United States Treasury Foreign Assets Control Regulations and Cuban Assets Control Regulations (Treasury Circular 655) prohibit the delivery of all U.S. Government checks, including Social Security benefit checks, to (or on behalf of) beneficiaries in the countries on its restricted list.

The Treasury also refuses the use of power of attorney by anyone in the restricted countries.

Effective July 1, 1968, no monthly benefits accrue to a beneficiary who is not a citizen or national of the United States for any month in which he or she resides in a country to which payment is withheld because of Treasury regulations. See RS 02650.001C for a list of these restricted countries.

You must refer all claims for benefits that accrued prior to July 1, 1968 to the Office of International Programs (OIP).

Residence (not presence) in a restricted country is the cause for nonpayment. A beneficiary is a resident if he or she is present in the restricted country for a significant period of time and makes, or intends to make, his or her home there.

If U.S. citizenship is the basis for claiming accrued benefits, no payment may be made before verifying U.S. citizenship (as explained in RS 02650.005A.3.).

No LSDP is payable if a monthly benefit was not payable to the insured person for the month preceding the month of death due to residence in a restricted country.