MJoe

I am also going to scan a copy of my form from last year (that has the bar code) and send it to Wilkes-Barre on Monday. What did you do about the printed date at the top of page 1 that says Jun 06, 2004? Did you change that printed date to 2025? Or did you just leave it alone? Also, did you write any further explanation on the form? Or did you leave everything “as is” and just change the date of signing at the bottom of page 2? Thanks in advance for your help!

100% agree that “random people will be sent the 7162” is not true. My point was that the FBU said it in writing, when we know it’s BS. My concern is only aporox 760,000 U.S. citizens receive SSA benefits overseas (only 0.23% of the population) and we (expats) represent only 1.14% of the total number of citizens receiving SS. We are the easiest target to cut, and those numbers don’t look promising that we have any leverage “in numbers” to fight them, if they cut us. And EXACTLY to your point, who else is going to care? I’d be thrilled if someone can prove me wrong though.

I could write a book on the atrocities to date, but to state just one. They just cut health care for 17 million citizens (Medicaid combined with ACA cuts), and have faced no ramifications for doing so. We are now in a situation where the 7162s haven’t been sent; there is blatant Trump propaganda being published my the SSA administration itself; the FBU is lying about the “7162s only being sent to random people”. What more evidence do we need? Please enlightened me (sincerely) as to why there is any reason to believe expats’ SS is not going to be cut. 🙏

Yes - what you’ve said is true. I agree it could be for the reasons you’ve outlined and I agree that we may never find out. For me personally, I’m not prepared to hedge my bets that this is a delay. I agree it could be, but I’m not comfortable assuming that and not doing anything. I think the million dollar question is: Do we know of anyone in past years who has sent a completed 7162 — either downloaded or copy from prior year, that is NOT THE BARCODED VERSION GENERATED AND SENT BY SSA — and had confirmation that a SSA employee received it, processed it and manually updated the SS system to mark them as still alive.

There are approx 760,000 US expats receiving SS. The 7162 process is AUTOMATED - a computer generates and processes the forms. There is no way that staff at the SSA manually process 760,000 of these 7162 every year. THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM DOES IT. So someone has gone in to the system and has shut the 7162 process down in 2025.

Thanks - I totally agree they are looking to stall benefits to expats. I am going to follow what you have done. Would you mind sharing what the email address is to email Manilla? Also, are you saying previously Manilla is somehow able to confirm if the form sent to Wilkes-Barre has been recorded as having been received?

Unpopular opinion, but I do not believe they are “on their way”. If that was the case, someone has gone into the system for the first time in the last 10 years (since I’ve been getting them), and has changed the date on the form from June 1 to a later date for them to be generated and sent. Why would they do that? Regarding work around, I’ve heard so many stories of them not accepting the form unless it has the preprinted bar code etc etc. What do you guys think about someone actually anonymously calling SSA in Baltimore and asking a representative what is going on? I haven’t had experience ever calling them. Please - no hate. We are in this together.

No one has received their form for 2025 - including people all across the world with reliable postal systems. For the last 10 plus years, mine has ALWAYS been dated June 1 (or June 2 if weekend involved) and I have NEVER received it later than June 16. Similar story to what everyone else is reporting. IMO the 7162 process is not operating in 2025. But I would be delighted to be proven wrong.

Thanks. Where did you see they are continuing it for 2025?

This is great - thanks! But where does it say it’s been renewed for this year, 2025?

100%. And it’s not just in Thailand - no one in ANY country has received it this year. I really don’t understand getting trashed, for bringing this up. Unless everyone is just cool with sitting back and having their payments stopped in Feb 2026.

This is the first piece of helpful info on this - thank you! Can you share these websites so I can check them out? Would really help me sleep at night!!!

Y-All, Do you think one of us should call SSA International in Baltimore (anonymously) and ask them what is going on with the 7162 in 2025?

Y’All, what are we going to do about this? NO ONE who usually has their 7162 form by now, has received it. The forms aren’t still “on the way”. The SSA’s 7162 system is automated. The auto-generated form (specifically barcoded by year), are fed into an automated computer system when they are returned (which retains your payments if the computer reads “your circumstances haven’t changed”). If you don’t return the computer generated barcoded form, the system stops your benefits in February 2026. There isn’t a staff person that is going to manually check any returned paperwork outside their automated system. And clearly the automated system isn’t operating this year. It was hard enough to get reinstated if your benefits get stopped in the past. Now it will be an absolute nightmare to try to get them reinstated.

Hi Folks, Across multiple forums I don’t know of anyone who has received their 7162 Form yet. I definitely should have received mine by now (based on last 10 years). What do you think our plan should be? I don’t mean to be alarmist, but I think either SSA is deliberately not going to send them, or they are too short staffed.