Text Version:

Survivor Tier Components

• TIER I
  • Amount social security would generally pay, less any social security benefit
• TIER II
  • Based on percentage of employee's tier II

Notes:

• Tier I based on employee’s combined railroad retirement and social security credits. Reduced if employee had early retirement reduction.
• For widow(er)s, surviving divorced spouses and remarried widow(er)s--tier I may also be reduced by 2/3 of certain public pensions.
• Reduced for social security benefit or other railroad retirement annuity.
• Widow(er)s, surviving divorced spouses and remarried widow(er)s receive unreduced tier I amount if annuity begins at full retirement age.
• Full retirement age is increasing from age 65 to age 67 and reductions at age 60 will range from 17.10% to 20.36% depending on the widow(er)’s year of birth.
• If employee had less than 10 years of service but at least 5 years of service after 1995, tier II benefits payable to survivor. Tier I payable only if employee had a social security insured status (using railroad and social security earnings). Generally, 10 years of combined earnings fulfills this requirement.