I received an upfront payment from social security because when I filed they asked if I would like to receive back pay in leiyof an extra $35or $40 a month..and I did the calculations and said yes. Well after 5 months of fighting with them and no figures presented on paper, they finally gave me my money. They then told me as I was walking out the door I have to pay RRB back the monies I was receiving from them up until this time..it was labout 16 months of payments.

Dear Larry,
Can I convert my RR retirement benefit to all Social Security benefit? I fell that Railroad Retirement has cost me approximately $19,000 year by subtracting my Social Security benefits from my RR retirement pension. Unlike the RRB, I don't feel like I am "double dipping" as I paid into RR retirement and Social Security during two separate timelines without any overlap.
Thanks for considering this,
Mike

Hi Mike,

I just turned 66 in January 2020 and applied for RR retirement (Tier 1 and 2) because is was an higher amount then my Social Security benefit would have been. I work for 10+ years for the Railroad Company and then another 30 years of employment outside of Railroad employment. When I applied for my RR retirement, they said my wife was entitled to a $1400 per month spousal benefit. She is still working and plans to retire from her job in a couple of years. She will be 66 in March 2020.

I am a retired railroader and qualified for a RR retirement annuity I also have credits to qualify for SSi retirement benefits, however there's a double dipping law that would prevent me from collecting SSi benefits without a reduction in benefits from RR retirement, however I did pay into both systems which is a law but there is also a law preventing me from collecting benefits that I contributed into. Help me understand this double standard. Respectfully Mike.

Hi Mike,

I have been collection my railroad pension for the last year. It is comprised of Tier 1 and Tier 2. as you all probably know. Can I at age 70 start collecting Social Security which will be higher that the current Tier 1 of the railroad pension replacing that portion of my Railroad retirement and still collect on the Tier 2 of that railroad pension giving me a combined retirement income of Social Security and just the Tier 2 portion of the Railroad Retirement?

Hi,

I have 11+ years in RR employment. I have 20+ years of private sector employment. I am 62. My question is Can I start drawing SS now (reduced benefit) and wait until FRA and then start drawing RR retirement. My RR retirement in all cases is higher in each age bracket.

Hi,

My wife of 8 years has always been self employed as a hair stylist and will be retiring at the end of 2019 having paid into Social Security for almost 50 years. I had 30 years service with the railroad retiring years ago after being injured on the job receiving a total disability. My wife started her Medicare at age 65 in May of 2019 and continues to work. She plans to apply for her Social Security in May of 2020 at which time she reaches her full Retirement Age of 66 being she was born in 1954.

I am a retired railroader drawing my tier 1,tier 2 retirement benefits. My question is my wife of 25 years passe away several years ago and i never remarried, can i draw from "her" social security as a spouse survival benefit and draw my railroad retirement? She paid in Social Security all her life and it makes no sense to me that all she paid in to Social Security is for nothing.
Respectfully,
David

Hi David,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I receive Railroad retirement disability pension and my wife is getting RR Retirement. She will be 66 in January 2020. She can get $2060.00 in SS. She currently receives about $1200.00 monthly from RRR as my spouse. HOW and where do you apply for the SS benefit and keep her part of RR Retirement? With SS or the RRRB? I can find answers in various websites about getting both but none on how to do it or where?
Thanks in advance,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,

I retired from the railroad with 41 years of service. I also worked concurrently with non railroad employers under SS. I realize I can't get two separate T1/ss pensions. My question is do I just get the higher of the two (obviously RRR) and do I get "any" credit for the SS wages and If so "where" does it show the difference that SS income made? Thx

Hi,