Quarterly Benefit Statistics

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

844 North Rush Street

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 - Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Financial Statistics

Table 5 - Benefits and Beneficiaries

Average annuity amounts,

March 2017 and March 2018

 Published by Public Affairs

 and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

June 28, 2018

Selected Current Statistics for January - March 2018

Employee

(age annuities

only)

Spouse Aged widow(er)

$2,705

$1,014

$1,642

$2,796

$1,044

$1,696

2017

2018

Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

(awarded age annuity)
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

January - March 2018

Employee annuities

 Total1 Divorced

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- Spouse spouse

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 annuities annuities

Number in current-payment status at end of period

March 2018 644,083 513,732 189,834 46,773 26,486 121,036 141,949 5,130

February 2018 644,887 514,312 189,958 46,675 26,714 121,260 142,026 5,114

January 2018 644,921 514,224 189,820 46,572 26,910 121,394 141,851 5,107

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

March 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,795.72 $2,457.72 $2,742.55 $41.53 $1,043.57 $651.84

February 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,791.77 2,454.68 2,741.25 41.53 1,042.24 649.31

January 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,788.60 2,451.58 2,740.40 41.53 1,041.23 647.16

Number awarded during period

March 2018 2,666 2,335 720 . . . . . . . . 181 331 787 72

February 2018 2,830 2,523 804 . . . . . . . . 102 307 864 59

January 2018 3,090 2,662 960 . . . . . . . . 108 428 878 97

10/17 - 3/18 16,220 14,069 4,488 . . . . . . . . 787 2,151 4,907 394

10/16 - 3/17 16,734 14,096 4,509 . . . . . . . . 733 2,638 4,998 340

Average amount awarded during period4

March 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,122.74 . . . . . . . . $2,994.56 $40.64 $1,088.93 $761.03

February 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,976.98 . . . . . . . . 2,904.97 41.33 968.13 727.97

January 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,221.02 . . . . . . . . 2,754.45 41.62 1,025.43 727.84

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

March 2018 $1,062,244 . . . . . . . . $532,196 $114,281 $80,168 $5,044 $149,851 $3,515

February 2018 1,057,163 . . . . . . . . 531,333 113,920 77,590 5,045 149,262 3,432

January 2018 1,064,002 . . . . . . . . 533,823 113,614 80,222 5,077 149,435 3,501

10/17 - 3/18 6,318,657 . . . . . . . . 3,165,042 675,053 475,080 30,402 888,964 20,419

10/16 - 3/17 6,225,242 . . . . . . . . 3,085,216 638,409 520,617 30,688 864,815 19,383

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 hospital insurance benefits for services in 

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 are receiving age and service annuities. 

Full retirement age is age 65 for those born before 1938 and gradually increases to age 67 for those born 1960 and later. 3Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is 

deceased. Averages are after court-ordered partitions. 4Regular employee and spouse annuity averages are preliminary estimates. 5Data 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 consist of those certified for the first 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 the month, plus retroactive and lump-sum 

payments made during the month, less returned checks (excluding those not yet distributed by Account), refunds of benefits paid previously, etc. Data are on a cash basis (unaudited) and are partly estimated.
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

Residual

payments

Partition

payments7

Number in current-payment status at end of period

March 2018 85,954 3,465 599 2,980 9,667 8,400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,789

February 2018 86,280 3,473 589 2,984 9,644 8,386 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,764

January 2018 86,409 3,492 572 3,003 9,620 8,397 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,753

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

March 2018 $1,696.09 $1,356.76 $1,873.27 $1,101.57 $1,106.80 $1,109.19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $316.25

February 2018 1,691.43 1,353.59 1,870.99 1,101.35 1,105.52 1,107.21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.67

January 2018 1,686.46 1,352.14 1,863.92 1,099.78 1,102.00 1,105.15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316.40

Number awarded during period

March 2018 441 7 10 10 73 33 254 ---- . . . . . . . .

February 2018 573 6 6 10 81 18 224 ---- . . . . . . . .

January 2018 499 13 7 13 51 36 194 ---- . . . . . . . .

10/17 - 3/18 2,761 48 48 67 384 183 1,209 1 . . . . . . . .

10/16 - 3/17 2,830 37 44 56 353 195 1,239 1 . . . . . . . .

Average amount awarded during period4

March 2018 $2,176.72 $1,928.49 $1,922.53 $1,215.10 $1,120.11 $1,313.64 $912 ---- . . . . . . . .

February 2018 2,075.45 1,703.43 1,829.47 1,472.80 1,250.78 1,644.80 909 ---- . . . . . . . .

January 2018 2,172.52 2,136.44 1,440.93 1,057.23 1,202.96 1,520.32 938 ---- . . . . . . . .

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

March 2018 $146,304 $4,917 $1,189 $3,315 $10,829 $9,767 $242 ---- $606

February 2018 146,057 4,826 1,123 3,327 10,741 9,656 211 ---- 620

January 2018 147,081 5,179 1,233 3,357 10,811 9,904 189 ---- 555

10/17 - 3/18 879,535 29,679 7,300 19,882 64,250 58,345 1,153 $4 3,419

10/16 - 3/17 884,049 28,750 7,518 19,992 62,704 58,735 1,179 1 3,056

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

January - March 2018 -- 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. 7Limited to partition payments to 

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' annuities.

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 continued at spouse annuity rates, 

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 insurance lump sums exclude deferred 

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

January - March 2018 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item March

2018

February

2018

January

2018

October 2017 -

March 2018

October 2016 -

March 2017

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period1 $748,752 $687,189 $456,171 $446,656 $739,556 

Income, total 592,820 667,298 840,511 3,893,305 3,566,726 

 Payroll taxes2 310,376 380,304 329,439 1,664,066 1,536,451 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114,000 219,000 210,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 149,657 145,708 146,922 864,626 820,753 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust4 131,000 140,000 249,000 1,138,000 989,000 

 Transfer from SSEB Account4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments5 370 -106 56 363 3,136 

 Uncashed check credits from U.S. Treasury6 21 25 46 178 160 

 Interest on investments7 1,395 1,367 1,048 7,071 7,226 

Outgo, total 612,126 605,734 609,494 3,610,514 3,509,331 

 Benefit payments 455,977 453,027 455,920 2,709,261 2,654,909 

 Payments of SSA benefits 149,690 145,684 146,551 863,247 818,038 

 Transfer to SSEB Account4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses8 5,959 6,273 6,273 34,584 33,808 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 500 750 750 3,421 2,575 

Balance at end of period1 729,446 748,752 687,189 729,446 796,951 

Cash and investment balance at end of period9 $26,365,985 $26,642,823 $27,438,904 $26,365,985 $25,374,748 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT10

Balance at beginning of period -$8,793 -$6,909 -$5,190 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Congressional apportionments11 (12) . . . . . . . . -1,000 -$1,000 -$1,000 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000 1,000 1,000 

 Vested dual benefit payments 1,653 1,884 1,719 10,446 12,133 

Balance at end of period -10,446 -8,793 -6,909 -10,446 -12,132 

NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT INVESTMENT TRUST
Table 2: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Financial Statistics 

January - March 2018 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

Item March

2018

February

2018

January

2018

October 2017 -

March 2018

October 2016 -

March 2017

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $1,075,020 $1,091,676 $956,858 $917,572 $721,860 

Income, total 601,964 588,351 743,934 3,766,117 3,632,252 

 Payroll taxes2 257,039 318,486 281,736 1,532,032 1,455,224 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75,000 148,000 143,000 

 Financial interchange advances13 343,123 267,830 385,380 2,075,499 2,026,703 

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

 Interest on investments7 1,802 2,035 1,818 10,587 7,324 

Outgo, total 607,146 605,007 609,116 3,613,851 3,573,232 

 Benefit payments 604,614 602,252 606,362 3,598,950 3,558,200 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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

 Transfer to Railroad Retirement Account4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses8 2,332 2,454 2,455 13,533 13,956 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 200 300 300 1,369 1,076 

Balance at end of period 1,069,838 1,075,020 1,091,676 1,069,838 780,880 

1Balances include liabilities for uncashed checks. As of the end of March 2018 liabilities were $14,659,000. 2Net of U.S. Treasury adjustments for payroll tax refunds to certain carriers and 

their employees for prior periods. 3Amounts include U.S. Treasury adjustments for prior period income tax reconciliations. 4Under 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. 5Net of amounts distributed by account. 6Net of returns of uncashed check credits. Includes undistributed canceled checks under 1-year limited 

payability. 7Net of adjustments for payroll tax refunds (see note 2). 8Reflects adjustments for prior periods. 9Source: National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust. 10Total 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 for fiscal year 2018 was $22.0 million, including income tax transfers. The appropriation for 2017 was $25.0 million, including income tax transfers. Funds for October 

2016 through March 2017 and October 2017 through March 2018 were provided under a partial year continuing resolution. Final appropriation for fiscal year 2018 was signed into law on 

March 23, 2018. 11Includes a small amount of interest on uncashed checks. 12Less than $500. 13Includes interest.

NOTE.--Data relate to CALENDAR month.

SOURCE: Bureau of Fiscal Operations

Detail may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Table 3: Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Benefit Statistics

January - March 2018

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Unemployment1

March 2018 571 536 233 3,177 2,710 573

February 2018 734 746 248 3,442 3,039 504

January 2018 1,112 872 852 3,778 3,738 346

7/17 - 3/18 9,608 7,412 1,536 8,128 8,038 887

7/16 - 3/17 13,004 10,588 2,428 11,713 11,636 876

Sickness

March 2018 1,142 1,075 472 5,140 4,179 1,264

February 2018 1,121 772 538 4,847 4,141 1,036

January 2018 1,129 928 1,163 5,375 5,320 557

7/17 - 3/18 16,171 12,588 2,553 13,228 13,066 1,974

7/16 - 3/17 16,231 12,813 2,455 13,432 13,295 1,793

Number of payments Averages2

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week3

Benefit

payments3,4

(thousands)

Unemployment1

March 2018 6,142 4,938 1,204 8.9 $333.15 $3,667

February 2018 5,998 5,069 929 8.9 334.40 3,543

January 2018 7,333 6,888 445 8.8 334.25 4,272

7/17 - 3/18 51,065 47,079 3,986 9.0 333.75 33,629

7/16 - 3/17 75,219 71,325 3,894 8.9 334.15 55,582

Sickness

March 2018 10,784 7,995 2,789 8.7 $334.75 $5,345

February 2018 8,966 6,976 1,990 8.7 333.65 5,075

January 2018 11,209 10,459 750 8.8 333.30 5,647

7/17 - 3/18 89,583 81,155 8,428 8.9 337.20 45,266

7/16 - 3/17 88,756 81,142 7,614 8.9 337.15 47,642

1 Temporary extended benefits under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 had to begin by December 31, 2009. Temporary extended benefits under the Worker, 

Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, as amended, had to begin by December 31, 2013. Current activity reflects recoveries. 2 Benefit days--average benefit days per registration period. Benefit per week--equal to 5 times average daily benefit. 3 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.2% under sequestration 

for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2013, 7.3% for days after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 

and 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017.

4 Data provided by the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.

NOTE.--An unemployment claimant files only one APPLICATION for a benefit year. A sickness claimant files an APPLICATION at the beginning of each period of continuing sickness.

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 unemployment or 

sickness are 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 periods 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 benefits are not paid until after a 14-day waiting period. Non-strikers unemployed due to an illegal strike must also serve a 14-day 

waiting period.

(Continued on next page.)
Table 4: Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Financial Statistics

January - March 2018 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item March

2018

February

2018

January

2018

October 2017 -

March 2018

October 2016 -

March 2017

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $79,467 $87,781 $71,978 $73,610 $69,019 

Income, total 2,874 462 25,883 55,725 54,892 

 Contributions1 2,376 845 25,693 54,866 47,459 

 Interest on investments 470 13 56 1,176 840 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments2 28 -396 134 -318 6,593 

 Transfers from RUI Administration Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Outgo, total 9,148 8,776 10,080 56,142 71,964 

 Unemployment benefit payments3 3,702 3,550 4,283 23,911 38,509 

 Sickness benefit payments3 5,345 5,075 5,647 31,547 32,909 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 100 150 150 684 547 

Balance at end of period 73,194 79,467 87,781 73,194 51,947 

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION FUND

Balance at beginning of period $19,163 $20,211 $14,970 $11,483 $12,132 

Income, total -2,009 225 6,513 11,478 13,211 

 Contributions1 -2,108 225 6,513 11,272 13,023 

 Interest on investments 98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 189 

Outgo, total 1,209 1,273 1,273 7,017 7,585 

 Administrative expenses 1,209 1,273 1,273 7,017 7,585 

 Transfers to RUI Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Balance at end of period 15,944 19,163 20,211 15,944 17,758 

1 Amounts reflect quarterly re-allocation of contributions between the RUI Account and the RUI Administration Fund. 2 Net of distributed amounts. 

3 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.3% under 

sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, and 6.6% for days 

after September 30, 2017. 

NOTE.--(Continued from previous page.)

BENEFIT PAYMENTS are on a cash basis (unaudited) and represent amounts paid during the period including retroactive payments, less recoveries distributed to beneficiary

accounts, refunds, and cancellations of previous payments.

ADMINISTRATION FUND balances reflect current adjustments to income and disbursements for previous years.

All unemployment and sickness data relate to CALENDAR MONTHS.

Detail may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Table 4: Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Financial Statistics

January - March 2018 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

Item March

2018

February

2018

January

2018

October 2017 -

March 2018

October 2016 -

March 2017

Balance at beginning of period $9,484 $9,482 $9,481 $9,477 $9,448 

 Interest and other income (5) (5) 1 2 . . . . . . . . 

 Benefits6 -3 -1 -1 -8 . . . . . . . . 

Balance at end of period 9,487 9,484 9,482 9,487 9,448 

Balance at beginning of period $133,205 $133,197 $133,181 $133,167 $132,929 

 Interest and other income 6 2 5 15 . . . . . . . . 

 Benefits3,6 -32 -7 -10 -62 . . . . . . . . 

Balance at end of period 133,243 133,205 133,197 133,243 132,929 

EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT4

EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, WORKER, HOMEOWNERSHIP, AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE ACT7

4 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law on February 17, 2009, contained an appropriation of $20,000,000 to provide up to 13 additional weeks of 

unemployment benefits for certain railroad workers who exhaust their rights to the benefits normally provided under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. Benefits had to begin 

by December 31, 2009.

5 Less than $500.

6 Current activity reflects recoveries.

7 Enacted on November 6, 2009, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 contained an appropriation of $175,000,000 to extend the provisions of the 

Recovery Act by one year. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (enacted December 17, 2010), the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut 

Continuation Act of 2011 (enacted December 23, 2011), the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (enacted February 22, 2012), and the American Taxpayer Relief Act 

of 2012 (enacted January 2, 2013) each continued the special unemployment benefit provision for periods ranging from two months to one year, for a total extension of three years. 

Benefits had to begin by December 31, 2013.

Source: Bureau of Fiscal Operations

Detail may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Table 5: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- March 2018

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,062,244,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,060,591,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,653,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 644,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 263,000 $2,730

 Supplemental 121,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 147,000 1,030

 Aged widows' and widowers' 86,000 1,696

 Other benefits 27,000 1,104

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 514,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment2 Sickness

Benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1,3 $3,667,000 $5,345,000

Beneficiaries 2,000 4,400

Average payment per week3 $335 $339

1 Data provided by the Bureau of Fiscal Operations. 2 Starting in June 2009, includes temporary extended unemployment benefits authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act of 2009. Benefits had to begin by December 31, 2009. Beginning in November 2009, temporary extended unemployment benefits 

are also being paid under the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, as amended. Benefits had to begin by 

December 31, 2013.

3 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011,

amounts reflect a reduction of 6.8% under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for 

days after September 30, 2016, and 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017.