APPLICATION OUTCOMES FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS, 2016

EMPLOYEE

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

on disability for all employment and is payable at any age to employees with at least 10 years of service. Employees with less than 10 years of 

railroad service, but at least 5 years of service after 1995, may qualify on the basis of total disability if they also meet certain social security 

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

exists which prevents the performance of any regular work. A condition is considered to be permanent if it has lasted or may be expected to last 

for at least 12 months.

An occupational disability annuity is based on disability from the employee’s regular railroad occupation and is payable to employees with a 

current connection with the rail industry at age 60, if the employee has 10 years of service, or at any age, if the employee has at least 20 years of 

service. An employee who worked for a railroad in at least 12 months in the 30 months immediately preceding the month his or her railroad 

retirement annuity begins will meet the current connection requirement. If an employee does not qualify for a current connection on this basis, but 

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

occupationally disabled if medical evidence shows that a permanent physical or mental condition exists which prevents the performance of his or 

her regular railroad occupation. An employee considered occupationally disabled for work in his or her regular railroad occupation may be able to 

perform other kinds of work.

An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, known as a disability freeze, under the Social 

Security Act. The standards for disability freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. An 

employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early Medicare coverage and lower Federal income taxes on his or her annuity.

For calendar year 2016, there were 253,000 active railroad employees of which 185,000 were eligible for a disability annuity on the basis of years 

of railroad service. Of these eligible employees, 0.4 percent were awarded disability benefits. The annual percent of eligible employees awarded 

disability benefits will change as pending cases are adjudicated. The percent of eligible employees awarded disability benefits has steadily 

decreased from 1.4 percent in calendar year 2008. The chart below displays this decline of eligible railroad employees who were awarded a 

disability annuity.

 

a Ordinarily, an employee disability annuity is comprised of a Tier I component and a Tier II component. However, if a total disability annuity is payable to an 

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 industry after the end of the 

last 30-month period which included 12 months of railroad service and before the month the annuity begins or the date of death. Full or part-time work for a 

non-railroad employer in the interval between the end of the last 30-month period including 12 months of railroad service and the month an employee’s 

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

https://www.rrb.gov/sites/default/files/2017-05/QA1511.pdf.
Note: The figures in the chart above may change because some decisions for certain years have not been made yet. Data is from the December 

2017 Retirement Master Benefit File.

As illustrated by the chart below, employee disability applications have decreased from 3,550 applications filed in calendar year 2008 to 1,948

applications in calendar year 2016, a 45.1 percent decline.

Source: Table 1

1.4%

1.3% 1.2%

1.1%

0.9% 0.9%

0.7% 0.7%

0.4%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

% of Eligible Railroad Employees Awarded a Disability Annuity

(by Calendar Year)

1,800

2,000

2,200

2,400

2,600

2,800

3,000

3,200

3,400

3,600

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Employee Disability Applications Filed

(by Calendar Year)
SURVIVOR

Annuities are payable to surviving widow(er)s, children, and certain other dependents. The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) pays survivor 

disability annuities to:

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

regular employment; and 

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

Eligibility for survivor disability benefits depends on whether or not the railroad employee was "insured" under the Railroad Retirement Act at the 

time of death.

An employee is insured if he or she has at least 120 months (10 years) of railroad service, or 60 months (5 years) performed after 1995, and a 

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

If a deceased employee was not so insured, jurisdiction of any survivor benefits payable is transferred to the Social Security Administration and 

any survivor benefits are paid by that agency instead of the RRB. Regardless of which agency has jurisdiction, the deceased employee's railroad 

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 to 59 if they are totally 

disabled and unable to work in any regular employment. The disability for each of these annuitant types must have begun within 7 years after the 

railroad employee’s death or within 7 years after the termination of an annuity based on caring for a child of the deceased employee. In most 

cases, a 5-month waiting period is required after the onset of disability before a disability annuity can begin. These annuitants are entitled to the 

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

c

Both of these disabled widow(er) annuitant types have different requirements concerning marriage to the employee, as well as any remarriages. 

Generally, the widow(er) must have been married to the employee for at least 9 months prior to death, unless she or he was the natural or 

adopted parent of their child, the employee's death was accidental or while on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, the widow(er) was potentially 

entitled to certain railroad retirement or social security benefits in the month before the month of marriage, or the marriage was postponed due to 

State restrictions on the employee's prior marriage and divorce due to mental incompetence or similar incapacity.

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

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 employee’s combined railroad 

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

percentages of the deceased employee’s Tier II amount. NOTE: The surviving divorced spouse and remarried widow(er) are only entitled to Tier I, not Tier II.
Disabled Adult Child

Survivor annuities are also payable to an unmarried disabled child over age 18 if the child became totally disabled before age 22. 

As illustrated by the chart below, widow(er)s’ disability applications (includes widow[er]s, remarried widow[er]s, and surviving divorced spouses) 

have decreased from 244 applications filed in calendar year 2008 to 164 applications in calendar year 2016, a 32.8 percent decline. Adult 

children’s disability applications have also decreased from 227 applications filed in calendar year 2008 to 150 applications in calendar year 2016, 

a 33.9 percent decline.

Source: Table 5

Tables 1-8 provide data on the application outcomes for disability benefits at different levels of adjudication (initial, reconsideration, hearings and 

appeals, and above) for employee and survivor disability benefits. New for this year are Tables 5-8 which provide data on the outcomes of 

applications for survivor disability benefits. These tables are derived from the Application Tracking System, which is maintained by the Office of 

Programs. The data in these tables is reported by the disability application filing year and includes decisions through the administrative appeals 

process. The administrative appeals process is defined as all adjudicative levels subsequent to the initial level. For this report, the decisions are 

through December 31, 2017 for applications filed during calendar years 2008 through 2016.

Released: April 2018 by the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Survivor Disability Applications Filed

(by Calendar Year)

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

2008 3,550 0 19 187 1,068 85.1% 894 83.7% 174 16.3% 40 2,236 98.2% 2009 3,423 0 24 177 1,147 86.6% 989 86.2% 158 13.8% 40 2,035 98.1% 2010 3,403 0 29 189 1,178 86.2% 1,013 86.0% 165 14.0% 39 1,968 98.1% 2011 3,077 0 26 196 1,087 84.7% 957 88.0% 130 12.0% 39 1,729 97.8% 2012 2,704 0 15 183 952 83.9% 833 87.5% 119 12.5% 25 1,529 98.4% 2013 2,461 0 19 162 924 85.1% 800 86.6% 124 13.4% 51 1,305 96.2% 2014 2,161 0 34 163 843 83.8% 749 88.8% 94 11.2% 39 1,082 96.5% 2015 2,060 2 33 170 814 82.7% 718 88.2% 96 11.8% 28 1,013 97.3% 2016 1,948 131 55 111 657 85.5% 443 67.4% 214 32.6% 25 969 97.5% 

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications denied for non-medical reasons.c. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.d. Allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowancese. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowances.f. Non-freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowances.

F

Freeze Non-Freeze 

Allowances

SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017. Additional disability applications and decisions hav

improvements in data processing.

Table 1: Outcomes of Disability Applications at All Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2016

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsb

Total Disability Occupatio

Allowances

a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security Act. Th

determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. An employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early Mediincome taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freeze determinations.

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa
Denialsc Number Rated Number Percente Number Percentf Denialsc Number Rated N

2008 3,550 0 19 369 886 70.6% 769 86.8% 117 13.2% 65 2,211 97.1% 2009 3,423 0 24 375 949 71.7% 842 88.7% 107 11.3% 53 2,022 97.4% 2010 3,403 0 29 368 999 73.1% 884 88.5% 115 11.5% 50 1,957 97.5% 2011 3,077 0 26 346 937 73.0% 847 90.4% 90 9.6% 55 1,713 96.9% 2012 2,704 0 15 291 844 74.4% 762 90.3% 82 9.7% 37 1,517 97.6% 2013 2,461 0 19 272 814 75.0% 725 89.1% 89 10.9% 80 1,276 94.1% 2014 2,161 0 34 258 748 74.4% 684 91.4% 64 8.6% 49 1,072 95.6% 2015 2,060 2 33 236 748 76.0% 671 89.7% 77 10.3% 31 1,010 97.0% 2016 1,948 131 55 132 636 82.8% 433 68.1% 203 31.9% 26 968 97.4% 

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.b. Applications denied for non-medical reasons.c. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.d. Allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allowances.e. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowances.f. Non-freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowances.

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2016

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsb

Total Disability Occupatio

Allowances Allowances

SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017. Additional disability applications and decisions hav

improvements in data processing.a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security Act. Th

determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. An employee granted a disability freeze may qualify for early Mediincome 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 314 0 221 59 21.1% 49 83.1% 10 16.9% 18 16 47.1% 2009 308 0 225 65 22.4% 49 75.4% 16 24.6% 10 8 44.4% 2010 270 0 209 39 15.7% 33 84.6% 6 15.4% 16 6 27.3% 2011 261 0 194 43 18.1% 35 81.4% 8 18.6% 18 6 25.0% 2012 206 0 164 26 13.7% 22 84.6% 4 15.4% 9 7 43.8% 2013 230 0 154 30 16.3% 21 70.0% 9 30.0% 35 11 23.9% 2014 192 1 139 27 16.3% 19 70.4% 8 29.6% 22 3 12.0% 2015 160 4 121 27 18.2% 19 70.4% 8 29.6% 5 3 37.5% 2016 86 11 55 12 17.9% 5 41.7% 7 58.3% 7 1 12.5% 

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.

b. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.c. Allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allow

d. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowances.e. Non-freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowances.

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2016

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Allowances Allowances

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa Free

Freeze Non-Freeze 

SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017. Additional disability applications and decisio

due to improvements in data processing.a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security 

freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. An employee granted a disability freeze may qualify 

lower Federal income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freeze determination
Denialsb Number Ratec Number Percentd Number Percente Denialsb Number Ratec Num

2008 160 0 27 123 82.0% 76 61.8% 47 38.2% 1 9 90.0% 2009 172 1 34 133 79.6% 97 72.9% 36 27.1% 0 5 100.0% 2010 167 0 18 140 88.6% 96 68.6% 44 31.4% 4 5 55.6% 2011 146 0 26 107 80.5% 74 69.2% 33 30.8% 3 10 76.9% 2012 116 2 27 82 75.2% 49 59.8% 33 40.2% 0 5 100.0% 2013 137 2 34 80 70.2% 54 67.5% 26 32.5% 3 18 85.7% 2014 109 9 16 68 81.0% 45 66.2% 23 33.8% 9 7 43.8% 2015 66 8 19 39 67.2% 28 71.8% 11 28.2% 2 0 0.0% 2016 15 1 5 9 64.3% 5 55.6% 4 44.4% 0 0 0.0% 

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.

b. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.c. Allowance rates (percent) are determined by dividing medical allowances by all medical decisions. Medical decisions are the sum of denials plus allow

d. Freeze percents are determined by dividing freeze decisions by associated allowances.e. Non-freeze percents are determined by dividing non-freeze decisions by associated allowances.

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

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2016

Workers

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Total Disability Occupationa

Freeze Determinations for Allowancesa

Allowances Allowances

Free

Freeze Non-Freeze 

SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017. Additional disability applications and decisio

due to improvements in data processing.a. An application for an employee disability annuity is also an application for a period of disability, known as a disability freeze, under the Social Security 

freeze determinations follow social security law and are comparable to the criteria for total disability. An employee granted a disability freeze may qualify 

lower Federal income taxes on his or her annuity. Pending, denied, and cancelled disability freeze applications are included as non-freeze determination
Denialsb Allowances

2008 244 0 7 29 208 87.8%2009 248 0 10 32 206 86.6%2010 252 0 7 34 211 86.1%2011 240 0 5 31 204 86.8%2012 245 0 8 37 200 84.4%2013 223 0 9 38 176 82.2%2014 205 0 4 36 165 82.1%2015 177 3 4 18 152 89.4%2016 164 25 7 31 101 76.5%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 0 5 51 148 74.4%2013 173 1 6 30 136 81.9%2014 185 0 8 37 140 79.1%2015 152 5 3 34 110 76.4%2016 150 31 3 32 84 72.4%

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications denied for non-medical reasons.b. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017.c. 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

Table 5: Outcomes of Disability Applications at All Adjudicative Levels

Calendar Year of Applications, 2008-2016

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsa

Medical Allowance 

Ratec
Denialsb Allowances

2008 244 0 7 48 189 79.7%2009 248 0 10 50 188 79.0%2010 252 0 7 44 201 82.0%2011 240 0 5 45 190 80.9%2012 245 0 8 44 193 81.4%2013 223 0 9 44 170 79.4%2014 205 0 4 45 156 77.6%2015 177 3 4 26 144 84.7%2016 164 25 7 34 98 74.2%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 0 5 52 147 73.9%2013 173 1 6 32 134 80.7%2014 185 0 8 44 133 75.1%2015 152 5 3 36 108 75.0%2016 150 31 3 34 82 70.7%

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications denied for non-medical reasons.b. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017.

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

c. 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, 2008-2016

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Technical 

Denialsa

Medical Allowance 

Ratec
Denialsa Allowances

2008 30 0 20 10 33.3%2009 34 0 20 14 41.2%2010 25 0 19 6 24.0%2011 21 0 15 6 28.6%2012 19 0 15 4 21.1%2013 21 0 19 2 9.5%2014 16 0 15 1 6.3%2015 12 0 7 5 41.7%2016 11 2 7 2 22.2%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 19 0 18 1 5.3%2013 10 0 9 1 10.0%2014 20 0 17 3 15.0%2015 15 2 11 2 15.4%2016 14 4 9 1 10.0%

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017.

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

b. 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, 2008-2016

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 0 1 8 88.9%2015 4 1 0 3 100.0%2016 1 0 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 11 1 6 4 40.0%2015 0 0 0 0 0.0%2016 1 0 0 1 100.0%

NOTE: Applications may be pending for recent years which will result in changes to decisions and rates.a. Applications denied for not meeting the medical criteria for disability.SOURCE: Railroad Retirement Board, Application Tracking System. Decisions through December 31, 2017.

Widow(er)s

Adult Children

b. 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, 2008-2016

Survivors

Calendar 

Year

Total 

Applications Pending

Medical Allowance 

Rateb