Retention Date: January 3, 2025
A. Purpose
This emergency message (EM) is to inform users that the Social Security Electronic Remittance System (SERS) will be unavailable due to the migration to new Dell hardware and a new Linux operating system. The extended 14-day outage will be from 12:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, December 14, 2024, through Saturday, December 28, 2024. During this time, all remittances which are eligible to be processed through SERS are to be held in a secure location.
B. Background
The Social Security Online Accounting and Reporting System (SSOARS), which contains the SERS application, requires a migration to new Dell hardware and a new Linux operating system which will be performed during the timeframe noted above. SERS will not be available for use during this time.
C. Instructions for SERS Eligible Remittances
All SERS eligible programmatic and non-programmatic remittances received on Saturday, December 14, 2024, through Saturday, December 28, 2024, are to be held in a secure location in the field office (FO) or processing center (PC).
NOTE: FOs and PCs will continue processing all non-SERS eligible remittances and mail them to their designated locations as applicable.
Beginning Sunday, December 29, 2024, FOs and PCs will resume processing SERS eligible remittances, including any that were held due to this maintenance.
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.
Reference:
GN 02403.161 Social Security Electronic Remittance System (SERS) for Programmatic Debts
GN 02403.014 Processing Non-Programmatic Fees Received in the Field Office Using the Social Security Electronic Remittance System
GN 02403.001 Overview of Field Office Remittance Process