid to unemployment beneficiaries, as follows: -- In October 2020, $0.6M to 500 beneficiaries, $0.3M to 100 beneficiaries, and $0.3M to 1,500 unemployment and $0.4M to 1,600 sickness beneficiaries. -- In November 2020, $0.3M to 200 beneficiaries, $0.4M to 200 beneficiaries, and $0.4M to 1,500 unemployment and $0.4M to 1,800 sickness beneficiaries. -- In December 2020, $0.3M to 200 beneficiaries, $0.1M to 20 beneficiaries, and $0.4M to 1,600 unemployment and $0.5M to 2,400 sickness beneficiaries.GENERAL NOTES .--An unemployment claimant files only one APPLICATION for a benefit year. A sickness claimant files an APPLICATION at the beginning of each period sickness.The number of BENEFICIARIES is the count of persons receiving unemployment or sickness benefits in the period. Those receiving both normal and extended benefits for unsickness are counted only once in the total for each type.
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- December 2020

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,095,256,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,094,246,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,010,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 620,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 255,000 $2,943

 Supplemental 114,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 147,000 1,100

 Aged widows' and widowers' 79,000 1,857

 Other benefits 26,000 1,186

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 497,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT - SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1 $14,223,000 $9,160,000

Beneficiaries 8,700 6,700

Average payment per week1 $375 $376

1 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 6.2% 

under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2018, 5.9% for days after September 30, 2019, and 

5.7% for days after September 30, 2020.

-- Note: Beginning in May 2020, RUIA claimants have also been paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 

2020. In December 2020, the gross amount paid was $1.3 million.