Effective Dates: 05/15/2024 - Present Previous | Next

TN 15 (05-24)

GN 02405.300 Limited Payability - Voiding Returned Benefit Checks More Than a Year Old

A. Policy for voiding returned benefit checks more than 12 months old

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) considers a check void and non-negotiable if not cashed within one year from the issue date. Treasury returns these funds to SSA in the form of a Limited Payability (LP) credit in the 13th month after the issue date.

The following procedures apply to all benefit checks returned to the Field Office (FO) that Treasury issued and are more than one year old. For more information on limited payability policy for Title II and Title XVI, see GN 02401.901.

B. Interviewer Procedure

Process endorsed and unendorsed benefit checks returned to the Field Office (FO) that Treasury issued and are more than one year old in accordance with the following table.

STEP

ACTION

1

Access the Treasury Check Information System (TCIS) or the Treasury Check Verification Query (TCVQ) screen to determine the claim number. (See MS QUERIES 003.022 for instructions on how to access the TCVQ screen).

Enter “NOT NEGOTIABLE” below the payee address on the returned check, but above the solid line.

REMINDER: Do not write or stamp below the solid line, which extends the full length of the check. Doing so causes problems with Treasury's optical scanning equipment.

2

Enter the returned check into the Debt Management System (DMS) as an unendorsed returned benefit check with limited payability, with Code L as the reason for the return of the check (see MS DMS 003.006).

3

Give or mail the automated receipt to the remitter. (see MS DMS 003.007).

4

Review the MBR and PHUS or the SSR to determine whether the payment was due, and then follow the instructions in SM 00624.420 for Title II, and SM 01315.011 for Title XVI.

5

Give the check and the supporting MBR and PHUS, or SSR queries, to the remittance clerk.

C. Remittance Clerk Procedure

The remittance clerk must follow the procedures for endorsed and unendorsed benefit checks returned to the Field Office (FO) that Treasury issued and are more than one year old in accordance with the following table.

STEP

ACTION

1

Request the Field Office Daily Receipt Listing (FODRL) at the end of the day and associate the returned check along with the other remittances. (See MS DMS 003.002, MS DMS 004.006, and MS DMS 004.009 for how to obtain the FODRL.)

2

Ensure that the information on the FODRL matches the attached returned checks and other remittance items.

3

Sign the FODRL on the Remittance Clerk line, and hand carry the FODRL, related remittances, and queries to the remittance supervisor.

D. Remittance Supervisor Procedure

The remittance supervisor must follow the procedures in the following table when processing endorsed and unendorsed benefit checks returned to the Field Office (FO) that Treasury issued and are more than one year old.

STEP

ACTION

1

Review each line of the FODRL to ensure that each item matches the listed remittances.

2

Review any mailroom or reception area logs completed that day to ensure that any returned checks annotated on the logs are included on the FODRL.

REFERENCE: Remittance Handling in the FO Mailroom and Reception Area, GN 02403.004.

3

Resolve any discrepancies between the FODRL, reception area logs, and returned checks submitted by the remittance clerk and interviewers.

4

 

Take appropriate action for the other items on the FODRL as identified in GN 02403.021.

 

5

Sign and date the FODRL after completing all actions required for the listed items. Shred the limited payability checks for which there are LP credits (For Title II, EVENT 169 in the TRANS field on PHUS. For Title XVI, review the unnegotiated check indicator (UCI) code in the PMTH segment of the SSR to determine the status of Limited Payability Credit) and file the FODRL. Give the checks for which SSA is waiting LP credits to the Office Manager for safekeeping.

E. Office Manager Procedure

The office manager must follow the procedures in the following table when processing endorsed and unendorsed benefit checks returned to the Field Office (FO) that Treasury issued and are more than one year old.

STEP

ACTION

1

File returned checks waiting for LP credits in a secure location, and on a weekly basis query the MBR, PHUS, and SSR to determine receipt of the credit. When the credit appears, shred the check.

NOTE: If the LP credit is not present after 13 months from the check issue date have elapsed, follow procedures SM 00624.420 and GN 02401.903F.

F. References

  • •

    GN 02403.050 Unverified Alert Process – Remittances

  • •

    GN 02403.065 Resolving Discrepancies with Remittances and Field Office Remittance Transmittal (FORT) - FO and PC Procedure

  • •

    GN 02403.155 Investigating Lost Remittances - FO Procedure

  • •

    SM 00624.420 FO/PC Processing of a Returned Check More Than One Year Old

  • •

    SM 01315.095 Kinds of Unnegotiated Check Indicator (UCI) Codes

 

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202405300
GN 02405.300 - Limited Payability - Voiding Returned Benefit Checks More Than a Year Old - 05/15/2024
Batch run: 05/15/2024
Rev:05/15/2024