Editor’s Note: After a long career in the data processing industry, Russell Gloor joined the Association of Mature American Citizens in 2013. Gloor received training from the National Social Security Association and was accredited by the NSSA® as a Social Security adviser in 2016. Currently part of the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory team, he annually counsels thousands of American seniors about their Social Security options. In addition to answering Social Security questions daily, he also authors the AMAC Foundation’s nationally syndicated weekly “Ask Rusty” advice column and has written three Social Security instructional books about Social Security.

Dear Rusty: I have a question. I now get a railroad pension from my ex-husband. I did not know it was from the Social Security Administration. I want to collect my Social Security benefits and my Railroad pension. Can I do that? I do not understand why I cannot collect both. Please advise. Thank you. Signed: Railroad ex-spouse

Dear Railroad ex-spouse:

Railroad pension benefits and Social Security benefits are fully coordinated – that is, your railroad pension payment from your ex-spouse already includes your earned Social Security retirement benefit. That’s because the two government agencies (the Railroad Retirement Board and Social Security Administration work together and pay your benefits in one single payment, usually managed by the RRB if some of your benefit includes a railroad pension component. The RRB and SSA are two separate government agencies, but they fully coordinate benefits for beneficiaries.

This is exactly the same as if you were collecting regular Social Security ex-spouse benefits (instead of RR benefits) from your ex-husband; your personal Social Security retirement benefit is always paid first, and you receive an additional amount (a spousal boost) from your ex-husband. In your case, your “spousal boost” is the difference between your personally earned Social Security retirement benefit at your full retirement age and half of your ex-husband’s Tier I Railroad retirement benefit amount at his full retirement age. A railroad pension usually consists of two pieces – a Tier I benefit and a Tier II benefit, with Tier I benefits being the equivalent of the pensioner’s Social Security.

Your ex-spouse benefits under the RRB are handled the same way. The two agencies fully coordinate with each other, evaluate your Social Security entitlement and then reduce the amount of your RRB Tier I ex-spouse benefit by your Social Security retirement amount and pay both amounts together. In this way, you only get one payment, consisting of both your earned Social Security Administration component and the RRB component. And whenever there is a railroad component, the RRB is usually responsible for making pension payments.

You may find the information at this RRB website helpful: https://rrb.gov/RB-9/Social_Security_Benefits and you can also contact your local RRB field office by accessing this link: https://www.rrb.gov/Field-Office-Locator.

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association. NSSA® and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit their website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.