Generally, no payments have been made to, or on behalf of, beneficiaries in Russia
since 1951. Until June 1968, Treasury Department regulations prohibited the release
of U.S. Government checks to individuals in the Soviet Union. Although the restriction
was lifted in June 1968, SSA could not pay benefits to anyone in the Soviet Union
because the Soviet authorities would not give SSA assurance of free access to beneficiaries
and records in that country.
When the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a political entity, SSA renewed its efforts
to obtain the needed access assurance through the Department of State.
SSA has now received assurance of free access to beneficiaries in Russia (i.e., the
Russian Federation). This permits the payment of benefits to beneficiaries (as shown
in RS 02650.260C.) in Russia.
The Russian authorities have not given SSA assurance of free access to vital statistics
records. This affects the payment of benefits to the extent that payments or entitlement
depends on such documents. (See GN 00307.787 for information on Russian documents).