A non-work month for the Monthly Earnings Exempt Amount is a month in which a family member does not work. It can also be either of the following:
- Work For A Non-Railroad Employer - The family member works but earns less than the Monthly Earnings Exempt Amount; or,
- Self-Employment - The family member works in self-employment but does not perform "substantial services." To determine whether a person performed "substantial services" in self-employment, the RRB considers:
- the amount of time devoted to the business;
- the type of business operated;
- the type of service performed; and,
- how all this compares to the work done before the person applied for the annuity increase.