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 being paid,

June 2014 and June 2019

 Published by Public Affairs

 and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

September 30, 2019

Selected Current Statistics for April - June 2019

Employee

(age annuities

only)

Spouse (married) Aged widow(er)

$2,522

$951

$1,515

$2,904

$1,077

$1,768

2014

2019

Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

(age annuities only)
Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics 

April - June 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

June 2019 634,905 507,240 188,352 48,115 23,225 118,329 142,664 5,243

May 2019 635,587 507,733 188,503 48,028 23,454 118,505 142,659 5,227

April 2019 636,351 508,256 188,709 47,915 23,655 118,753 142,747 5,244

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

June 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,904.36 $2,556.25 $2,815.87 $41.51 $1,077.16 $682.36

May 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,899.20 2,553.75 2,814.84 41.51 1,075.53 681.45

April 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,896.87 2,551.16 2,814.42 41.51 1,074.68 681.84

Number awarded during period

June 2019 2,285 1,999 573 . . . . . . . . 118 286 703 64

May 2019 2,051 1,855 511 . . . . . . . . 156 196 604 36

April 2019 2,267 2,081 513 . . . . . . . . 166 186 743 86

10/18 - 6/19 21,513 19,097 5,605 . . . . . . . . 1,277 2,416 6,737 561

10/17 - 6/18 23,297 20,325 6,238 . . . . . . . . 1,180 2,972 7,100 567

Average amount awarded during period4

June 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,243.13 . . . . . . . . $2,975.69 $40.71 $1,076.39 $748.13

May 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,965.61 . . . . . . . . 2,835.01 39.68 1,110.21 640.85

April 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,995.48 . . . . . . . . 2,850.68 40.31 1,039.47 691.41

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

June 2019 $1,089,321 . . . . . . . . $551,949 $122,423 $72,751 $4,925 $155,571 $3,786

May 2019 1,084,161 . . . . . . . . 547,578 121,983 73,791 4,931 154,546 3,667

April 2019 1,085,596 . . . . . . . . 547,675 121,815 74,816 4,942 154,745 3,792

10/18 - 6/19 9,712,675 . . . . . . . . 4,901,210 1,082,143 670,000 44,686 1,382,592 33,071

10/17 - 6/18 9,503,674 . . . . . . . . 4,764,767 1,020,032 707,252 45,473 1,339,623 30,868

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

June 2019 82,482 3,300 577 2,792 9,773 8,024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,007

May 2019 82,641 3,313 577 2,808 9,740 8,111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,999

April 2019 82,778 3,321 575 2,823 9,721 8,112 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,976

Average amount in current-payment status at end of period

June 2019 $1,768.13 $1,395.43 $1,918.62 $1,149.57 $1,162.19 $1,151.87 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $320.06

May 2019 1,764.53 1,390.99 1,922.98 1,147.34 1,159.85 1,156.72 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319.59

April 2019 1,760.11 1,392.17 1,922.24 1,146.60 1,157.04 1,155.59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318.94

Number awarded during period

June 2019 408 9 6 6 76 36 173 1 . . . . . . . .

May 2019 429 7 7 10 68 27 221 ---- . . . . . . . .

April 2019 467 5 6 10 51 34 224 1 . . . . . . . .

10/18 - 6/19 3,843 71 70 81 556 296 1,642 3 . . . . . . . .

10/17 - 6/18 4,144 71 68 90 577 288 1,884 1 . . . . . . . .

Average amount awarded during period4

June 2019 $2,303.66 $1,830.68 $1,471.78 $1,363.50 $1,308.16 $1,615.50 $890 $1,535 . . . . . . . .

May 2019 2,292.93 1,416.65 1,221.83 1,229.90 1,302.07 1,447.01 944 ---- . . . . . . . .

April 2019 2,331.83 1,410.00 1,621.51 1,097.90 1,148.96 1,488.30 957 1,111 . . . . . . . .

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

June 2019 $146,305 $4,874 $1,172 $3,226 $11,510 $9,990 $166 $2 $651

May 2019 146,309 4,776 1,175 3,255 11,433 9,845 216 ---- 635

April 2019 146,349 4,738 1,201 3,270 11,322 10,032 230 1 647

10/18 - 6/19 1,317,701 43,436 10,929 29,344 101,582 88,429 1,598 6 5,760

10/17 - 6/18 1,318,451 44,295 10,815 29,758 96,973 88,164 1,803 4 5,206

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

April - June 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

April - June 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item June

2019

May

2019

April

2019

October 2018 -

June 2019

October 2017 -

June 2018

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period1 $796,584 $814,021 $716,985 $656,125 $446,656 

Income, total 423,911 610,215 725,177 5,573,757 5,621,243 

 Payroll taxes2 262,052 273,208 302,138 2,439,668 2,514,438 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000 370,000 311,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 160,692 159,300 159,523 1,415,505 1,320,182 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust4 . . . . . . . . 176,000 162,000 1,337,000 1,464,000 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments5 -3 76 -2 18 -47 

 Uncashed check credits from U.S. Treasury6 88 45 29 406 231 

 Interest on investments7 1,083 1,587 1,489 11,159 11,439 

Outgo, total 631,742 627,652 628,141 5,641,129 5,455,303 

 Benefit payments 466,853 462,622 463,442 4,158,693 4,075,068 

 Payments of SSA benefits 159,698 159,202 159,508 1,413,858 1,317,582 

 Administrative expenses8 4,695 5,332 4,695 63,181 57,462 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 496 496 496 5,397 5,191 

Balance at end of period1 588,753 796,584 814,021 588,753 612,595 

Cash and investment balance at end of period9 $25,603,676 $24,608,691 $25,574,451 $25,603,676 $26,208,881 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT10

Balance at beginning of period $1,353 $1,173 $972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Congressional apportionments11 1,532 1,551 1,569 $13,508 $15,820 

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

 Vested dual benefit payments 1,497 1,371 1,369 13,119 15,407 

Balance at end of period 1,388 1,353 1,173 1,388 1,414 

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

April - June 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited) -- Continued

 Item June

2019

May

2019

April

2019

October 2018 -

June 2019

October 2017 -

June 2018

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $1,112,671 $1,181,824 $1,127,989 $1,122,406 $917,572 

Income, total 5,558,101 553,302 676,685 10,492,850 10,507,161 

 Payroll taxes2 217,232 226,074 250,502 2,160,944 2,240,238 

 Income tax transfers3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67,000 194,000 210,000 

 Financial interchange advances12 392,351 325,100 357,040 3,172,743 3,097,802 

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

 Interest on investments7 2,089 2,128 2,143 18,734 16,696 

Outgo, total 5,395,686 622,455 622,851 10,340,170 10,226,725 

 Benefit payments 620,971 620,168 620,786 5,540,862 5,413,200 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances12 4,202,365 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,202,365 4,194,311 

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

 Administrative expenses8 1,867 2,090 1,867 24,510 20,676 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 197 197 197 2,148 1,991 

Balance at end of period 1,275,085 1,112,671 1,181,824 1,275,085 1,198,008 

1Balances include liabilities for uncashed checks. As of the end of June 2019, liabilities were $15,194,000. 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 appropriation for fiscal year 2019 was $19.0 million, including income tax transfers. The appropriation for fiscal year 2018 was $22.0 million, including income tax transfers. 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

April - June 2019

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Unemployment

June 2019 2,842 441 126 2,205 1,996 267

May 2019 691 538 147 2,234 1,952 333

April 2019 746 446 172 2,534 2,047 567

7/18 - 6/19 12,215 7,031 1,744 7,865 7,767 1,011

7/17 - 6/18 12,517 8,509 2,081 9,317 9,227 1,094

Sickness

June 2019 1,155 728 196 3,596 3,144 557

May 2019 1,110 856 280 3,929 3,257 842

April 2019 1,189 838 308 4,257 3,319 1,114

7/18 - 6/19 17,927 13,765 2,994 14,351 14,201 2,208

7/17 - 6/18 19,628 20,640 3,507 15,689 15,529 2,533

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Benefit

payments2, 3

(thousands)

Unemployment

June 2019 3,857 3,359 498 8.9 $355.45 $2,063

May 2019 4,279 3,653 626 8.8 355.55 2,642

April 2019 4,675 3,585 1,090 8.7 356.60 3,131

7/18 - 6/19 52,326 46,483 5,843 9.0 358.20 31,651

7/17 - 6/18 62,989 56,631 6,358 9.0 334.40 40,880

Sickness

June 2019 6,668 5,596 1,072 8.8 $358.20 $2,104

May 2019 7,967 6,248 1,719 8.7 358.55 4,241

April 2019 8,572 6,204 2,368 8.7 358.75 3,453

7/18 - 6/19 102,104 89,509 12,595 8.8 362.15 50,742

7/17 - 6/18 114,956 100,475 14,481 8.8 338.25 56,174

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 Data provided by the Bureau of Fiscal of 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

April - June 2019 (In thousands)

Cash Basis (Unaudited)

Item June

2019

May

2019

April

2019

October 2018 -

June 2019

October 2017 -

June 2018

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACCOUNT

Balance at beginning of period $132,047 $128,643 $111,056 $100,843 $73,610 

Income, total -78 10,393 24,277 91,298 94,428 

 Contributions1 -162 710 24,326 80,545 81,920 

 Interest on investments 9 159 21 1,328 1,930 

 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments2 76 -150 -71 -250 -630 

 Transfers from RUI Administration Fund3 . . . . . . . . 9,674 . . . . . . . . 9,674 11,208 

Outgo, total 4,273 6,989 6,689 64,445 74,699 

 Unemployment benefit payments4 2,063 2,642 3,131 24,978 31,202 

 Sickness benefit payments4 2,104 4,241 3,453 38,312 42,455 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 106 106 106 1,155 1,043 

Balance at end of period 127,696 132,047 128,643 127,696 93,340 

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ADMINISTRATION FUND

Balance at beginning of period $5,788 $15,613 $10,068 $8,467 $11,483 

Income, total 232 -2 6,549 19,336 17,955 

 Contributions1 203 131 6,549 19,351 17,844 

 Interest on investments3 29 -133 . . . . . . . . -15 112 

Outgo, total 1,001 9,823 1,005 22,785 24,104 

 Administrative expenses 1,001 149 1,005 13,110 12,896 

 Transfers to RUI Account3 . . . . . . . . 9,674 . . . . . . . . 9,674 11,208 

Balance at end of period 5,018 5,788 15,613 5,018 5,334 

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, $9,674,000 was transferred from the RUI Administration Fund to the RUI Account in May 2019. The 

transfer represents the amount in the RUI Administration Fund in excess of $6 million (on an accrual basis of accounting) at the end of fiscal year 2018. The attributable interest of 

$133,000 was also transferred in May 2019.

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 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 payable 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.

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

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1 $1,089,321,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,087,824,000

 Vested dual benefits 1,497,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 635,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 260,000 $2,832

 Supplemental 118,000 42

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 148,000 1,063

 Aged widows' and widowers' 82,000 1,768

 Other benefits 26,000 1,139

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

UNEMPLOYMENT-SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited)1,2 $2,063,000 $2,104,000

Beneficiaries 2,200 3,600

Average payment per week2 $355 $358

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 6.9% 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.