Hello Larry, I am 66 year old woman, divorced from my hubby who worked for the RR. We were married 18 years. I'm not good at a paper work and trying to understand all this retirement stuff. I would like to know, am I able to collect SS and retirement benefits from the RR. I've been reading, Googled, searched..and I still don't know if I should bother filing for RR benefits. Will it or won't it help what I receive when I retire?
Thank You
Marsha

Hi Marsha,

I'm not an expert on Railroad Retirement (RR) benefits, but it sounds to me like you'd probably qualify for divorced spousal benefits from RR. If you are also drawing Social Security (SS) benefits, then the Railroad Board would only pay you a) the higher of your SS benefit rate or your Tier 1 RR rate, plus (b) any Tier 2 RR benefits for which you qualify.

Our maximization software can help you with your SS options, but our software does not handle RR benefits. You'll probably want to contact your nearest Railroad Retirement Board office to discuss your options with regard to RR benefits.

Best, Jerry