Railroad Retirement Board
No
Railroad Retirement Benefit Increase in 2011
Retiree Earnings Limits Remain the Same.
October 2010
Railroad
retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will not increase in
January 2011 as there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third
quarter of last year to the corresponding period of the current year.
Also,
because there is no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), social security law
prohibits an increase in the amounts social security and railroad retirement
beneficiaries subject to earnings restrictions can earn in 2011 without having
their benefits reduced.
For those
under full retirement
age throughout 2011, the exempt earnings amount remains at $14,160.
For beneficiaries attaining full retirement age in 2011, the exempt earnings
amount, for the months before the month full retirement age is attained, remains at $37,680
in 2011.
For
employee and spouse annuitants, full retirement age ranges from age 65 for those born
before 1938 to age 67 for those born in 1960 or later. For survivor annuitants,
full retirement age ranges from age 65 for those born before 1940 to age 67 for
those born in 1962 or later.
Special
work restrictions continue to be applicable to disability annuitants. In 2011,
the monthly disability earnings limit will also stay at the previous year’s
amount of $780.
Regardless
of age and/or earnings, no railroad retirement annuity is payable for any month
in which an annuitant (retired employee, spouse or survivor) works for a
railroad employer or railroad union.
The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet announced if there will be any Medicare premium changes for 2011. Information about Medicare changes for 2011, when available, will be found at www.medicare.gov.
Public Affairs 312-751-4777
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