Skip to main content

Search

myRRB
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

 

  • Our Agency
    • Agency Overview
    • Office of the Chairman
      • Chairman
      • Chairman Staff Directory
    • Office of the Labor Member
      • Labor Member of the Board
      • Labor Member Staff Directory
      • Pre-Retirement Seminars
      • Educational Materials
      • Questions and Answers
    • Office of the Management Member
      • Management Member of the Board
      • Management Member Staff Directory
      • 2024 Virtual National Rail Employer Training Seminar (NRETS) Registration (New)
    • Office of Inspector General
      • Office of Inspector General
      • Audit
      • Investigations
      • Hotline to Report Fraud, Waste and Abuse
      • Library
      • Whistleblower Protection Information
    • Organization Chart
  • Benefits
    • Retirement
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Survivor
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Disability
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Unemployment
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Sickness
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Income Tax
      • General Information
      • Downloadable Forms
      • myRRB
    • Medicare
      • General Information
      • myRRB
    • En Español
    • myRRB
  • Employers
    • Employer Online Services
      • ERSNet Login
      • EFTPS.gov
      • Pay.gov
    • Forms
      • Rail
      • Labor
    • Reporting Instructions
      • Rail
      • Labor
      • Creditable Sickness
    • Publications
      • Employer Exchange Newsletter
      • Program and Circular Letters
      • Additional Information
  • Resources
    • Railroad Jobs
    • Legal Information
      • Board Orders
      • The Federal Register
      • Legal Opinions and Board Coverage Decisions
      • Partition of Railroad Retirement Annuities
      • Administrative Staff Manuals Index
    • Pay Debts Online
    • Office of Equal Opportunity
      • Overview
      • EEO Policies
      • No FEAR Act
    • RRBVision Video Library
    • Appeals
    • Railroad Retirement Handbook
    • Freedom of Information Act
    • Glossary of RRB Terms
  • Financial & Reporting
    • Agency Reports
      • Inventories
      • Plans
      • Reports
    • Financial, Actuarial & Statistical
      • Budget and Financial Reports: Current and Projected
      • Performance and Accountability Reports
      • Earnings Limits, Tax Rates and COLAs
      • Annual
      • Monthly & Quarterly RRA and RUIA Data
    • National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust
      • NRRIT Introduction
      • Background Information
      • Reports
      • Correspondence
    • Actuarial Advisory Committee
  • Newsroom
    • News Releases
    • Media Contact
  • Field Office Locator
  • FAQ

 

Policy and Systems

 

 

 
  1. Home
  2. Policy and Systems
 
 

 

Office Email
webmaster@rrb.gov

Spouse Annuity Age Reduction When Employee Has Less Than 360 Months of Railroad Service

Spouse Annuity Age Reduction When Employee Has Less Than 360 Months of Railroad Service

 

Please refer to the summary chart below to see if an age reduction applies to your spouse annuity.

Tier I Component Age Reduction

Your spouse tier I component age reduction depends on the employee's total years of railroad service.

  • Read more about Spouse Annuity Age Reduction When Employee Has Less Than 360 Months of Railroad Service

Full Retirement Age For Spouse or Divorced Spouse

Full Retirement Age For Spouse or Divorced Spouse

 

The term "Full Retirement Age (FRA)" means the age at which the spouse of an employee with less than 360 months of railroad service or a divorced spouse can receive a full annuity (not reduced for early retirement). FRA for persons who were born before January 2, 1938, is age 65. The FRA for persons born after January 1, 1938, will gradually increase over a 20-year period to age 67, as illustrated in the following chart:

Determining Your Full Retirement Age

  • Read more about Full Retirement Age For Spouse or Divorced Spouse

Basic Formula

Basic Formula

 

Regular railroad retirement annuities are calculated under the following two-tier formula:

Tier I Component

The first tier is based on railroad retirement credits and any social security credits an employee has acquired. If the employee has at least 120 months of railroad service, or 60-119 months of railroad service with at least 60 months of railroad service after 1995, the amount of the first tier is calculated using reductions to the social security formula.

  • Read more about Basic Formula

Reductions for Early Retirement

Reductions for Early Retirement

 

  • Read more about Reductions for Early Retirement

Earliest Divorced Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

Earliest Divorced Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

 

The earliest divorced spouse annuity beginning date permitted by law is the latest of the following:

  • Read more about Earliest Divorced Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

Earliest Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

Earliest Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

 

The earliest spouse annuity beginning date permitted by law is the latest of the following:

  • Read more about Earliest Spouse Annuity Beginning Date

File RRA Annuity Application

File RRA Annuity Application

 

You must file an RRA application for a spouse annuity or divorced spouse annuity to receive railroad retirement spouse or divorced spouse benefits.

If you were previously entitled to spouse benefits based on Child-in-Care that terminated when the child attained age 18, you may need to file another spouse annuity application. This application is required to pay spouse benefits based on your age. Please discuss this with an RRB representative.

  • Read more about File RRA Annuity Application

Stop Railroad Work

Stop Railroad Work

 

In addition to the requirements in Applying for Your Annuity, if you are working for a railroad, you must stop the railroad work and give up any rights you have to return to such work.

Also note that, after the annuity is awarded, payment cannot be made for any month in which you return to work for a railroad employer.

  • Read more about Stop Railroad Work

When Your Annuity Can Begin

When Your Annuity Can Begin

 

  • Read more about When Your Annuity Can Begin

Selecting Type of Annuity on Your Application

Selecting Type of Annuity on Your Application

 

When you file your application for a spouse annuity or divorced spouse annuity, your application must indicate the type of annuity for which you are filing.

Spouse Annuity

The type of annuity on your application should be based on whether you are filing based on your age or based on having a Child-in-Care.

  • Read more about Selecting Type of Annuity on Your Application

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹‹
  • Next page ››
Subscribe to Policy and Systems
To view and download PDF documents, you need the free Acrobat Reader. We recommend using the latest version. Viewers with visual disabilities can go to Adobe's Access Website for tools and information that will help make PDF files accessible.
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
 
  
To view and download PDF documents, you need the free Acrobat Reader. We recommend using the latest version. Viewers with visual disabilities can go to Adobe's Access Website for tools and information that will help make PDF files accessible.
 
 
 
 
JobsRailroad Jobs
 
Hotline Fraud Hotline
RSSField Office Locator
 

 

 
 
RRB Seal
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
William O. Lipinski Federal Building
844 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611-1275
Toll Free: (877) 772-5772
TTY: (312) 751-4701 

 

Privacy Policy
Policies & Links
Site Map
Contact Us
RRB Careers
Website Feedback

 

PlainLanguage.gov
Data.gov
USA.gov
RRB @ Data.gov

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Freedom of Information Act
No FEAR Act Data
Office of Special Counsel
Plain Writing @ RRB
Open Gov @ RRB
Office of Inspector General