DineshR

Hello... It's been a while and I wanted to give an update to close this thread, from my perspective, which I had started last year. In my last update, I had indicated that I received an email which scheduled a phone interview. I had that phone interview on Jan 3, 2023. In that call, the representative (from FBU Manila) apologized for the long delay in getting to this point and said that the delay was caused by mis-directing my application to the Jacksonville, Florida office as the address I had in my online social security account had a Florida address - even though in my application, it was specifically stated that I lived abroad and filled in my Thailand address. Beyond that, there was not much discussion. She took my bank details for depositing benefits and mentioned that benefits would take no longer than April '23 to start and that I would receive all back payments together with the current payment no later than early April. There was no requirement for certified copies of anything. I asked the representative about this and told her that I had the copies ready but she said they were not needed. Shortly after that call, the status of my application in my online account was changed and indicated that my application had been approved. Fast forward 3 weeks (around Jan 24), and I receive a large deposit from SSA into my account. At the same time, I receive a letter from SSA in my online SSA account inbox informing me of my approval, my benefits details and what was contained in my first deposit (which was for both December and January). They also indicated my February payment would be deposited on or about the 3rd of March and all subsequent payments would occur on or about the third of each month. In retrospect, though the application process for my benefit application dragged out for almost 5 months, in the end, to be fair to SSA, my December payment was paid in January and my January payment was paid a little earlier than scheduled while the 3rd payment is on schedule. The only odd thing is that if one follows the table of birth date vs time of deposit, according to my birthdate, I should have been paid on the 3rd Wednesday of the month but instead, I am getting paid on the 3rd of the month per their letter. Perhaps they missed the word "Wednesday" after 3rd in their letter. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread and helped me along in the process. Hopefully this thread can help others when they begin their benefit application process.

@Skeptic7 Awesome ... congrats !!! I checked my online account this morning but it still says the application is in process. However, there was a message in my inbox basically stating that my phone interview had been scheduled and in addition specified what documents I needed to bring to the interview. The only thing it asked for was either a bank account statement or a checkbook - to set up the benefit deposit info. Making progress.

@Alotoftravel The amount of your social security benefit depends on when you take it. The base benefit is defined for your age of retirement ...for those of us taking it now, our base retirement age is 66 years. For every year you delay taking benefits, your benefit is increased by 8%(up to the age of 70). So, if your monthly benefit should be $1000 at age 66, then if you delay till age 67, your monthly benefit goes up by 8% i.e. $1080. You get this benefit for the rest of your life. Suppose you delay till age 68, then your monthly benefit increases to $1166 (1080*1.08). On the other hand, if you were to take benefits at age 65 instead of your base age of 66, then your benefits would decrease by 8% i.e. it would be $920. If you took it at age 62, then your benefit would be 1000*.92*.92*.92*.92 = $716 .... so in answer to your question, by delaying the start of my benefit by one month, I would be increasing my benefit by (.08/12) i.e. if my original benefit at my desired start date were to be $1000, then by delaying it one month, my new monthly benefit would be $1006 ... seems small but over a year I get an extra $72 and that increased benefit is for your lifetime. If one could wait, and one's health is good, then it may make sense to wait until 70 to claim benefits. It all depends on one's own financial circumstances as well as health, I think, that defines when the appropriate time would be to take benefits. If you can increase your monthly benefit, why not ? The other thing to remember is that retirement benefits are paid in arrears ...so if you wanted benefits in December, it actually gets paid in January. And yes, if it is delayed, they do back pay if they are late. Someone correct me if my understanding is incorrect. Hope this helps.

I don't have this problem yet but after receiving benefits I suspect I will start to have this problem every year. Here are some lessons I have learned recently through my process of initiating retirement benefits from Thailand. 1. In order to get through to a live agent at the 1-800 SSA number, the only way to get around the automated system is to repeatedly ask for an agent. After 2 or 3 tries it will ultimately connect you with an agent. However, depending on when you call, you could wait quite a while before you actually get to speak with an agent - in my case, both times I called, it took about 30 mins. 2. The best way to connect with FBU Manila in my opinion is to send them an inquiry - https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/fbu-inquiry-form . It may take a while for them to respond but in my experience, they do respond to inquiries received via this link. A couple of things learned from prior posts here. 1. Keep the US address on my Social Security account. 2. Keep some local contact numbers of Social security offices near my US address 3. Consider sending the form to a friend and have them mail it to the required address.

@Pib Thank you for your comments. I did reply to their email this morning and asked if they required any documents. Not expecting a reply but we'll see. On the start of benefits, on one of my calls to the 800 number, one of the agents mentioned that there was still a lot of time left yet to ensure I received benefits on time. I had requested benefits start in December - he clarified that benefits are paid in arrears i.e. if I start benefits in December, I would get paid in January. So, it's still possible to see a payment in January. That said, your idea of delaying the start date to either January or February is a good one and I will definitely ask to see if that is doable.

A quick update. Received an email this morning for a phone interview scheduled in January 2023. This was in response to an inquiry I sent using the FBU Manila inquiry form. I note that my direct emails did not elicit a response but the request sent via the inquiry form did. The email did state what areas would be covered by the phone call - birth, marriage/divorce, bank routing etc. But no request for certified copies of any document. I did reply and ask if any certified copies would be required. Making progress.

@taxout @AlotoftravelThanks.

@Alotoftravel I just noticed in your last post that you indicated you received a letter from FBU Manila on your interview date. Just to clarify - did you receive notification of the phone interview via postal mail or via email ? Thanks.

Many comments since my last one but thought I would add some info. 1. I had notarized copies made of my documents in early September in anticipation of Manila asking me for them. Done at the US Embassy in Bangkok. There was no charge for the notarized certified true copies. In fact, they asked me if I wanted 2 copies - so I said yes. Gave me 2 sets at no cost but the certified copies are stamped with a note stating that these are only for use by SSA. So, you can't use them for anything else. 2. I asked about the US Embassy forwarding the copies over to FBU Manila - was told that they have long since stopped that practice. 3. As for getting it done by sending originals via mail to the Embassy - call me paranoid but my nightmare scenario is if the original documents are lost in the mail .. you are, sc#$%d ! I set up an appointment at the Embassy in Bangkok and made a trip to BKK to just get the certified copies done. Be advised that sometimes appointments can be full as far as 3 or 4 weeks out.

@Alotoftravel Here's an update. I followed Skeptic7's advice and called the 800 number. This was on Nov 1. Don't waste your time with either the Baltimore or FBU Manila number. It is hard trying to get an agent via the 800 number as it keeps steering you back to the automated system. So whatever it kept asking me, I just kept replying 'agent" and after 2 or 3 tries, it finally acknowledged that I wanted to speak to an agent. That said, I had to wait almost 30 mins before I was connected to an agent. Here's what the agent told me - (1) said there was still time to ensure I got my benefits on time in December as I had requested (2) checked my file and discovered that my file was actually in the Baltimore office (though my previous emails came from FBU Manila). The agent told me he would try and get me the number of the person in the Baltimore office that had my file. He spent some time looking for it and then finally said he could not find it. He offered to message the Baltimore office about the status of my file and requested that they get back to me. On Nov 2, the day after the call, I get an email from FBU Manila requesting my foreign address. So I promptly replied back with my foreign address. Later that afternoon, I get another email from the same person @ FBU Manila asking me for my full name, contact number and foreign address. I had previously supplied all of this information several times before to the same person in FBU Manila - On Aug 10 via an email to FBU Manila when I submitted my application, Sep 27 when I was asked for my contact info, Oct 12 for all of my contact info again ! And now on Nov 2. All basically the same info. The reason stated for requesting that info was to schedule me for a phone interview. I am yet to hear back. At this point, I am not planning any more follow up. I am planning on going back to the states and will go visit a social security office there.

@Skeptic7 I've been trying to call either FBU Manila or the Baltimore office (@410-965-0160. Have been trying now for almost a week and all i get is all lines are busy. I've also tried the main 1-800 number for SSA but I can't get through there either except when I did try the automated system, it did tell me that my claim has not yet been approved but was not able to get to a live agent. Is this the number you called or is there another number ? Frustrating as hell ! Good luck with getting your application done soon.

Congrats ! You are extremely lucky. I'm still waiting ... 77 days and counting. Sent an inquiry via the FBU weblink last night. Tried calling them several times over the last 2 weeks but with no luck. Will keep trying.

An update. Subsequent to the email I received from FBU Manila on Sept 26 requesting a contact number and available dates and times, I have yet to receive a call from them. On October 7, I sent them an email asking when I could expect a call. Today, October 12, I receive another email but this time letting me know that in order for them to schedule me for a phone interview, they required my full name, date of birth, mailing address and contact number. I have promptly responded to that email with the required info. Will update as events unfold. 63 days and counting since the application for benefits was submitted.

Shortly after I sent my last update yesterday, I received an email from FBU Manila requesting my phone number and day/times for a call so that they could call me to assist me - "Kindly provide your contact number, available time and day so that we can assist you." Stay tuned !

@Skeptic7 Thanks. Good to know I am not alone .....

@Pib Thank you for that info. A quick update on my status. As previously noted, I applied on Aug 10. At that time, the SSA website indicated 2-4 week processing time for "MOST" people. 4 weeks went by on Sept 7. I sent an email on Sept 10 requesting a status update. Got an automatic response stating "Thank you for contacting the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Due to public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines, operations in the Federal Benefits Unit may be limited; however, we typically respond to inquiries within 15 business days. We respectfully request that you avoid sending multiple emails, as this may cause further delays. " 15 business days ends this coming Friday. However, I plan on calling them this Thursday ( which would be 7 weeks from application submitted) as the Manila FBU office only takes calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays according to their website. If I fail to connect, then will use the link @Pib sent to submit an online inquiry. I requested benefits start in December and this may be a reason why my submission may be delayed as they might be prioritizing applicants that have benefits starting earlier. Will post as I know more.

Thai immigration does it for free ... just did it a couple of months ago to renew my Thai driving license. But it takes a few days to get it. You can get it done at the US embassy via an affidavit as others have mentioned but then it costs US$50.

@JimGant Agreed. I just might do that if it gets complicated. As an aside, 3 weeks and counting and have not heard back from SSA on status of application. The site says it usually takes between 2-4 weeks to process applications so will wait till the end of this week to follow up with a call to the Manila office.

@PibUnderstood. Thanks everyone for your very helpful comments. I will update the group here as and when I have updates as a guide for others that may be starting to take their benefits.

@PibThank you very much for your helpful comments. I apologize if this is taking too much of your time but it truly is much appreciated. - On the 2 methods you mentioned, clearly the IDD route would not be preferable for me since the transfers would be in baht. - I currently send US$ from my bank in the US to Bangkok Bank (Bangkok based account though I live outside Bangkok). I send this money using Bangkok Bank's swift code and my account number. As far as I know, I get charged US$4 at the US side and approx US$6 on the Thai side which ties in with the $10 you cite. However, this is not a special/restricted account as I am able to conduct transactions (mostly US$ to Thai baht conversions) online. When I need baht in the province I live in, then I transfer it from the Bangkok THB account to my local branch THB account and there are no charges associated with this transfer. - Can I not use this same method with my social security payments ??? It is in direct contradiction to what you have said where swift cannot be used to transfer US$ because my transfer receipts for the US$ transfer clearly shows a swift routing code - Routing ID: SWIFTBKKBTHBK I have read other threads in this forum on the ACH vs swift issues but I never did dig into it because I never had any issues with direct transfers and the whole issue was complicated. I'm probably getting ahead of myself here since I am not even at the first call stage. With respect to the mailing methods, I will check on the inter embassy transfers when I go to the embassy for notarizing the documents. Thank you very much.

@Skeptic7 My preference is into my Thai bank account. I did state this in my online application although the online form did not have a drop down selection choice for Thailand. I later, in the comments/remarks box at the tail end of the application, specifically stated that I wanted a direct deposit into my Thai bank account assuming no incremental charges over that of depositing into my US bank account and made note of the fact that while the drop down choices did not show Thailand, I had read through expat forums that direct deposit into Thailand was now possible. As an aside, I am going to request US$ deposits into my Thai bank FCD account as opposed to a Thai baht deposit. I prefer to control when I transfer into Thai baht. @Pib Thank you very much for your detailed comments. With regard to submitting "originals", I would rather not send originals such as passports etc via postal or courier services. I will do, as you suggest, get notarized copies from the US embassy. I would like to know though, how one would usually send these notarized documents over to the Manila office - via Thai post regular mail, EMS or carriers such as Fed-ex etc. Or can I send them via the US embassy ? I will check the US embassy site later for any info on this service. Thai post EMS has become quite expensive now. I just sent some documents over to the US and the charge was THB1550 via Thai EMS. What about the form 7162 ? How are those mailed ? Via EMS as well ? Via the US embassy ? I am presuming that one would need some certainty that the form was delivered to avoid the hassles of benefit interruptions. Thanks again for all the useful information.

Quick update. Just logged in to my social security account and saw this notification - my application is currently being reviewed by a representative in the Philippines office and the review process normally takes between 2-4 weeks. It moved pretty quick from Baltimore to the Philippines since I submitted the application Thursday morning Thai time.

@Skeptic7Thanks for the link. Tons of really good info there. @PibI applied online using the "my Social Security" account I had signed up for many years ago. In that account, I list my address as the mail forwarding service address that I use to forward all my mail from the US to wherever I am. All my mail goes to this mail forwarding service address. The service alerts me to any incoming mail and I can then choose to forward (or hold or delete) that mail or a bunch of mail to wherever I want to send them at a time I choose. However, when I filled out the online form for claiming my social security benefit, I listed my mailing address as the one for my mail forwarder (which is in my social security account) and also indicated on the form that this is not where I reside. There is a little box which you tick to indicate that this is not your residential address. I then provided my residence address where it is asked for in the next section - my Thailand residence address. As an aside, I am paying for Medicare and Medicare sends their bills to my mail forwarding address (which is the address used on my social security account). My tax returns show my Thailand address. I am a naturalized (not by birth) US citizen. My work history/earnings is not complicated. I am hoping this not going to cause any confusion or delays. Thank you everyone for the very useful info and comments and the links. Lot to learn.

I did try to repair the ding only at B-quik. They had a device that could repair small dings but the location of the ding close to the edge of the screen made it impossible to use that device. Apparently, if it is too close to the edge of the screen the process of fixing that ding has a chance of causing a crack - they pointed that out to me before attempting to fix the ding but then discovered that the ding was too close to the edge for the device to get to.

@rwill Thanks. I'm going to see what happens when I get a response back in the next week or so.