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

April 13, 2020 

Employees

51.2%

Spouses

28.1%

Survivors

20.7%

Selected Current Statistics for October - December 2019

NOTE.--Some 6,100 employees also received spouse annuities and 

approximately 2,100 employees also received survivor annuities.

Railroad Retirement and 

Survivor Beneficiaries 

on the Rolls, by Type,

December 2019

(505,000 beneficiaries)
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

October - December 2019

Employee annuities

 Total1 

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- S

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 an

Number in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2019 631,833 505,224 188,061 48,846 21,724 117,302 November 2019 632,180 505,472 188,036 48,668 22,014 117,377 October 2019 632,936 506,003 188,169 48,547 22,286 117,589 

Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,955.52 $2,604.22 $2,861.19 $41.50 November 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,917.16 2,568.37 2,822.77 41.50 October 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,915.13 2,566.52 2,822.82 41.51 Number awarded during periodDecember 2019 1,783 1,564 509 . . . . . . . . 79 219 

November 2019 2,067 1,848 508 . . . . . . . . 99 219 

October 2019 2,318 2,060 621 . . . . . . . . 117 258 

10/19 - 12/19 6,168 5,472 1,638 . . . . . . . . 295 696 10/18 - 12/18 7,154 6,238 1,914 . . . . . . . . 380 916 Average amount awarded during period4

December 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,321.89 . . . . . . . . $2,983.35 $40.52 November 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,118.01 . . . . . . . . 2,827.79 40.43 October 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,140.68 . . . . . . . . 2,856.80 40.42 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5December 2019 $1,082,779 . . . . . . . . $549,686 $124,772 $65,912 $4,875 November 2019 1,083,773 . . . . . . . . 549,558 124,345 67,709 4,884 

October 2019 1,086,832 . . . . . . . . 550,125 123,985 69,975 4,898 

10/19 - 12/19 3,253,384 . . . . . . . . 1,649,369 373,102 203,596 14,657 10/18 - 12/18 3,193,797 . . . . . . . . 1,608,653 352,429 221,691 14,986 

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 insura

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 ar

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 befor

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

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 constime 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 msum 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 2019 -- Continued

Annuities

Period

Aged

widows and

widowers

Disabled

widows and

widowers6

Widowed

mothers and

fathers

Remarried

widows and

widowers

Divorced

widows and

widowers Children

Insuran

lump sum

Number in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2019 81,487 3,253 568 2,713 9,709 7,908 . . . . . . November 2019 81,643 3,260 581 2,724 9,706 7,940 . . . . . . October 2019 81,860 3,272 574 2,731 9,761 7,961 . . . . . . Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodDecember 2019 $1,799.04 $1,420.69 $1,948.87 $1,179.80 $1,190.48 $1,179.81 . . . . . . November 2019 1,788.75 1,407.89 1,940.98 1,159.33 1,172.65 1,160.66 . . . . . . October 2019 1,784.27 1,404.96 1,935.31 1,156.00 1,170.66 1,158.08 . . . . . . Number awarded during periodDecember 2019 334 6 5 8 47 18 15November 2019 418 6 9 7 42 28 14October 2019 406 4 8 5 58 39 1610/19 - 12/19 1,158 16 22 20 147 85 4510/18 - 12/18 1,205 21 21 30 173 89 48Average amount awarded during period4December 2019 $2,519.75 $1,692.87 $2,487.98 $1,646.00 $1,194.04 $1,689.24 $93November 2019 2,315.16 2,117.52 1,429.32 1,396.86 937.83 1,528.18 95October 2019 2,343.48 2,328.49 2,024.67 1,630.20 1,361.94 1,470.31 87Benefit payments during period (thousands)5December 2019 $146,924 $4,823 $1,220 $3,191 $11,533 $9,762 $14November 2019 146,598 4,808 1,188 3,168 11,473 9,845 14

October 2019 146,915 4,809 1,212 3,174 11,649 10,046 1410/19 - 12/19 440,437 14,440 3,620 9,533 34,654 29,654 43

10/18 - 12/18 439,123 14,448 3,695 9,722 33,218 28,829 45

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' annu

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 employee

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 bepending 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 benefits, i.e., those payable a year after the employee's death.
Table 2: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Financial Statistics

October - December 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item December

2019

November

2019

October

2019

October 2019 -

December 2019

October 2018 -

December 2018

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $224,999 $186,198 $222,726 $633,923 $662,366 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67,000 67,000 60,000 

 Financial interchange advances3 391,818 334,512 403,397 1,129,727 1,075,293 

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

 Interest on investments4 1,926 230 -12,683 -10,527 6,190 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $619,125 $620,119 $621,024 $1,860,268 $1,813,519 

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

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

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

 Administrative expenses6 1,984 1,966 3,528 7,479 8,804 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 194 190 340 724 963 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $212,021 $184,258 $224,448 $620,727 $631,462 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000 100,000 170,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 160,323 162,498 161,388 484,209 459,046 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust5 262,000 97,000 67,000 426,000 364,000 

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

 Interest on investments4 801 -473 -12,429 -12,102 3,646 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $462,489 $462,393 $464,528 $1,389,410 $1,375,772 

 Payments of SSA benefits 160,338 162,366 161,277 483,980 458,985 

 Administrative expenses6 6,116 5,876 10,543 22,534 23,607 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 591 570 1,023 2,184 2,420 

Cash and investment balance at end of 

period7 $26,275,255 $25,935,078 $25,705,851 $26,275,255 $24,112,511 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 8

Vested dual benefit payments $1,165 $1,260 $1,280 $3,706 $4,506 

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. 6Prior to fiscal year 2019, reflects adjustments for prior periods. 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 2019 and 2020 was $19.0 and $16.0 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 Statistic

s

October - December 2019

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Unemployment1

December 2019 1,412 953 28 4,878 4,859 November 2019 1,278 947 22 4,581 4,567 October 2019 1,418 1,381 11 4,374 4,341 7/19 - 12/19 10,078 7,333 161 7,909 7,817 7/18 - 12/18 5,413 3,699 198 4,312 4,215 

Sickness

December 2019 1,168 855 69 4,906 4,866 November 2019 926 924 47 4,768 4,751 October 2019 1,236 1,256 23 4,979 4,925 7/19 - 12/19 11,489 8,818 375 9,300 9,162 7/18 - 12/18 11,496 8,810 356 9,414 9,253 

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Unemployment

December 2019 8,559 8,508 51 9.2 $363.95 November 2019 8,277 8,241 36 9.2 364.00 October 2019 8,336 8,233 103 9.0 363.70 7/19 - 12/19 41,273 40,089 1,184 9.0 363.50 7/18 - 12/18 23,397 22,143 1,254 9.1 356.00 

Sickness

December 2019 8,978 8,857 121 9.2 $365.10 November 2019 8,844 8,763 81 9.2 365.05 October 2019 10,356 10,124 232 9.0 363.50 7/19 - 12/19 52,502 49,972 2,530 9.0 365.65 7/18 - 12/18 51,231 48,486 2,745 9.0 457.70 

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 registra 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 be 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 benefit.2 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 6.8% under sequestration for days of u

 and sickness after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018, and 

 after September 30, 2019.

3 Prior to July 2019, unemployment and sickness benefit payments were based on net amounts. Beginning in July 2019, that data is no longer available. Benefit payments 

 have been adjusted to reflect gross amounts.

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 continThe number of BENEFICIARIES is the count of persons receiving unemployment or sickness benefits in the period. Those receiving both normal and extended benefits f

 sickness are counted only once in the total for each type.
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- December 2019

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,082,779,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,081,614,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,165,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 632,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 259,000 $2,881

 Supplemental 117,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 148,000 1,078

 Aged widows' and widowers' 81,000 1,799

 Other benefits 26,000 1,162

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 505,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1,2 $6,407,800 $6,725,700

Beneficiaries 4,900 5,100

Average payment per week2 $365 $365

1 Prior to July 2019, unemployment and sickness benefit payments were based on net amounts. Beginning in July 2019, that data is no 

longer available. Benefit payments now reflect gross amounts.

2 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, 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, 6.6%

for days after September 30, 2017, 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018, and 5.9% for days after September 30, 2019.