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 - Benefits and Beneficiaries

Average annuity amounts,

March 2019 and March 2020

 Published by Public Affairs

 and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

August 19, 2020

Selected Current Statistics for January - March 2020

Employee

(age annuities

only)

Spouse Aged widow(er)

$2,895

$1,074

$1,755

$2,964

$1,095

$1,811

2019

2020

Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

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

January - March 2020

Employee annuities

 Total1 

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- 

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 a

Number in current-payment status at end of periodMarch 2020 628,010 502,553 187,294 48,945 21,058 116,146 February 2020 628,638 502,864 187,429 48,868 21,270 116,463 January 2020 629,392 503,315 187,439 48,784 21,488 116,762 Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodMarch 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,964.04 $2,610.76 $2,866.79 $41.50 February 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,961.24 2,609.15 2,864.62 41.50 January 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,958.76 2,607.10 2,862.95 41.50 Number awarded during periodMarch 2020 2,303 2,133 606 . . . . . . . . 133 170 February 2020 2,196 2,017 614 . . . . . . . . 150 179 January 2020 2,574 2,401 678 . . . . . . . . 156 173 10/19 - 3/20 13,241 12,023 3,536 . . . . . . . . 734 1,218 10/18 - 3/19 14,910 13,162 4,008 . . . . . . . . 837 1,748 Average amount awarded during period4

March 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,119.76 . . . . . . . . $2,981.87 $42.34 

February 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,147.84 . . . . . . . . 2,833.72 41.76 

January 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,031.31 . . . . . . . . 3,166.55 41.24 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

March 2020 $1,094,603 . . . . . . . . $556,087 $127,162 $67,129 $4,832 February 2020 1,094,279 . . . . . . . . 555,580 126,876 68,129 4,845 

January 2020 1,097,595 . . . . . . . . 556,418 126,779 69,665 4,864 

10/19 - 3/20 6,539,861 . . . . . . . . 3,317,454 753,919 408,519 29,198 10/18 - 3/19 6,453,597 . . . . . . . . 3,254,008 715,922 448,642 29,888 

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 

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

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 conson 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 monthpayments 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 periodMarch 2020 80,540 3,212 530 2,657 9,718 7,867 . . . . . . . February 2020 80,675 3,215 519 2,678 9,682 7,855 . . . . . . . January 2020 80,822 3,239 517 2,692 9,675 7,880 . . . . . . . Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodMarch 2020 $1,810.65 $1,426.37 $1,945.34 $1,180.03 $1,192.13 $1,190.07 . . . . . . . February 2020 1,806.03 1,426.29 1,943.44 1,180.85 1,191.45 1,188.38 . . . . . . . January 2020 1,801.40 1,424.55 1,940.49 1,180.78 1,189.46 1,184.27 . . . . . . . Number awarded during periodMarch 2020 429 8 7 8 63 24 190 February 2020 488 7 9 10 68 32 186 January 2020 488 10 7 7 64 31 160 10/19 - 3/20 2,563 41 45 45 342 172 995 10/18 - 3/19 2,539 50 51 55 361 199 1,024 Average amount awarded during period4March 2020 $2,298.44 $1,609.11 $934.98 $1,487.58 $1,124.43 $1,520.29 $904 February 2020 2,212.43 1,519.01 1,359.44 979.00 1,163.27 1,540.73 946 January 2020 2,259.14 1,726.36 974.08 1,133.71 1,233.03 1,599.34 873 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5March 2020 $146,443 $4,858 $1,052 $3,182 $11,701 $9,973 $182 February 2020 146,083 4,782 1,079 3,185 11,644 10,114 181 January 2020 146,984 4,928 1,146 3,198 11,689 10,061 144 10/19 - 3/20 879,947 29,008 6,897 19,098 69,688 59,802 943 

10/18 - 3/19 878,738 29,048 7,381 19,593 67,316 58,563 986 

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

January - March 2020 -- 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' annuitie

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' a

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

January - March 2020 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item March

2020

February

2020

January

2020

October 2019 -

March 2020

October 2018 -

March 2019

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $245,899 $242,299 $215,066 $1,337,186 $1,467,136 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,000 139,000 127,000 

 Financial interchange advances3 352,376 280,122 391,883 2,154,107 2,098,252 

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

 Interest on investments4 1,761 -11,337 1,613 -18,490 12,373 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $628,444 $627,639 $629,809 $3,746,160 $3,678,938 

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

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

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

 Administrative expenses6 2,600 2,452 2,452 14,983 18,686 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 185 185 185 1,279 1,555 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $302,591 $299,319 $257,863 $1,480,500 $1,602,271 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,000 201,000 270,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 166,312 165,628 166,311 982,461 935,991 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust5 238,000 . . . . . . . . 426,000 1,090,000 999,000 

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

 Interest on investments4 1,042 -14,361 428 -24,993 7,000 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $464,978 $465,445 $466,561 $2,786,394 $2,765,777 

 Payments of SSA benefits 166,279 165,624 166,069 981,952 935,450 

 Administrative expenses6 7,763 7,388 7,388 45,073 48,455 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 558 558 558 3,857 3,909 

Cash and investment balance at end of 

period7 $21,876,734 $24,484,345 $25,596,992 $21,876,734 $25,210,779 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 8

Vested dual benefit payments $1,181 $1,195 $1,225 $7,306 $8,883 

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 Statistics

January - March 2020

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Unemployment1

March 2020 1,463 798 484 5,123 4,659 February 2020 939 1,264 345 5,647 5,264 January 2020 2,279 1,321 962 6,095 6,066 7/19 - 3/20 14,759 10,716 1,952 11,439 11,349 7/18 - 3/19 7,936 5,606 1,299 6,274 6,178 

Sickness

March 2020 1,057 879 425 4,713 3,829 February 2020 979 806 525 4,596 3,962 January 2020 1,158 949 1,058 5,134 5,066 7/19 - 3/20 14,683 11,452 2,383 11,944 11,808 7/18 - 3/19 14,473 11,343 2,210 11,955 11,798 

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Unemployment

March 2020 10,332 9,037 1,295 9.0 $364.75 February 2020 9,564 8,722 842 9.0 364.85 January 2020 12,022 11,564 458 9.0 365.05 7/19 - 3/20 73,191 69,412 3,779 9.0 364.75 7/18 - 3/19 39,515 35,886 3,629 9.1 357.85 

Sickness

March 2020 9,984 7,371 2,613 8.8 $364.50 February 2020 8,596 6,841 1,755 8.8 365.30 January 2020 11,358 10,574 784 8.9 365.40 7/19 - 3/20 82,440 74,758 7,682 8.9 364.50 7/18 - 3/19 78,897 71,461 7,436 8.9 360.55 

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 reg 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, unemploymen 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 

 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 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 paym

 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 co

The number of BENEFICIARIES is the count of persons receiving unemployment or sickness benefits in the period. Those receiving both normal and extended benef sickness are counted only once in the total for each type.
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- March 2020 

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,094,603,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,093,423,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,181,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 628,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 257,000 $2,889

 Supplemental 116,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 148,000 1,081

 Aged widows' and widowers' 81,000 1,811

 Other benefits 26,000 1,163

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 503,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT - SICKNESS

 Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1,2 $7,335,000 $7,132,000

Beneficiaries 5,100 4,700

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 

6.9% under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness 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.