Effective Dates: 10/25/2024 - Present Previous | Next

TN 126 (10-24)

GN 02406.505 Nonreceipt of a check Outside the United States

A. Nonreceipt reported by or on behalf of a beneficiary residing outside the United States

When handling a nonreceipt report for beneficiaries residing abroad or third parties acting on their behalf, be mindful of :

  • •

    the way we issue a payment to the beneficiary; and

  • •

    the original date when beneficiary receives their payment in their country or area.

The U.S. Department of State delivers most checks to beneficiaries in foreign countries by Army Post Office (APO) and Fleet Post Office (FPO) facilities. The checks for APO and FPO are mailed directly to the APO and FPO facilities. They are not sent through the consulates.

However, SSA sends checks directly to beneficiaries residing in Canada and Mexico.

B. Processing reports of nonreceipts from outside the United States

Follow these steps when processing reports of nonreceipt by a beneficiary residing outside the United States.

Step

Action

1

Obtain the required information from the beneficiary who reports the nonreceipt:

  • •

    claim number,

  • •

    payee name,

  • •

    payment date,

  • •

    payment amount, and

  • •

    Signature.

If the beneficiary reports a nonreceipt claim by telephone, establish the identity of the caller. For more information on establishing the identity of the caller, see GN 03001.012.

Once you obtain the required information, go to step 2.

If you do not have, the required information go to step 3.

2

Input the nonreceipt. For more information on inputting nonrecipt reports, see GN 02406.515.

STOP.

3

Forward the report of nonreceipt to the Office of Earnings and International Operations (OEIO), P.O. Box 17769, Baltimore, Maryland, 21235-7769.

NOTE: Canadian border offices may make direct contact with beneficiaries in Canada.

C. Processing reports of nonreceipt by a third party

Follow these steps when processing a report of nonreceipt by a third party outside of the United States.

Step

Action

1

Explain the payment delivery procedure. For more information on payment delivery, see GN 02407.005.

2

Tell the payee to contact the nearest American Consular office if the check is not received within a reasonable period after the scheduled time the check is usually received by the payee.

3

Send a Modernized Development Worksheet (MDW) to OEIO. OEIO will take appropriate action to ensure that we issue a check if due.

Do not issue a critical payment when a foreign address is involved.

Note: Field Offices (FOs) must forward critical payment cases with foreign addresses to OEIO, and follow the Manager-to-Manager (M2M) process in GN 01070.228A.5 Modes of Requesting Assistance.

 

Additionally, do not issue an immediate payment when a foreign address is involved if you are not located in a FO in Canada or Mexico. Only border FOs in Mexico and Canada can issue an immediate payment (IP). For more information on the guidelines for immediate payments issued in Canadian and Mexican border field offices, see SM 00635.001H.

D. References

GN 03001.012 Title II Due Process Requirements for Determining the Identity of A Person Making A First Or Third Party Report

GN 02406.515 Processing Nonreceipt Reports with Foreign Involvement

GN 02407.005 Payment Cycling

GN 01070.228 Modes of Requesting Assistance

SM 00635.001 The Critical Payment System (CPS)

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202406505
GN 02406.505 - Nonreceipt of a check Outside the United States - 10/25/2024
Batch run: 10/25/2024
Rev:10/25/2024