The House Republicans have proposed a -$24 million (20%) cut to the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) budget for FY2025. This would be cataclysmic for the agency, which is already dealing with severe funding issues. For reference, the RRB Board Members requested a budget of $172 million for this year in order to meet mission critical
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (the Board) has announced in-person Pre-Retirement Seminars. Union officials, auxiliary members, and their spouses are welcome to attend, as well as rail employees and spouses within 5 years of retirement. Find below a schedule of the upcoming Pre-Retirement Seminars to be held by the Board during the period of April
The payment of a railroad retirement annuity can be affected by entitlement to social security benefits, as well as certain other government benefits. Such dual entitlement, if not reported to the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), can result in annuity overpayments which have to be repaid, sometimes with interest and penalties. The following questions and answers
Railroad employees considering retirement should familiarize themselves with the Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) annuity application process. Being prepared can prevent needless delays and ensure that railroad retirement annuity payments begin as soon as possible after retirement. Click here to read the questions and answers that describe the annuity application process for railroad employees and their
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), which provides two kinds of benefits for qualified railroaders: unemployment benefits for those who become unemployed but are ready, willing, and able to work; and sickness benefits for those who are unable to work because of sickness or injury. Sickness benefits are also
The Budget Control Act of 2011, and a subsequent sequestration order to implement mandated cuts, requires that railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits be reduced by a set percentage. However, effective January 3, 2021, the Continued Assistance to Rail Workers Act of 2020 exempted those benefits from sequestration until 30 days after the end of
Each year, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) prepares a Form BA-6, “Certificate of Service Months and Compensation,” for every railroad employee with creditable railroad compensation in the previous calendar year. The RRB will mail the forms to employees during the first half of June. Anyone with compensation reported in 2020 who has not received
Under the Railroad Retirement Act, a “current connection with the railroad industry” is one of the eligibility requirements for both the occupational disability and supplemental annuities payable by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). It is also a factor in determining whether the RRB or the Social Security Administration pays monthly benefits to survivors of a
The RRB announces that the $1,200 per 2-week registration benefit period as provided under the CARES Act began issuing payments to members who filed unemployment claims on April 1 or later. The RRB does advise that these benefits will be subject to income taxation and garnishment for tax and other legally established debt. The next
A message from John Bragg, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) labor member, released on May 21st, stated that the increased $1,200 in unemployment benefits from the CARES Act will begin to be deposited next week. From RRB Labor Member John Bragg: In my last update, I explained that Phase 2 of the RRB’s CARES Act
