If the identity of the assisting office in a multiple DO city is unknown, follow GN 00904.020 in addressing the SSA-562-U3 and enclose a tissue copy of the request and a franked self-addressed envelope. (The assisting office should return the tissue copy showing the final recipient of the request.) Send the request, original and first carbon copy (Assisting Office Copy for Progress Report) and attached materials in a window envelope. The requesting office will retain the second carbon copy (Requesting Office copy for Followup) of the SSA-562-U3 for control purposes and status request, if necessary.

If the requesting office does not receive a reply or progress report from the assisting office after 20 days, it will send the second carbon copy (Requesting Office copy for Followup) of the SSA-562-U3 for control purposes. It will make a photocopy before sending the second carbon copy for status to the assisting DO.

In the following special situations, longer diary periods are required:

1. 1. 

   Request for assistance in ED (Earnings Discrepancy) cases—35 days.

2. 2. 

   Request for SSA-7057-U3 information through parallel DO—35 days.

3. 3. 

   Request for information from military service departments or records center—90 days.

4. 4. 

   Requests for information from VA installations; initial followup—35 days, subsequent followups—35 days.

5. 5. 

   Requests for information from the Census Bureau; initial followup—45 days and subsequent followups—45 days.

6. 6. 

   Request for assistance from VARO in Manila; initial followup—60 days, subsequent followups—30 days.

7. 7. 

   Translation, SSA-533—20 days for DO, 30 days from Central Translation Unit.

8. 8. 

   Allow additional time for transit if the requesting and assisting offices are widely separated or if the request is forwarded through another office (e.g., DO's in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico may require as much as 2 weeks longer than the diary periods given here).

9. 9. 

   Request to Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) of the U.S. Embassy in Athens; initial followup—60 days, subsequent followups—30 days.

10. 10. 

    Request to Foreign Service post (FSP) in Mexico; initial followup—45 days, subsequent followups—30 days.

11. 11. 

    For diary periods on requests to the Claims Development Branch (CDB) of the Division of International Operations (DIO) for foreign contacts, refer to GN 00904.090.

If assistance is requested to certify custodian records or if records are available outside the DO (e.g., contact stations, County Clerk), the certifying employee will complete the certification block(s) on the current issue of SSA-562-U3 and may immediately mail it directly to the requesting office from the contact point. The assisting office copy of the request will be marked “cleared” and date certification was mailed to the requesting DO will be shown. This copy will then be used by the assisting office to clear their control records.

Initiate action upon receipt of the request for assistance. Many requests represent pending claims which cannot be paid until the request for action is returned. If completion of the requested action is not possible within a reasonable time (e.g., 15 days in claims cases and 30 days in ED cases), the assisting DO will send a progress report to the requesting DO. Use the “Assisting Office Copy Progress Report” of the SSA-562-U3 for this action. Always show the reason for the delay and the expected date of completion. Subsequent routine progress reports are not required.

If you receive a followup status request from the requesting DO and have already sent a progress report, complete and return the status request immediately. Situations requiring progress reports to ODO and DDS are described in CM 9533.

When, as requesting DO, you find that a recontact is necessary, send the assisting office full information, including copies of RC's, statement, etc., previously developed by that office.