Social Security

Revision: Update to language to remove references to seven years or older and replace with the date of 1/1/2014. The current language is causing a delay in the reclamation process. The updated language will allow our agency to recover the most funds possible through the reclamation process.

A. Purpose

The purpose of this Emergency Message is to provide instructions regarding payment workloads impacted by the removal of payment data from the Department of the Treasury’s Payments, Claims, & Enhanced Reconciliation (PACER) and Treasury Check Information System (TCIS).

B. Background

SSA utilizes information found in PACER and TCIS for various post-entitlement workloads. Going forward, PACER and TCIS data will be reviewed annually by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal) and may be removed at Fiscal’s discretion if the payment information is older than seven years. As of October 16, 2021, PACER will not display payment data paid prior to January 1, 2014, that do not have a claim, return, or reclamation. PACER data only applies to Automatic Clearing House (ACH) actions. TCIS data will continue to reflect seven years of electronic payment data.

C. Nonreceipt Processing Actions for Title II and Title XVI Cases

EFT Nonreceipt actions are unaffected by the removal of payment data from PACER that is over seven years old, as Treasury is unable to process nonreceipts on EFT payments issued more than 6 years before the nonreceipt input date, see GN 02406.007.

D. Reclamation Processing Actions for Title II Cases

All reclamation actions involving payments issued after January 1, 2014, should continue to be processed according to policy with no interruptions.

For EFT Reclamations, which involve payments issued prior to January 1, 2014, do not submit an E-stop request for any payment that was issued more than seven years ago. An input of the E-stop for payments issued over seven years old will result in TDSC 07 REACT exceptions for title II reclamation actions.

NOTE: Check payments are unaffected, as limited payability policy should be followed, see GN 02401.901.

If the Financial Institution (FI) responds to the Notice of Reclamation’s E-stop requests on the FS-133 with a full return of funds, SSA should contact the FI to request for any additional funds received for payments older than seven years to be returned. If the FI has limited their liability, there is no need to send a notice to the FI, as the FI has no funds to return. Once the Notice of Reclamation has been sent, an FI has 60 days to respond with a return of funds or to limit their liability. This information can be found on the claims detail tab in TCIS.

Process reclamations involving payments issued prior to January 1, 2014, where the FI has returned all funds for the E-stop, as follows:

I. Input the E-stop for all payments issued after January 1, 2014.

II. Add an MBR Special Message line of “PACER Seven Year Case MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY.” The dates should reflect the range of dates we are unable to reclaim through the E-stop process, based on the ETD date found on PHUS.

III. Add a comment to the ACR in paperless, “PACER Seven Year Case.”

IV. Compile a list including the payment amount, payment date, and bank account number and routing number for payments not included in the E-stop using the template found in section F. Technicians should follow HYPERLINK "http://policynet.ba.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202408410" GN 02408.410 and local guidance and procedures to initiate release of notice to the FI to request the payments issued prior to January 1, 2014. FIs should be directed to return full payments via an R15 ACH return and partial payments via a remittance referencing the SSN to:

SSA-MATPSC


Attn: Remittance Unit Manager


PO BOX 3430


Philadelphia, PA 19122.

E. Reclamation Processing Actions for Title XVI Cases

All reclamation actions involving only payments issued after January 1, 2014, should continue to be processed according to policy with no interruptions.

When a Title XVI input for termination of benefits due to death is processed, a notice of reclamation will be sent to the FI for all payments to be reclaimed up to January 1, 2014. For payments issued prior to January 1, 2014, a request for return of funds will need to be sent to the FI in certain cases.

NOTE: Check payments are unaffected, as limited payability policy should be followed, see GN 02401.901.

If the Financial Institution (FI) responds to the Notice of Reclamation’s E-stop requests on the FS-133 with a full return of funds, SSA should contact the FI to request for any additional funds received for payments issued prior to January 1, 2014, to be returned. If the FI has limited their liability, there is no need to send a notice to the FI, as the FI has no funds to return. Once the Notice of Reclamation has been sent, an FI has 60 days to respond with a return of funds or to limit their liability. This information can be found on the claims detail tab in TCIS.

Process reclamations involving payments issued prior to January 1, 2014, where the FI has returned all funds for the E-stop, as follows:

I. Compile a list including the payment amount, payment date, and bank account number and routing number for payments not included in the Notice of Reclamation which were issued prior to January 1, 2014, from the date of input for termination due to death using the template in section F. Only include the payments for the current FI. Do not include payments for any prior FIs. Technicians should follow GN 02408.410 and local guidance and procedures to initiate release of notice to the FI to request the additional payments as a subsequent reclamation request. FIs should be directed to return full payments via an R15 ACH return and partial payments via a remittance to remittance referencing the SSN to:

SSA-MATPSC


Attn: Remittance Unit Manager


PO BOX 3430


Philadelphia, PA 19122.

F. Supplemental Notice of Reclamations Templates

Exhibit 1: Agency Supplemental NOR for payments issued prior to January 1, 2014 – No Treasury Reclamation Sent

Reclamation Request.docx

Exhibit 2: Agency Supplemental NOR for payments issues prior to January 1, 2014 – Treasury Reclamation Sent

Reclamation Reques1.docx

Direct all program-related and technical questions to your Regional Office (RO) support staff using vHelp or Program Service Center (PSC) Operations Analysis (OA) staff. RO support staff or PSC OA staff may refer questions, concerns or problems to their Central Office contacts.

References

GN 02401.901 Limited Payability for Title II and Title XVI

GN 02401.903 Allegations of Nonreceipt Not Filed Timely

GN 02401.910 Handwriting Analysis and Checks Older than 12 Months

GN 02408.400 EFT Stop-Payments

GN 02408.620 Manual EFT Reclamation Requests and Exclusions

AM-21065 Removal of Historical Payment Information Found in PACER and TCIS