How Work Affects You Railroad Benefits

How Work Affects Your
Railroad Retirement Benefits
Introduction
Here is important information for individuals receiving an employee or spouse annuity under the Railroad
Retirement Act about how work and earnings affect benefits.
A railroad retirement annuity is not payable for any month in which you work for a railroad or railroad labor organization. This rule applies to all beneficiaries, including retired employees and their spouses,
regardless of age or amount of earnings.
You can work for a nonrailroad employer and still receive retirement benefits from the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB). However, your benefits will be reduced if you earn over certain limits and are under full
retirement age (FRA). Once you attain FRA, there are no Tier I and vested dual benefit deductions because
of earnings. However, if you work for your last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer, your benefits may be
reduced, regardless of the amount of your earnings or your age.

What Are the Year 2021 Earnings Limits?
Like social security benefits, railroad retirement Tier I benefits and vested dual benefits paid to retired
employees and their spouses are reduced if you are under FRA, work, and earn over a certain exempt amount.
FRA extends from age 65 for beneficiaries born before 1938, to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later.
If you are under FRA in all of 2021, you can earn up to $18,960 in 2021 with no reduction in your railroad
retirement benefits. If you earn more than that, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $2 you earn over $18,960.
If you attain FRA in 2021, you can earn up to $50,520 in the months before you reach FRA with no reduction in
your railroad retirement benefits. If you earn more than that amount, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $3 you
earn over $50,520.
If you also receive monthly social security benefits, your social security benefits are reduced if you earn more
than the exempt amount, but your Tier I railroad retirement benefits are not reduced because of your earnings.

RRB Form G-77a (11-20)

Summary of Earnings Limits
2019-2021
A summary of the annual earnings exempt amounts and the special one-year
monthly exempt amounts is shown below. Remember that these limits apply
to earnings deductions in Tier I benefits and vested dual benefits paid to
retired employees and their spouses.
Full Retirement Age
Under Full Retirement Age
Year
Yearly
Monthly
Yearly
Monthly
Amount
Amount
Amount
Amount
$18,960
$1,580
$50,520
$4,210
2021
$1,520
$48,600
$4,050
2020
$18,240
$1,470
$46,920
$3,910
2019
$17,640
An earnings test applies in the calendar year in which a beneficiary
attains FRA, but only to the months prior to the month the beneficiary
reaches FRA.

Special One-Year Rule
A special rule applies to earnings for one year, usually the first year of retirement, if you are under FRA. Under
this rule, you can receive a full annuity for any month you are “retired” and your monthly earnings do not
exceed a certain limit, regardless of your annual earnings. Different rules apply to self-employed individuals subject to the monthly test. The amount of time spent in self-employment during a month, as well as the
nature of work performed, is considered in determining whether the special one-year rule applies.
In 2021, a person under FRA is considered retired if monthly earnings do not exceed $1,580. For example,
John Smith retires at age 62 on August 25, 2021. He made $25,000 through August. He begins a part-time
job in September. He earns $600 per month. Although his earnings for the year exceed the year 2021 limit of
$18,960, Mr. Smith will receive his full railroad retirement annuity for September through December because
his earnings in those months are less than $1,580, the special one-year monthly exempt amount. Beginning in
2022, only the yearly limits will apply to Mr. Smith because he will have already used his special one-year rule
eligibility.

Work for Your Last Pre-Retirement Nonrailroad Employer
If you are a retired railroad employee or the spouse of a retired employee, part of your annuity is subject to
earnings deductions if you work for your last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer. Your Tier II benefits and
supplemental annuity, if any, are reduced $1 for every $2 in earnings from your last pre-retirement nonrailroad
employer, subject to a maximum reduction of 50 percent. The reduction applies regardless of the amount of
your earnings or your age.
A retired employee’s work for a last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer can also cause a reduction in the
spouse’s Tier II benefits.
Here’s an example of how the reduction works. Mr. Jones, a retired railroad employee, has a monthly Tier II
benefit of $300, and no supplemental annuity. He earns $400 each month from work for his last pre-retirement
nonrailroad employer. His monthly Tier II benefits are reduced to $150. Although the reduction for his
earnings is calculated to be $200, the reduction is limited to 50 percent of his Tier II benefits.
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RRB Form G-77a (11-20)

What Earnings Count?
If you work for someone else, your gross wages count when we calculate your earnings deduction. If you are
self-employed, we count only your net earnings from self-employment. We count your earnings from both
railroad and nonrailroad employment to determine if you earned over the annual exempt amount. We do not
count non-work income such as investment earnings, interest, pensions, gifts, inheritances, and capital gains.

Reporting Your Earnings
In most cases, we calculate how much to reduce your annuity because of your earnings based on either the
earnings estimate you gave us when you applied for benefits, or on reports submitted by employers to the Social
Security Administration. You do not have to report your earnings to us unless:
4 You stop working;
4 You start working and expect to earn more than the annual exempt amount;
4 Your employment is not covered under the Social Security Act (i.e., FICA taxes are not deducted from
your pay);
4 You work for a railroad or railroad labor organization;
4 You return to work for your last pre-retirement nonrailroad employer; or
4 We ask for a report of your earnings.

Contact the nearest RRB office at any time during the year if you think we are either withholding too much or
too little from your benefits because of your earnings. Failure to report as directed may result in the application
of penalties.
Remember to count your gross earnings, including salaries, wages, commissions, and bonuses before any
deductions. Count net earnings from self-employment.
Note: There are special rules that apply to individuals who receive railroad retirement disability benefits.
They must report all work to the RRB. In addition, a railroad retirement disability annuity is not payable for
any month in which the annuitant earns $1,020 or more, after deducting disability related expenses. Contact
the nearest office of the RRB for additional information.

Visit our Website at http://www.rrb.gov.

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RRB Form G-77a (11-20)