Effective Dates: 02/19/2025 - Present Previous | Next

TN 129 (02-25)

GN 02406.150 When to Request Payment after Status C-Stop - Normal and Dire Need Situations

A. Policy for requesting payment after status for C-STOP

When the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee timely reports nonreceipt of a check, SSA will usually replace the payment with a courtesy disbursement check without waiting for the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to determine the status of the original payment. With a C-Stop code, SSA instructs Treasury to issue a replacement check only after Treasury determines the status of the original check (i.e., if the check was cashed). SSA inputs a C-Stop when the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee:

  • •

    is unsure if they received a payment; or

  • •

    has a history of abusing the nonreceipt reporting process.

The following policy explains the situations when payment after status (C-Stop) may apply.

1. Reporter is uncertain if they received payment

Input a C-Stop in the following scenarios when the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee:

  • •

    is “uncertain” about having received several checks during the past year.

  • •

    cannot remember receiving a check for a date during the past year.

  • •

    requests our assistance to confirm payment of their check(s) without alleging nonreceipt.

2. SSA is aware of Double Check Negotiation (DCN) abuse by beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee

Technicians may use the C-Stop if, within the 2 years immediately preceding the claim for nonreceipt, a beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee :

  1. a. 

    Had a forgery claim denied and it is not under appeal; or

  2. b. 

    Negotiated both an original and a replacement check and has not claimed that either endorsement was forged; or

  3. c. 

    The following remark appears in the “RMKS” field on the Supplemental Security Record (SSR) or “SPMSG” field on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR): “DCN Abuse - Input as C-Stop through mm/yyyy.”  Additional DCN abuse should not occur during this period; however, if it does, change the date to reflect the new 24-month period.

IMPORTANT: For further information on how to identify DCN abuse see GN 02406.150B.For procedures when dire need is alleged in this situation, see GN 02406.150C.

Example of how to process a DCN situation where SSA is aware that the person has misused the reporting system:

A beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee incurs a DCN in July 2024. Because they are known to abuse the DCN system, enter the warning statement in Remarks/Special Message field as, “DCN Abuse - Input as C-Stop through July 2026,". Any nonreceipt allegations made from July 2024 through July 2026 will be input as a C-Stop; beginning in August 2026, allegations can be input as a B-Stop.

B. How to identify DCN abuse cases

If the message: “DCN Abuse - Input as C-Stop through mm/yyyy” appears in the RMKS or SPMSG field, the case involves someone who has abused the nonreceipt reporting system with one or more true DCNs. Technicians should input any allegation of nonreceipt as a C-Stop until the 24-month period ends. For a DCN Abuse case, a DCN indicator or a denied forgery claim with no pending appeal will be on the record. Or no claim of forgery occurred on a DCN overpayment.

1. Identifying the DCN indicator on the record

Title II: Review the MBR. The NON REC field will show “DCN MM/YY.” (This does not always post to the MBR. However, this field will appear between the Schedule Payment (SPC PAY) field and the Hold-Check (HLD CHK) field.)

Title XVI: Review the SSR. If MSSICS has the message, “ALERT: POSSIBLE DCN - SECOND PIN REQUIRED TO REPLACE NOW - PRESS F1 FOR HELP” when transmitting nonreceipt, then review the SSR (see GN 02406.150A.3.b. and GN 02406.150A.3.c.).

2. Identifying if a forgery claim has been denied and no appeal is pending (see also GN 02406.150C)

Title II: Review the ROAR segment of the FACT query to see if DCN abuse is established due to a prior or current DCN overpayment. The ROAR record will reflect “TOE–DUPLICATE PAYMENT TREASURY.” ROAR will have a transaction code of 23 to indicate a protest of a DCN overpayment, then a 27 to indicate the reconsideration was denied (event status code is other than due process). No transaction code of 23 will show if the individual never protested.

Title XVI: Review the PMTH Field F for a Forgery Indicator code of C, F or W. If any of these codes are present for a payment issued within the past 24 months, process a C-Stop. See SM 01601.835C12F for forgery indicator values. Also, look in CMPH for TOPs (overpayments) with RSN: DC within the past 24 months, and identify the sequence. Review OPDD segment for the Sequence number(s) identified. If there is an overpayment collection or recovery decision (D, G, or K TAC) for at least one DCN overpayment within 24 months, and no Forgery Indicator of A, B, D, E or I is present for that overpayment, transmit a C-Stop; otherwise, a B-Stop.

3. Identifying when no claim of forgery was made on a DCN overpayment

Title II: There will be an overpayment on ROAR which reflects “TOE–DUPLICATE PAYMENT TREASURY.”

Title XVI: PMTH Field F for the payment in question should be blank when there is no forgery claim. Look in CMPH for TOPs (overpayments) with RSN: DC within the past 24 months, and identify the sequence numbers. Review OPDD segment for the sequence number(s) identified. If there is an overpayment collect or recovery decision (D, G, K TAC) for at least one DCN overpayment within 24 months, transmit a C-Stop; otherwise a B-Stop.

NOTE: DA TAC should NOT be considered a collection decision because it appears during due process.

C. Actions to take when C-stop present

If a C-Stop was input, inform the individual that SSA will not issue a replacement check until Treasury has determined the status of the original check. If no one has cashed the original check, Treasury issues a replacement check. If someone cashed the original check, the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee may make a forgery claim (if check was issued 12 months ago or less).

NOTE: For further explanation of the forgery claim process see GN 02406.160 and GN 02406.310. If the claim does not involve forgery, Treasury sends the CDN information to SSA and notifies the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee . The technician does not issue a settlement check.

D. Procedure on how to input a C-Stop

FO and PCs should transmit C-Stops when:

  • •

    a caller is “unsure” as to whether the beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee received a check or

  • •

    there is evidence of DCN abuse.

The TSC should also refer suspected abuse to the FO or PC for processing.

1. How to input a C-Stop for Title II cases

Determine if this is a dire need situation. (For an explanation of dire need, see RS 02801.010.).

IF

THEN

yes

see GN 02406.150E.

no

transmit nonreceipt by selecting NRT = 2, Payment After Status, C-Stop on the PEN2 screen. See instructions in MS 06303.029.

2. How to input a C-Stop for Title XVI cases

Determine if this is a dire need situation (For an explanation of dire need, see SI 02004.100).

IF

THEN

yes

see GN 02406.150E.

no

transmit nonreceipt by selecting “2 - REPLACE AFTER INVESTIGATION” on the “Missing Recurring or Supplemental Check” (UPMR) screen in MSSICS. See instructions in MS 00303.012.

For both Title II and Title XVI, if the nonreceipt allegation is received less than 15 days from the issue date of the check, the C-Stop will be held until 15 days have passed since the check was issued before SSA forwards the report to Treasury. This is to give sufficient time for the original check to be presented to Treasury for payment if it has been cashed.

E. Procedure when beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee alleges dire need

If a beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee wishes to see a copy of a check because they cannot remember whether they received it or not, the technician should input a C-Stop. Dire need DOES NOT apply in this situation. If a beneficiary, recipient, or representative payee is a known abuser of the nonreceipt reporting system and is alleging that their situation is dire need, they must meet the criteria below.

1. For Title II cases, if the person meets the criteria in RS 02801.001:

The 800# Answering Site will forward the case to the FO via PRIORITY MDW. The FO will then take the following steps:

STEP

ACTION

1

Issue an IP for up to $5,000.

2

Issue a CPS payment to pay the balance.

3

Refer the case to the PC via PRIORITY MDW to input the F-stop on the missing payment.

2. For Title XVI cases, if the person meets the criteria in SI 02004.100:

The TSC will forward the case to the FO via PRIORITY MDW. The FO will take the following steps:

STEP

ACTION

1

Issue an IP for up to $2,000 (The IP will be withheld from the next month's check).

NOTE: Do not issue an AOTP payment.

2

Input a C-Stop for the missing recurring check. Replacement of the original check will be dependent upon the status determined by Treasury.

F. References

GN 02406.160 Description and When to Use Department of the Treasury Forms FMS-1133 and FMS-3858

GN 02406.310 Request for Reconsideration of DCN Overpayment or Forgery Determination

GN 02406.300 Original and Courtesy or Replacement Check Cashed – Double Check Negotiation (DCN) – Potential Overpayment

RS 02801.001 Critical Case Criteria and Exclusions

SI 02004.100B Immediate Payments (IPs)

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0202406150
GN 02406.150 - When to Request Payment after Status C-Stop - Normal and Dire Need Situations - 02/19/2025
Batch run: 02/19/2025
Rev:02/19/2025