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 - Unemployment and Sickness Programs, Financial Statistics

Table 5 - Benefits and Beneficiaries

Average annuity amounts,

March 2018 and March 2019

 Published by Public Affairs

 and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

July 23, 2019

Selected Current Statistics for January - March 2019

Employee

(age annuities

only)

Spouse Aged widow(er)

$2,796

$1,044

$1,696

$2,895

$1,074

$1,755

2018

2019

Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

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

January - March 2019

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

March 2019 637,155 508,774 188,893 47,915 23,783 119,032 142,764 5,211

February 2019 637,982 509,320 189,086 47,833 24,003 119,297 142,777 5,166

January 2019 638,398 509,583 189,095 47,771 24,196 119,480 142,696 5,199

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

March 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,894.55 $2,548.27 $2,812.86 $41.51 $1,074.30 $680.80

February 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,891.83 2,545.52 2,811.24 41.51 1,074.27 680.67

January 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,888.94 2,542.65 2,811.02 41.51 1,072.70 677.74

Number awarded during period

March 2019 2,430 2,163 646 . . . . . . . . 158 267 735 88

February 2019 2,563 2,280 671 . . . . . . . . 136 283 797 53

January 2019 2,763 2,481 777 . . . . . . . . 163 282 896 88

10/18 - 3/19 14,910 13,162 4,008 . . . . . . . . 837 1,748 4,687 375

10/17 - 3/18 16,220 14,069 4,488 . . . . . . . . 787 2,151 4,907 394

Average amount awarded during period4

March 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,130.49 . . . . . . . . $2,920.86 $40.78 $1,007.65 $715.68

February 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,060.08 . . . . . . . . 2,870.05 40.21 1,109.42 834.24

January 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,980.54 . . . . . . . . 2,949.67 40.20 1,052.66 825.29

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

March 2019 $1,086,683 . . . . . . . . $548,590 $121,458 $75,376 $4,956 $154,744 $3,780

February 2019 1,084,444 . . . . . . . . 547,957 121,198 74,553 4,965 154,351 3,667

January 2019 1,088,673 . . . . . . . . 548,808 120,837 77,022 4,981 154,671 3,769

10/18 - 3/19 6,453,597 . . . . . . . . 3,254,008 715,922 448,642 29,888 917,730 21,826

10/17 - 3/18 6,318,657 . . . . . . . . 3,165,042 675,053 475,080 30,402 888,964 20,419

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 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. 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

March 2019 82,996 3,330 578 2,842 9,716 8,115 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,960

February 2019 83,279 3,329 569 2,852 9,706 8,113 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,951

January 2019 83,450 3,331 561 2,861 9,687 8,111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,939

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

March 2019 $1,755.07 $1,391.34 $1,928.31 $1,146.49 $1,154.97 $1,152.05 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $318.27

February 2019 1,751.11 1,391.47 1,930.86 1,147.79 1,153.23 1,150.77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319.14

January 2019 1,745.67 1,389.85 1,915.89 1,145.11 1,151.13 1,149.40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319.62

Number awarded during period

March 2019 390 12 11 11 60 52 199 ---- . . . . . . . .

February 2019 497 9 9 7 72 29 166 ---- . . . . . . . .

January 2019 447 8 10 7 56 29 179 ---- . . . . . . . .

10/18 - 3/19 2,539 50 51 55 361 199 1,024 1 . . . . . . . .

10/17 - 3/18 2,761 48 48 67 384 183 1,209 1 . . . . . . . .

Average amount awarded during period4

March 2019 $2,159.57 $1,345.77 $1,394.92 $1,031.55 $1,273.44 $1,436.34 $921 ---- . . . . . . . .

February 2019 2,250.65 1,364.55 1,887.60 1,314.71 1,238.31 1,458.09 924 ---- . . . . . . . .

January 2019 2,310.37 1,465.53 1,469.58 1,051.86 1,274.02 1,545.19 917 ---- . . . . . . . .

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

March 2019 $146,084 $4,892 $1,209 $3,284 $11,340 $10,116 $193 ---- $640

February 2019 146,459 4,843 1,205 3,284 11,351 9,762 163 ---- 665

January 2019 147,072 4,865 1,272 3,303 11,408 9,855 178 ---- 611

10/18 - 3/19 878,738 29,048 7,381 19,593 67,316 58,563 986 $3 3,827

10/17 - 3/18 879,535 29,679 7,300 19,882 64,250 58,345 1,153 4 3,419

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

January - March 2019 -- 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

January - March 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item March

2019

February

2019

January

2019

October 2018 -

March 2019

October 2017 -

March 2018

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period1 $721,770 $622,351 $423,649 $656,125 $446,656 

Income, total 626,970 729,418 829,760 3,814,453 3,893,305 

 Payroll taxes2 289,305 386,858 294,646 1,602,271 1,664,066 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000 270,000 219,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 159,327 158,516 159,101 935,991 864,626 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust4 177,000 183,000 275,000 999,000 1,138,000 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments5 11 -170 78 -53 363 

 Uncashed check credits from U.S. Treasury6 29 23 68 244 178 

 Interest on investments7 1,298 1,191 866 7,000 7,071 

Outgo, total 631,754 630,000 631,057 3,753,594 3,610,514 

 Benefit payments 463,844 462,646 463,515 2,765,777 2,709,261 

 Payments of SSA benefits 159,130 158,569 158,765 935,450 863,247 

 Administrative expenses8 8,283 8,288 8,281 48,459 34,584 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 496 496 496 3,908 3,421 

Balance at end of period1 716,985 721,770 622,351 716,985 729,446 

Cash and investment balance at end of period9 $25,210,779 $25,249,797 $25,058,321 $25,210,779 $26,365,985 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT10

Balance at beginning of period $862 $681 $513 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Congressional apportionments11 1,590 1,608 638 $8,855 -$1,000 

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

 Vested dual benefit payments 1,480 1,427 1,470 8,883 10,446 

Balance at end of period 972 862 681 972 -10,446 

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

January - March 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

Item March

2019

February

2019

January

2019

October 2018 -

March 2019

October 2017 -

March 2018

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $1,161,237 $1,175,720 $1,102,969 $1,122,406 $917,572 

Income, total 591,600 609,377 699,935 3,704,762 3,766,117 

 Payroll taxes2 236,134 320,968 247,668 1,467,136 1,532,032 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67,000 127,000 148,000 

 Financial interchange advances12 353,535 286,252 383,172 2,098,252 2,075,499 

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

 Interest on investments7 1,931 2,157 2,095 12,373 10,587 

Outgo, total 624,848 623,861 627,184 3,699,178 3,613,851 

 Benefit payments 621,359 620,371 623,689 3,678,938 3,598,950 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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

 Administrative expenses8 3,292 3,292 3,298 18,686 13,533 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 197 198 197 1,555 1,369 

Balance at end of period 1,127,989 1,161,237 1,175,720 1,127,989 1,069,838 

1Balances include liabilities for uncashed checks. As of the end of March 2019 liabilities were $15,032,000. 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. 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 

benefit appropriation for fiscal year 2019 was $19.0 million, including income tax transfers. The appropriation for 2018 was $22.0 million, including income tax transfers. Funds for October 

2017 through March 2018 were provided under a partial year continuing resolution. Final appropriation for fiscal year 2018 was signed into law on March 23, 2018. 11Includes a small amount 

of interest on uncashed checks. 12Includes interest.

NOTE.--Data relate to CALENDAR month.

SOURCE: Bureau of Fiscal Operations

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

January - March 2019

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Unemployment

March 2019 622 596 187 2,787 2,350 521

February 2019 924 565 199 2,701 2,325 461

January 2019 977 746 715 2,918 2,876 327

7/18 - 3/19 7,936 5,606 1,299 6,274 6,178 808

7/17 - 3/18 9,608 7,412 1,536 8,128 8,038 887

Sickness

March 2019 946 855 373 4,255 3,444 1,028

February 2019 1,134 738 523 4,203 3,623 884

January 2019 897 940 958 4,732 4,673 463

7/18 - 3/19 14,473 11,343 2,210 11,955 11,798 1,731

7/17 - 3/18 16,171 12,588 2,553 13,228 13,066 1,974

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Benefit

payments2,3

(thousands)

Unemployment

March 2019 5,168 4,116 1,052 8.9 $359.20 $3,706

February 2019 4,847 3,981 866 9.0 358.95 3,304

January 2019 6,103 5,646 457 8.9 359.40 3,674

7/18 - 3/19 39,515 35,886 3,629 9.1 357.85 23,815

7/17 - 3/18 51,065 47,079 3,986 9.0 333.75 33,629

Sickness

March 2019 8,859 6,552 2,307 8.8 $360.05 $3,350

February 2019 8,139 6,431 1,708 8.6 359.35 4,897

January 2019 10,668 9,992 676 8.8 359.45 5,034

7/18 - 3/19 78,897 71,461 7,436 8.9 360.55 40,945

7/17 - 3/18 89,583 81,155 8,428 8.9 337.20 45,266

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 by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.3% under sequestration 

for days of unemployment and sickness September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and 

6.2% for days payable after September 30, 2018.

3 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

January - March 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item March

2019

February

2019

January

2019

October 2018 -

March 2019

October 2017 -

March 2018

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $117,713 $124,651 $107,259 $100,843 $73,610 

Income, total 505 1,368 26,207 56,706 55,725 

 Contributions1 -151 1,210 26,141 55,671 54,866 

 Interest on investments 573 12 1 1,139 1,176 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments2 82 146 65 -104 -318 

 Transfers from RUI Administration Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Outgo, total 7,162 8,307 8,815 46,493 56,142 

 Unemployment benefit payments3 3,706 3,304 3,674 17,141 23,911 

 Sickness benefit payments3 3,350 4,897 5,034 28,515 31,547 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 106 106 106 836 684 

Balance at end of period 111,056 117,713 124,651 111,056 73,194 

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION FUND

Balance at beginning of period $11,604 $13,065 $8,500 $8,467 $11,483 

Income, total 237 312 6,335 12,557 11,478 

 Contributions1 191 312 6,335 12,468 11,272 

 Interest on investments 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 207 

Outgo, total 1,772 1,772 1,771 10,956 7,017 

 Administrative expenses 1,772 1,772 1,771 10,956 7,017 

 Transfers to RUI Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Balance at end of period 10,068 11,604 13,065 10,068 15,944 

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 the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.3% under 

sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after 

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

NOTE.--(Continued from previous page.)

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.

Source: Bureau of Fiscal Operations

Detail may not add to totals shown because of rounding.
Table 5: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- March 2019

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,086,683,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,085,203,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,480,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 637,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 261,000 $2,823

 Supplemental 119,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 148,000 1,060

 Aged widows' and widowers' 83,000 1,755

 Other benefits 27,000 1,138

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 509,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $3,706,000 $3,350,000

Beneficiaries 2,800 4,300

Average payment per week2 $359 $360

1 Data provided by the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.

2 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 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, and 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018.