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 January 19, 2023

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

Selected Current Statistics for July - September 2022

450,000

475,000

500,000

525,000

550,000

Sept. '12 Sept. '14 Sept. '16 Sept. '18 Sept. '20 Sept. '22

0

Total Monthly Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries, 

September 2012 through September 2022
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

July - September 2022

 Employee annuities

 Total1 

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- 

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 

Number in current-payment status at end of periodSeptember 2022 591,464 477,271 179,295 47,765 17,110 105,171 August 2022 592,549 478,008 179,506 47,798 17,237 105,518 July 2022 593,633 478,706 179,654 47,836 17,391 105,901 Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodSeptember 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,211.32 $2,831.53 $3,094.49 $41.49 August 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,209.82 2,829.17 3,093.32 41.49 July 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,208.32 2,827.51 3,091.81 41.49 Number awarded during periodSeptember 2022 1,797 1,724 469 . . . . . . . . 118 73 August 2022 1,976 1,894 577 . . . . . . . . 101 82 July 2022 1,974 1,859 598 . . . . . . . . 110 115 10/21 - 9/22 22,803 21,702 5,977 . . . . . . . . 1,401 1,101 10/20 - 9/21 24,648 22,925 6,306 . . . . . . . . 1,719 1,723 Average amount awarded during period4

September 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,167.32 . . . . . . . . $3,385.12 $38.30 August 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,235.80 . . . . . . . . 3,253.25 40.61 July 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,268.58 . . . . . . . . 3,244.99 39.60 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5September 2022 $1,125,751 . . . . . . . . $577,640 $135,667 $58,556 $4,416 August 2022 1,125,430 . . . . . . . . 578,102 135,661 58,012 4,430 July 2022 1,131,989 . . . . . . . . 582,212 135,986 59,286 4,447 10/21 - 9/22 13,435,136 . . . . . . . . 6,886,591 1,616,342 709,705 54,017 10/20 - 9/21 13,150,238 . . . . . . . . 6,697,522 1,553,134 751,167 55,874 

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. Total benefit payments also include hospit

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 bef

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

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

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 the mo

payments made during the month, less returned checks (excluding those not yet distributed by Account), refunds of benefits paid previously, etc. 
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 periodSeptember 2022 75,064 2,892 587 2,303 9,749 7,306 . . . . . . . . August 2022 75,241 2,899 607 2,315 9,750 7,321 . . . . . . . . 

July 2022 75,402 2,916 604 2,319 9,760 7,347 . . . . . . . . Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodSeptember 2022 $1,986.91 $1,532.22 $2,128.94 $1,313.56 $1,337.38 $1,330.57 . . . . . . . . 

August 2022 1,982.56 1,532.86 2,126.96 1,313.32 1,335.79 1,329.33 . . . . . . . . 

July 2022 1,977.46 1,530.77 2,114.89 1,309.97 1,334.30 1,325.97 . . . . . . . . Number awarded during periodSeptember 2022 412 (8) (8) 5 62 28 131 

August 2022 469 (8) 8 12 67 28 156 

July 2022 396 ---- 5 14 61 21 125 10/21 - 9/22 5,505 43 131 93 786 465 1,743 10/20 - 9/21 5,754 90 117 92 780 471 1,950 Average amount awarded during period4

September 2022 $2,547.33 $1,848.90 $2,008.99 $1,252.40 $1,404.54 $1,728.60 $871 August 2022 2,538.35 3,233.09 1,282.30 1,369.58 1,172.64 1,661.85 928 

July 2022 2,649.61 ---- 2,373.96 1,525.79 1,616.36 1,893.62 896 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

September 2022 $149,284 $4,576 $1,405 $3,027 $13,218 $10,195 $119 August 2022 149,353 4,556 1,388 3,053 13,206 10,099 150 

July 2022 149,416 4,508 1,301 3,067 13,193 10,086 126 10/21 - 9/22 1,783,463 55,339 15,804 36,201 154,910 122,104 1,643 10/20 - 9/21 1,766,388 57,516 14,677 36,406 143,642 119,391 1,812 

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

July - September 2022 -- Continued

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' annuities. 7

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' annu

than zero but less than five.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 conpending 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 insubenefits, 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

July - September 2022 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item September

2022

August

2022

July

2022

October 2021 -

September 2022

October 2020 -

September 2021

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $244,456 $224,347 $201,791 $2,870,884 $2,394,456 

 General Revenue transfers2 -116,143 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -116,143 551,052 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87,000 355,000 281,000 

 Financial interchange advances4 450,224 362,847 448,753 4,849,646 5,040,553 

 RRB-SSA financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,471,335 4,899,598 

 Interest on investments5 2,036 2,130 1,767 24,319 19,615 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $654,851 $654,929 $657,765 $7,789,331 $7,531,670 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,085,908 4,951,591 

 RRB-CMS financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515,866 568,162 

 Transfer to Railroad Retirement Account6 -120,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -120,000 102,975 

 Administrative expenses 1,960 1,959 1,959 21,733 24,279 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 202 202 202 2,235 2,256 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $281,983 $262,589 $238,122 $3,249,342 $2,874,561 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106,000 426,000 499,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 185,519 184,895 183,713 2,172,470 2,036,612 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust6 539,000 115,000 146,000 1,964,000 2,838,000 

 Transfer from SSEB Account6 -120,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -120,000 102,975 

 Loan Repayments from RUIA4 . . . . . . . . 19,359 . . . . . . . . 107,359 17,500 

 Interest on investments5 1,453 1,364 1,207 15,863 9,244 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $470,210 $469,802 $473,512 $5,636,659 $5,607,239 

 Payments of SSA benefits 185,561 184,783 183,738 2,171,174 2,035,777 

 Loans to Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account (RUIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98,000 

 Administrative expenses 7,489 7,489 7,489 83,141 83,195 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 773 773 773 8,551 7,761 

Cash and investment balance at end of period7 $23,002,276 $24,977,164 $25,843,877 $23,002,276 $28,289,568 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 8

Vested dual benefit payments $690 $700 $712 $9,147 $11,329 

NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT INVESTMENT TRUST

1Net of U.S. Treasury adjustments for payroll tax refunds to certain carriers and their employees for prior periods. 2SSEB payroll taxes for calendar year 2020 were deferred due to COVID-19 related 

legislation with 50% of the deferred taxes to be paid by the end of calendar year 2021 and the remaining deferred taxes paid by the end of calendar year 2022. For fiscal year 2021, $551.1 million 

was transferred from the General Revenue Fund under this legislation. September 2022 amounts reflect a $153.9 million transfer from and a $270.1 million transfer to the General Fund due to the 

receipt and repayment of these deferred payroll taxes. 3Amounts include U.S. Treasury adjustments for prior period income tax reconciliations. 4Includes interest. 5Net of adjustments for payroll tax 

refunds (see note 1). 6Under 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. 7Source: National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust. 8Total 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 2021 and 2022 was $13.0 and $11.0 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

July - September 2022

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Unemployment

September 2022 340 196 1 960 925 August 2022 428 555 3 959 891 July 2022 1,314 425 42 994 812 7/22 - 9/22 2,082 1,176 46 1,438 1,296 7/21 - 9/21 5,704 1,956 212 3,186 2,916 

Sickness

September 2022 1,178 1,079 7 4,365 4,186 August 2022 2,035 2,451 25 4,344 3,968 July 2022 4,580 1,879 186 4,014 3,494 7/22 - 9/22 7,793 5,409 218 6,171 5,923 7/21 - 9/21 10,975 6,387 258 8,554 8,286 

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Unemployment

September 2022 1,923 1,827 96 9.3 $416.50 August 2022 2,000 1,832 168 9.0 418.60 July 2022 1,566 1,213 353 8.3 408.25 7/22 - 9/22 5,489 4,872 617 8.9 415.95 7/21 - 9/21 12,007 10,517 1,490 9.1 403.45 

Sickness

September 2022 8,696 8,165 531 9.2 $417.80 August 2022 8,453 7,416 1,037 9.0 418.15 July 2022 7,041 5,632 1,409 8.8 409.10 7/22 - 9/22 24,190 21,213 2,977 9.0 417.00 7/21 - 9/21 34,385 31,677 2,708 8.1 403.90 

NORMAL BENEFIT ACCOUNTS are opened when the first payment is made.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 uare counted only once in the total for each type.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  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 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 benefit.2 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 unem

 after September 30, 2018, 5.9% for days after September 30, 2019, and 5.7% for days after September 30, 2020, and before January 3, 2021. Beginning January 3, 2021,  to Rail Workers Act (CARWA) of 2020 temporarily suspended sequestration until 30 days after a Presidential declaration of an end to the national emergency concerning th

NOTE .--Additional unemployment and sickness benefits were also paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act). CARWA and thAct of 2021 (ARPA) reduced the enhanced benefit payments from $1,200 to $600 per registration period while extending all benefits through registration periods beginning SeGENERAL NOTES .--An unemployment claimant files only one APPLICATION for a benefit year. A sickness claimant files an APPLICATION at the beginning of each period 
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- September 2022

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,125,751,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,125,061,000

 Vested dual benefits 690,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 591,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 244,000 $3,129

 Supplemental 105,000 41

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 142,000 1,160

 Aged widows' and widowers' 75,000 1,987

 Other benefits 25,000 1,270

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 477,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT - SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1 $1,675,798 $7,594,231

Beneficiaries 960 4,365

Average payment per week1 $417 $418

1 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 5.9% 

under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2019, 5.7% for days after September 30, 2020 and 

before January 3, 2021. Beginning January 3, 2021, the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act (CARWA) of 2020 temporarily 

suspended sequestration until 30 days after a Presidential declaration of an end to the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 

pandemic. 

NOTE.--Additional unemployment and sickness benefits were also paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 

(CARES) Act of 2020. The Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020 (CARWA) and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 

(ARPA) reduced the enhanced benefit payments from $1,200 to $600 per registration period while extending all benefits through

registration periods beginning September 6, 2021.