Benefit payments1 December 2021

Total

Retirement and Survivor Retired employees R

Benefits, Including Spouses and divorced spouses R

Supplemental Annuites Widow(er)s - aged and disabled R

Other benefits R

Number Average2 Number Average2

Total, regular annuities 495,500 ......... 1,600 ......... .........

Regular employee annuities, total 248,900 $3,109 600 $3,335 .........

 Awarded age annuity 182,200 3,191 3 200 3 4,288 4 $2,278

 Disability converted to age annuity5 48,700 2,814 ......... ......... .........

 Disability 18,000 3,080 100 3,281

Spouses and divorced spouses 144,000 1,155 600 1,156

Widow(er)s--aged and disabled 79,900 1,926 400 2,577

Widowed mothers and fathers 600 2,079 6/ 1,436

Widow(er)s--remarried and divorced 12,200 1,314 6/ 1,463

Children 7,500 1,311 6/ 1,770

Other benefits 2,500 327 ......... ......... .........

Employee supplemental annuities8 108,900 42 100 42 .........

R : Revised numbers

1

Data provided by the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.

2

Railroad retirement benefits shown are net of reduction for social security benefit entitlement.

3

For employees retiring directly from the railroad industry with full age annuity (their years of service averaged 32); about 300

 other age annuities were awarded in the month. 

4

For men full retirement age or over. 

5

A 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 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 before 1938.

6

Fewer than 50.

7

Remarried and divorced widow(er)s included with aged and disabled widow(er)s and widowed mothers and fathers.

8

Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Number and averages are for

 employee annuitants only and reflect court-ordered partitions. 

Note. --Data are on a cash basis (unaudited) and are partly estimated. Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

Regular retirement and survivor benefit payments total includes hospital insurance benefits for services in Canada.

$1,089,024,000 $1,095,256,000

Benefits and Beneficiaries Under the Railroad Retirement

and Unemployment Insurance Systems - December 2021

December 2020

749,164,000 754,533,000

161,149,000 161,771,000

151,716,000 151,903,000

Monthly benefits December 2021

26,995,000 27,049,000

Average under

Being paid

end of month

Awarded in

month

Social Security

Being Paid Awarded

.........

.........

$1,658

.........

1,358 1,565

820 699

1,512 1,447

1,126 1,120

7/ 7/

(Over)

978 996

.........

.........
 Unemployment 2,600 $403 

 Sickness 5,600 407 

 Unemployment

 Sickness

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, 5.7% for days after September 30, 2020 and before January 3, 2021. Beginning 

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

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

 COVID-19 pandemic. 

Notes: - Data are on a cash basis (unaudited). Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

- Beginning in May 2020, RUIA claimants have also been paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic

Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act), CARWA, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) with no

benefits payable under these acts for registration periods beginning after September 6, 2021. The

December 2021 amount calculated for payment was less than $0.07 million and the December 2020 amount

was $1.3 million.

Published by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Bureau of the Actuary and Research

 8,718,000 

14,223,000

9,160,000

Benefit payments1

Total $13,225,000 $23,383,000

 4,507,000 

December 2021 December 2020

$754 

734

Average payment1

Number of beneficiaries

during month

Per 2-week

registration period

Per

full week

Benefits and Beneficiaries Under the Railroad Retirement 

and Unemployment Insurance Systems - (Continued)

December 2021

Unemployment and Sickness Benefits