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 January 17, 2020

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

Selected Current Statistics for July - September 2019

450,000

500,000

550,000

600,000

Sept. '09 Sept. '11 Sept. '13 Sept. '15 Sept. '17 Sept. '19

0

Total Monthly Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries, 

September 2009 through September 2019
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

July - September 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

September 2019 633,742 506,566 188,372 48,475 22,552 117,831 142,888 5,275

August 2019 634,166 506,817 188,377 48,344 22,778 118,021 142,836 5,238

July 2019 634,540 506,995 188,358 48,241 23,005 118,205 142,742 5,251

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

September 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,912.31 $2,563.75 $2,821.52 $41.51 $1,078.70 $685.17

August 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,910.15 2,561.17 2,820.60 41.51 1,078.21 684.60

July 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,907.12 2,558.39 2,819.26 41.51 1,077.78 683.27

Number awarded during period

September 2019 2,300 2,043 629 . . . . . . . . 119 257 715 71

August 2019 2,578 2,283 744 . . . . . . . . 145 295 783 67

July 2019 2,632 2,301 749 . . . . . . . . 176 331 821 53

10/18 - 9/19 29,023 25,724 7,727 . . . . . . . . 1,717 3,299 9,056 752

10/17 - 9/18 31,863 27,670 8,710 . . . . . . . . 1,636 4,193 9,683 787

Average amount awarded during period4

September 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,106.63 . . . . . . . . $2,916.04 $40.68 $1,054.72 $660.31

August 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,272.39 . . . . . . . . 2,898.21 40.61 1,058.30 734.28

July 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,165.33 . . . . . . . . 2,943.65 40.73 1,018.03 730.70

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

September 2019 $1,084,658 . . . . . . . . $549,459 $123,567 $69,485 $4,902 $155,396 $3,784

August 2019 1,087,605 . . . . . . . . 549,827 123,143 72,584 4,917 155,158 3,764

July 2019 1,084,601 . . . . . . . . 548,627 122,744 72,332 4,919 154,837 3,701

10/18 - 9/19 12,969,539 . . . . . . . . 6,549,123 1,451,597 884,401 59,424 1,847,983 44,320

10/17 - 9/18 12,693,009 . . . . . . . . 6,370,830 1,368,561 933,749 60,541 1,791,959 41,563

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. 5Beginning 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 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. 
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 2019 81,959 3,277 576 2,743 9,764 7,957 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,050

August 2019 82,164 3,285 575 2,759 9,776 7,954 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,037

July 2019 82,331 3,293 576 2,779 9,756 7,956 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,025

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

September 2019 $1,780.37 $1,401.30 $1,942.04 $1,152.06 $1,168.39 $1,156.79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $320.78

August 2019 1,776.23 1,398.60 1,936.81 1,148.74 1,166.59 1,154.22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320.41

July 2019 1,771.83 1,397.04 1,929.47 1,148.95 1,164.22 1,150.92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320.83

Number awarded during period

September 2019 381 9 7 10 63 38 164 ---- . . . . . . . .

August 2019 424 11 4 7 74 24 180 ---- . . . . . . . .

July 2019 391 7 6 9 54 35 146 ---- . . . . . . . .

10/18 - 9/19 5,039 98 87 107 747 393 2,132 3 . . . . . . . .

10/17 - 9/18 5,413 78 93 124 764 379 2,446 3 . . . . . . . .

Average amount awarded during period4

September 2019 $2,317.72 $1,865.64 $1,346.40 $1,469.50 $1,229.70 $1,516.84 $875 ---- . . . . . . . .

August 2019 2,317.87 1,418.61 1,748.38 583.43 1,205.20 1,451.93 906 ---- . . . . . . . .

July 2019 2,209.05 1,784.44 1,276.50 1,473.00 1,307.91 1,420.94 882 ---- . . . . . . . .

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

September 2019 $146,466 $4,902 $1,159 $3,194 $11,576 $9,904 $148 ---- $680

August 2019 146,727 4,934 1,156 3,189 11,591 9,768 173 ---- 652

July 2019 146,200 4,789 1,161 3,229 11,481 9,777 137 ---- 647

10/18 - 9/19 1,757,094 58,061 14,405 38,956 136,230 117,878 2,056 $6 7,739

10/17 - 9/18 1,756,633 57,989 14,627 39,675 129,918 117,420 2,329 7 6,971

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

July - September 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

July - September 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item September

2019

August

2019

July

2019

October 2018 -

September 2019

October 2017 -

September 2018

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1

$223,104 $226,174 $259,551 $2,869,773 $2,967,283 

 Income tax transfers2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66,000 260,000 300,000 

 Financial interchange advances3

401,028 334,912 397,690 4,306,373 4,109,056 

 RRB-SSA financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,946,429 4,942,425 

 Interest on investments4

13 2,348 2,358 23,449 24,423 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $620,822 $620,962 $620,428 $7,403,816 $7,226,738 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,202,365 4,194,311 

 RRB-CMS financial interchange transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570,285 596,547 

 Transfer to Railroad Retirement Account5

191,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191,000 91,000 

 Administrative expenses6

1,867 1,867 1,867 30,702 27,246 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 189 189 189 2,715 2,510 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1

$254,610 $263,006 $302,082 $3,259,367 $3,352,870 

 Income tax transfers2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,000 471,000 470,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 161,046 160,660 159,423 1,896,750 1,778,896 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust5

157,000 110,000 190,000 1,794,000 1,809,000 

 Transfer from SSEB Account5

191,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191,000 . . . . . . . . 

 Interest on investments4

-2,171 1,101 1,090 11,031 15,758 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $462,438 $465,325 $462,860 $5,548,166 $5,446,091 

 Payments of SSA benefits 160,497 160,659 159,371 1,894,437 1,776,632 

 Administrative expenses6 4,694 4,695 4,695 77,261 78,728 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 475 476 476 6,824 6,954 

Cash and investment balance at end of 

period7

$25,332,403 $25,128,800 $25,568,059 $25,332,403 $26,468,665 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 8

Vested dual benefit payments $1,398 $1,317 $1,313 $17,147 $20,180 

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 2018 and 2019 was $22.0 and $19.0 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

July - September 2019

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Unemployment

September 2019 1,573 895 2 3,522 3,442 107

August 2019 1,229 1,555 7 2,970 2,819 171

July 2019 3,168 1,602 91 2,689 2,502 238

7/19 - 9/19 5,970 4,052 100 4,584 4,467 259

7/18 - 9/18 3,285 2,427 116 2,856 2,734 283

Sickness

September 2019 1,407 1,136 21 4,601 4,455 193

August 2019 1,841 2,605 34 4,436 4,178 325

July 2019 4,911 2,042 181 4,026 3,671 510

7/19 - 9/19 8,159 5,783 236 6,424 6,229 568

7/18 - 9/18 8,171 5,973 229 6,678 6,460 631

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Benefit

payments2, 3

(thousands)

Unemployment

September 2019 6,203 6,010 193 9.0 $363.25 $4,761

August 2019 5,380 5,036 344 9.0 362.20 4,082

July 2019 4,518 4,061 457 8.7 358.65 3,456

7/19 - 9/19 16,101 15,107 994 8.9 361.90 12,299

7/18 - 9/18 10,952 9,872 1,080 9.0 352.00 7,988

Sickness

September 2019 8,797 8,398 399 9.1 $363.35 $6,690

August 2019 7,985 7,356 629 8.9 362.15 6,183

July 2019 7,542 6,474 1,068 8.8 360.20 5,616

7/19 - 9/19 24,324 22,228 2,096 8.9 363.45 18,488

7/18 - 9/18 24,729 22,357 2,372 8.9 352.65 18,174

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 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.

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 after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days

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

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 for 2018 and 2019 

 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 continuing sickness.

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.
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- September 2019 

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,084,658,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,083,260,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,398,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 634,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 259,000 $2,839

 Supplemental 118,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 148,000 1,065

 Aged widows' and widowers' 82,000 1,780

 Other benefits 26,000 1,143

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 507,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1,2 $4,761,000 $6,690,000

Beneficiaries 3,500 4,600

Average payment per week2 $363 $363

 Act of 2009.

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 by the Budget Control Act of 2011,

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