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 being paid,

June 2018 and June 2023

 Published by Public Affairs

 and the Bureau of the Actuary and Research

November 3, 2023

Selected Current Statistics for April - June 2023

Employee

(age annuities

only)

Spouse (married) Aged widow(er)

$2,806

$1,047

$1,709

$3,444

$1,248

$2,091

2018

2023

Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

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

April - June 2023

 Employee annuities

 Total1 

 Period Monthly Monthly Supple- 

 benefits beneficiaries Disability mental3 

Number in current-payment status at end of periodJune 2023 579,389 468,738 176,534 47,187 16,069 101,773 May 2023 580,515 469,528 176,770 47,392 16,005 102,097 April 2023 581,746 470,420 177,023 47,581 15,924 102,426 Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodJune 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,443.77 $3,051.91 $3,343.39 $41.49 May 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,440.59 3,051.24 3,340.76 41.49 April 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,440.17 3,050.74 3,337.79 41.49 Number awarded during periodJune 2023 1,577 1,515 370 . . . . . . . . 114 62 May 2023 1,425 1,395 353 . . . . . . . . 124 30 April 2023 1,578 1,540 377 . . . . . . . . 104 38 10/22 - 6/23 14,269 13,826 3,598 . . . . . . . . 907 443 10/21 - 6/22 17,056 16,225 4,333 . . . . . . . . 1,072 831 Average amount awarded during period4

June 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,421.07 . . . . . . . . $3,483.62 $38.44 May 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,227.85 . . . . . . . . 3,709.25 38.03 April 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,172.69 . . . . . . . . 3,609.72 38.23 Benefit payments during period (thousands)5June 2023 $1,186,649 . . . . . . . . $612,643 $144,691 $60,335 $4,272 May 2023 1,182,636 . . . . . . . . 609,490 144,846 60,388 4,287 April 2023 1,186,439 . . . . . . . . 612,206 145,893 59,181 4,300 10/22 - 6/23 10,478,863 . . . . . . . . 5,401,735 1,281,388 527,610 39,019 10/21 - 6/22 10,051,966 . . . . . . . . 5,148,637 1,209,028 533,851 40,724 

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 a

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. 3E

and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Averages are after court-ordered partitions. 4Regular employee and spouse annuity averages are preliminary estimates. 

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 cons

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, p

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

Number in current-payment status at end of periodJune 2023 73,421 2,773 581 2,210 9,746 7,150 . . . . . . . . May 2023 73,579 2,789 577 2,229 9,761 7,218 . . . . . . . . April 2023 73,754 2,796 564 2,240 9,770 7,254 . . . . . . . . 

Average amount in current-payment status at end of periodJune 2023 $2,091.35 $1,635.63 $2,222.07 $1,442.55 $1,470.86 $1,449.97 . . . . . . . . May 2023 2,086.58 1,633.78 2,220.04 1,438.16 1,468.34 1,454.27 . . . . . . . . 

April 2023 2,081.99 1,631.30 2,200.77 1,434.76 1,465.80 1,453.48 . . . . . . . . 

Number awarded during periodJune 2023 375 ---- 7 6 59 37 124 May 2023 397 (8) (8) 9 56 17 105 

April 2023 445 (8) 9 5 72 39 137 

10/22 - 6/23 3,763 24 66 61 559 270 1,109 

10/21 - 6/22 4,228 37 115 62 596 388 1,331 Average amount awarded during period4

June 2023 $2,750.84 ---- $1,708.27 $1,761.33 $1,758.39 $1,611.02 $863 May 2023 2,737.64 $1,630.85 1,752.54 1,824.56 1,684.14 1,811.25 871 April 2023 2,824.84 922.21 1,633.44 1,754.20 1,540.29 1,664.20 896 

Benefit payments during period (thousands)5

June 2023 $154,226 $4,642 $1,348 $3,205 $14,589 $11,062 $118 May 2023 153,552 4,731 1,386 3,225 14,531 11,110 95 April 2023 154,079 4,636 1,313 3,232 14,556 11,162 130 

10/22 - 6/23 1,369,274 41,771 11,968 28,483 126,224 96,642 1,057 10/21 - 6/22 1,335,410 41,699 11,710 27,054 115,293 91,724 1,248 

Table 1: Retirement and Survivor Programs, Benefit Statistics

April - June 2023 -- 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

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

than zero but less than five.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 ibenefits, 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 2023 (In thousands)

Cash Basis

Item June

2023

May

2023

April

2023

October 2022 -

June 2023

October 2021 -

June 2022

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $247,609 $273,675 $242,393 $2,726,106 $2,200,290 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91,000 288,000 268,000 

 Financial interchange advances3 474,730 383,250 434,904 3,788,685 3,587,823 

 RRB-SSA financial interchange transfer 5,636,214 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,636,214 5,471,335 

 Interest on investments4 4,212 4,144 5,188 34,270 18,385 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $704,081 $704,197 $705,425 $6,190,068 $5,821,786 

 Repayment of financial interchange advances3 4,953,110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,953,110 5,085,908 

 RRB-CMS financial interchange transfer 588,449 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588,449 515,866 

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

 Administrative expenses 1,678 1,678 1,678 14,984 15,854 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 188 188 188 1,616 1,629 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

Income

 Payroll taxes1 $301,949 $330,231 $293,840 $2,842,342 $2,466,648 

 Income tax transfers2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158,000 370,000 320,000 

 Reimbursements for payment of SSA benefits 205,620 205,233 204,487 1,785,837 1,618,342 

 Transfers from National RR Investment Trust5 333,000 40,000 . . . . . . . . 1,160,000 1,164,000 

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

 Interest on investments4 1,572 1,892 2,381 15,592 11,839 

Outgo

 Benefit payments $481,982 $477,843 $480,409 $4,283,108 $4,223,135 

 Payments of SSA benefits 205,524 205,128 203,666 1,783,264 1,617,092 

 Loans to Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 Administrative expenses 7,563 7,563 7,563 67,452 60,673 

 Funding for Office of Inspector General 845 845 845 7,281 6,231 

Cash and investment balance at end of period6 $24,957,095 $24,450,523 $24,729,332 $24,957,095 $25,118,402 

DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 7

Vested dual benefit payments $586 $596 $605 $5,687 $7,045 

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 Railroad Retirement (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 Social Security Equivalent Benefit (SSEB) Account not needed to pay current benefits and 

administrative expenses is to be transferred to the Trust or to the RR Account 6Source: National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust. 7Total 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 years 2022 and 2023 was $11.0 and $9.0 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

April - June 2023

Normal benefit accounts Beneficiaries

Period

Applications

received Opened Exhausted Total

Normal

benefits

Unemployment1

June 2023 1,062 151 76 742 629 May 2023 312 155 65 803 660 April 2023 282 139 74 934 717 7/22 - 6/23 6,043 2,949 802 3,377 3,234 7/21 - 6/22 11,724 5,608 1,806 6,617 6,439 

Sickness

June 2023 1,128 624 212 2,996 2,463 May 2023 790 577 231 3,225 2,474 April 2023 704 599 290 3,685 2,609 7/22 - 6/23 15,962 11,530 2,924 12,274 12,088 7/21 - 6/22 24,902 14,777 3,451 18,704 18,507 

Number of payments Averages1

Period Total

Normal

benefits

Extended

benefits

Benefit

days

Benefit

per week2

Unemployment

June 2023 1,569 1,274 295 8.8 $399.75 May 2023 1,524 1,199 325 8.8 415.65 April 2023 1,695 1,235 460 8.8 420.50 7/22 - 6/23 22,901 19,908 2,993 9.0 417.35 7/21 - 6/22 50,773 45,132 5,641 9.1 403.20 

Sickness

June 2023 6,330 4,899 1,431 8.9 $399.85 May 2023 6,340 4,569 1,771 8.7 417.00 April 2023 7,156 4,569 2,587 8.6 418.20 7/22 - 6/23 93,800 78,827 14,973 8.9 418.50 7/21 - 6/22 131,036 115,569 15,467 8.7 406.60 

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 unemare 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 pe 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 a 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 6.2% under sequestration for days of unempl

 after September 30, 2018, 5.9% for days after September 30, 2019 and 5.7% for days after September 30, 2020, and before January 3, 2021. Beginning January 3, 2021, the  to Rail Workers Act (CARWA) of 2020 temporarily suspended sequestration through May 9, 2023, 30 days after the Presidential declaration of an end to the national emergencCOVID-19 pandemic. Benefits are currently sequestered at 5.7% through fiscal year 2031.

NOTE.--Additional unemployment and sickness benefits were also paid under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act). CARWA and the A

Act of 2021 (ARPA) reduced the enhanced benefit payments from $1,200 to $600 per registration period while extending all benefits through registration periods beginning SepteGENERAL NOTES.--An unemployment claimant files only one APPLICATION for a benefit year. A sickness claimant files an APPLICATION at the beginning of each period of 
Table 4: Benefits and Beneficiaries -- June 2023 

RETIREMENT - SURVIVOR

Total benefit payments - cash basis (unaudited) $1,186,649,000

 Regular and Supplemental benefits 1,186,063,000

 Vested dual benefits 586,000

Number Average

Total benefits being paid at end of month 579,000 . . . . . . .

 Retired employees':

 Regular 240,000 $3,360

 Supplemental 102,000 41

 Spouses' and divorced spouses' 139,000 1,233

 Aged widows' and widowers' 73,000 2,091

 Other benefits 25,000 1,372

Total beneficiaries being paid at end of month 469,000 . . . . . . .

UNEMPLOYMENT - SICKNESS

Unemployment Sickness

Gross benefit payments1 $1,240,000 $5,033,000

Beneficiaries 700 3,000

Average payment per week1 $400 $400

1 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 

5.7% under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after September 30, 2020, and before January 3, 2021. Beginning 

January 3, 2021, the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020 (CARWA) temporarily suspended sequestration through May 9,

2023, 30 days after the Presidential declaration of an end to the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits are 

currently sequestered at 5.7% through fiscal year 2031.