Retirement | RRB.Gov

Earnings Limits Increase for Railroad Retirees in 2025

Railroad retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2025 without having their benefits reduced due to increased limits indexed to average national wage increases.

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Cost-of-living Adjustment Will Increase Railroad Retirement Benefits

Most railroad retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will increase in January 2025 based on a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2023 to the corresponding period of the current year.

Cost-of-living increases are calculated in both the tier I and tier II portions of a railroad retirement annuity. The tier I portion, like social security benefits, will increase by 2.5 percent, which is the percentage of the CPI rise.

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General Conditions Under Which a Person is Entitled to a Railroad Retirement Spouse Annuity

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General Conditions Under Which a Person is Entitled to a Railroad Retirement Employee Annuity

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Furnishing Evidence to Support Your Claim

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Your Duties as Representative Payee

The following is excerpted from the RB-5 pamphlet

Events Which Must Be Reported to the RRB

A representative payee is responsible for knowing what events will affect the beneficiary's continuing right to monthly benefits. The payee is also responsible for promptly reporting the occurrence of such events to the RRB.

The events are as follows:

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RRB Issues Statements of Service

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 mails the forms to employees during the first half of June.

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Q&A: Railroad Retirement Age Reductions

While railroad employees with less than 30 years of railroad service may retire at age 62, their railroad retirement annuities are subject to early retirement (“age”) reductions if they retire before attaining their full retirement age. There is no age reduction for those who retire with 30 years of railroad service.

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Q&A: Dual Benefit Payments

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 describe how the RRB adjusts the railroad retirement annuities of individuals who are also eligible for social security benefits and/or other benefit payments.

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Q&A: Reporting Events and Activities That Can Affect Payment of Railroad Retirement Annuities

Railroad retirement annuitants are responsible for notifying the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) of certain events and activities that can affect the payment of their annuities. If not reported to an RRB field office, these events and activities can cause overpayments that have to be repaid, sometimes with interest and penalties. Annuitants should also know that withholding information to receive or continue receiving an annuity or knowingly making a false or fraudulent statement is a crime under federal law which may be punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both.

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