Quarterly Benefit Statistics

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Published by Public Affairs

844 North Rush Street and the Bureau of the Actuary and Researach

Chicago, Illinois 60611-1275

www.rrb.gov January 18, 2018

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

Selected Current Statistics for July - September 2017

450,000

500,000

550,000

600,000

650,000

Sept. '07 Sept. '09 Sept. '11 Sept. '13 Sept. '15 Sept. '17

0

Total Monthly Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries, 

September 2007 through September 2017
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

July - September 2017

 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

September 2017 648,277 516,952 190,301 46,180 27,990 122,050 141,795 5,055

August 2017 648,411 517,117 190,221 45,998 28,333 122,025 141,678 5,043

July 2017 648,326 517,097 190,069 45,833 28,611 121,975 141,458 5,028

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

September 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,730.68 $2,401.16 $2,691.06 $41.53 $1,021.58 $632.18

August 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,726.68 2,397.51 2,689.30 41.54 1,020.29 631.49

July 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,722.30 2,395.28 2,687.28 41.54 1,018.98 631.39

Number awarded during period

September 2017 2,828 2,378 788 . . . . . . . . 118 450 880 56

August 2017 3,249 2,698 921 . . . . . . . . 164 551 981 62

July 2017 3,203 2,614 996 . . . . . . . . 120 589 913 58

10/16 - 9/17 33,581 28,397 9,182 . . . . . . . . 1,525 5,184 10,082 687

10/15 - 9/16 35,183 29,234 9,866 . . . . . . . . 1,652 5,949 10,198 770

Average amount awarded during period4

September 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,167.40 . . . . . . . . $2,718.90 $40.51 $1,074.93 $619.12

August 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,201.32 . . . . . . . . 2,804.07 40.83 1,074.10 681.41

July 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,318.49 . . . . . . . . 2,680.51 41.56 1,090.55 590.19

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

September 2017 $1,043,391 . . . . . . . . $521,222 $110,054 $80,683 $5,085 $146,173 $3,280

August 2017 1,045,017 . . . . . . . . 520,337 109,541 83,022 5,087 146,361 3,314

July 2017 1,040,088 . . . . . . . . 519,081 109,001 81,427 5,086 145,148 3,239

10/16 - 9/17 12,469,491 . . . . . . . . 6,198,347 1,291,434 1,015,398 61,201 1,736,142 38,882

10/15 - 9/16 12,347,022 . . . . . . . . 6,081,486 1,227,689 1,106,164 61,567 1,689,120 36,407

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

September 2017 87,817 3,528 623 3,037 9,708 8,478 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,695

August 2017 87,992 3,531 632 3,046 9,719 8,494 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,678

July 2017 88,215 3,541 631 3,059 9,696 8,524 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,665

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

September 2017 $1,664.12 $1,325.76 $1,878.15 $1,070.69 $1,077.98 $1,078.10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $314.60

August 2017 1,660.89 1,325.01 1,876.72 1,067.59 1,076.85 1,077.79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313.25

July 2017 1,657.05 1,323.32 1,874.56 1,066.44 1,074.05 1,076.99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312.11

Number awarded during period

September 2017 417 9 7 16 46 41 204 ---- . . . . . . . .

August 2017 430 10 9 15 75 31 206 1 . . . . . . . .

July 2017 427 7 2 13 57 21 185 1 . . . . . . . .

10/16 - 9/17 5,487 86 84 127 745 390 2,515 3 . . . . . . . .

10/15 - 9/16 5,319 121 94 116 716 380 2,793 3 . . . . . . . .

Average amount awarded during period4

September 2017 $2,067.36 $1,733.94 $1,268.77 $1,174.56 $1,144.67 $1,225.35 $898 ---- . . . . . . . .

August 2017 2,141.19 1,772.86 1,804.27 1,335.49 1,123.20 1,500.41 933 $797 . . . . . . . .

July 2017 2,168.56 1,971.78 2,298.46 1,302.08 1,247.46 1,413.33 881 1,293 . . . . . . . .

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

September 2017 $146,471 $4,904 $1,222 $3,304 $10,542 $9,687 $189 ---- $557

August 2017 146,762 5,006 1,248 3,334 10,610 9,654 199 $1 522

July 2017 146,797 4,849 1,216 3,281 10,521 9,735 167 1 520

10/16 - 9/17 1,763,425 57,984 14,850 39,769 125,692 117,529 2,363 3 6,219

10/15 - 9/16 1,778,491 59,680 15,225 41,014 123,171 118,602 2,683 18 5,416

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

July - September 2017 -- 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

July - September 2017 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item September

2017

August

2017

July

2017

October 2016 -

September 2017

October 2015 -

September 2016

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period1 $589,221 $691,594 $778,872 $739,556 $877,301 

Income, total 579,216 572,964 507,192 7,058,121 6,554,140 

 Payroll taxes2 243,348 282,085 260,797 3,141,889 3,121,695 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105,000 421,000 465,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 140,304 140,281 139,937 1,659,262 1,538,584 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust4 194,000 149,000 . . . . . . . . 1,821,000 1,410,000 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1,758 1,754 

 Uncashed check credits from U.S. Treasury6 25 16 32 303 321 

 Interest on investments7 1,540 1,582 1,427 16,425 16,787 

Outgo, total 721,782 675,337 594,470 7,351,021 6,691,885 

 Benefit payments 446,963 447,793 444,104 5,321,367 5,229,037 

 Financial interchange adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -146,486 

 Payments of SSA benefits 140,612 139,266 140,207 1,656,994 1,537,069 

 Transfer to SSEB Account4 126,000 80,000 . . . . . . . . 296,000 . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses8 7,478 7,527 9,409 70,467 67,101 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 728 750 750 6,194 5,165 

Balance at end of period1 446,656 589,221 691,594 446,656 739,556 

Cash and investment balance at end of period9 $26,389,616 $26,266,788 $26,236,588 $26,389,616 $25,007,728 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 10

Balance at beginning of period $1,461 $1,296 $1,439 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Congressional apportionments11 1,936 1,958 1,981 $23,001 $28,001 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000 1,000 

 Vested dual benefit payments 2,036 1,793 2,124 23,639 27,549 

Balance at end of period12 1,362 1,461 1,296 1,362 1,452 

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

July - September 2017 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

 Item September

2017

August

2017

July

2017

October 2016 -

September 2017

October 2015 -

September 2016

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $797,252 $765,757 $696,261 $721,860 $880,840 

Income, total 591,920 550,171 667,337 11,746,542 11,704,880 

 Payroll taxes2 213,692 245,273 225,281 2,824,768 2,804,508 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,000 289,000 293,000 

 Financial interchange advances13 376,964 303,674 368,123 4,095,393 3,926,083 

 RRB-SSA financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,522,486 4,662,650 

 Interest on investments7 1,265 1,224 934 14,895 18,639 

Outgo, total 471,600 518,676 597,842 11,550,830 11,863,860 

 Benefit payments 594,393 595,431 593,860 7,124,485 7,090,435 

 Financial interchange adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146,486 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,054,505 3,940,091 

 RRB-CMS financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637,383 656,811 

 Transfer to Railroad Retirement Account4 -126,000 -80,000 . . . . . . . . -296,000 . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses8 2,916 2,945 3,682 27,927 27,856 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 291 300 300 2,530 2,180 

Balance at end of period 917,572 797,252 765,757 917,572 721,860 

1Balances include liabilities for uncashed checks. As of the end of September 2017, liabilities were $14,481,000. 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. In August and September 2017, the RR Account transferred $80.0 million and $126.0 million to the SSEB Account to pay current benefits, 

respectively. 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 appropriation for fiscal year 2017 

was $25.0 million, including income tax transfers. The appropriation for fiscal year 2016 was $29.0 million, including income tax transfers. 11Includes a small amount of interest on uncashed 

checks. 12The Dual Benefits Payments Account balance does not carry over to the following fiscal year. 13Includes interest.

NOTE.--Data relate to CALENDAR month. 

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

July - September 2017

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Unemployment1

September 2017 773 535 4 2,714 2,607 130

August 2017 956 1,620 4 2,820 2,655 203

July 2017 2,779 1,297 108 2,553 2,335 285

7/17 - 9/17 4,508 3,452 116 3,861 3,731 309

7/16 - 9/16 6,952 5,461 323 6,355 6,254 271

Sickness

September 2017 1,297 1,164 7 5,183 4,995 228

August 2017 2,233 3,262 29 5,301 4,978 405

July 2017 5,609 2,167 204 4,623 4,175 599

7/17 - 9/17 9,139 6,593 240 7,315 7,079 651

7/16 - 9/16 9,105 6,719 208 7,403 7,217 582

Number of payments Averages2

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week3

Benefit

payments3,4

(thousands)

Unemployment1

September 2017 4,601 4,387 214 9.1 $331.10 $3,102

August 2017 5,599 5,181 418 9.1 331.90 3,753

July 2017 4,045 3,518 527 8.6 332.70 2,933

7/17 - 9/17 14,245 13,086 1,159 9.0 332.35 9,789

7/16 - 9/16 23,467 22,440 1,027 8.8 334.35 17,073

Sickness

September 2017 8,563 8,168 395 9.1 $333.95 $5,641

August 2017 10,317 9,452 865 9.0 334.40 3,897

July 2017 7,865 6,647 1,218 8.7 333.55 4,181

7/17 - 9/17 26,745 24,267 2,478 8.9 335.20 13,720

7/16 - 9/16 28,005 25,775 2,230 8.9 335.05 14,733

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, and 6.9% for days after September 30, 

2016. 

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

July - September 2017 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item September

2017

August

2017

July

2017

October 2016 -

September 2017

October 2015 -

September 2016

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $82,023 $89,485 $70,851 $69,019 $95,002 

Income, total 494 355 25,907 111,466 108,588 

 Contributions1 46 367 25,926 100,030 90,241 

 Interest on investments 452 10 18 1,945 2,514 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments2 -4 -22 -37 -2,866 2,458 

 Transfers from RUI Administration Fund3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,357 13,375 

Outgo, total 8,907 7,816 7,273 106,875 134,572 

 Unemployment benefit payments4 3,135 3,770 2,942 46,804 77,750 

 Sickness benefit payments4 5,641 3,897 4,181 58,811 55,742 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 130 150 150 1,260 1,080 

Balance at end of period 73,610 82,023 89,485 73,610 69,019 

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION FUND

Balance at beginning of period $12,993 $14,396 $9,763 $12,132 $13,858 

Income, total 20 123 6,542 26,551 27,146 

 Contributions1 -45 123 6,542 26,389 26,970 

 Interest on investments 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 176 

Outgo, total 1,529 1,527 1,909 27,200 28,872 

 Administrative expenses 1,529 1,527 1,909 14,842 15,498 

 Transfers to RUI Account3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,357 13,375 

Balance at end of period 11,483 12,993 14,396 11,483 12,132 

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 Section 11(d) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, the RUI Administration Fund transfers the balance in excess of $6 million (on an accrual basis of 

accounting) at the end of the prior fiscal year to the RUI Account. The attributable interest is also transferred.

4 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, and 6.9% for days 

after September 30, 2016. 

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 because of rounding.
Table 4: Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Financial Statistics

July - September 2017 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

Item September

2017

August

2017

July

2017

October 2016 -

September 2017

October 2015 -

September 2016

Balance at beginning of period $9,473 $9,471 $9,470 $9,448 $9,434 

 Interest and other income 1 1 (6) 5 9 

 Benefits8 -4 -1 -1 -24 -5 

Balance at end of period 9,477 9,473 9,471 9,477 9,448 

Balance at beginning of period $133,136 $133,119 $133,109 $132,929 $132,725 

 Interest and other income 1 2 2 33 55 

 Benefits8 -29 -15 -7 -205 -149 

Balance at end of period 133,167 133,136 133,119 133,167 132,929 

EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT5

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

5 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), 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. 

6 Less than $500. 

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. 

8 Current activity reflects recoveries.

Source: Bureau of Fiscal Operations

Detail may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Table 5: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- September 2017 

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,043,391,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,041,356,000

 Vested dual benefits 2,036,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 648,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 264,000 $2,669

 Supplemental 122,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 147,000 1,008

 Aged widows' and widowers' 88,000 1,664

 Other benefits 27,000 1,080

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 517,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment2 Sickness

Benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1,3 $3,102,000 $5,641,000

Beneficiaries 2,700 5,200

Average payment per week3 $331 $334

 Act of 2009.

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. No additional payments were made this period. Current activity only reflects recoveries. 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, and 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016.