MJoe

Thanks. You have been sooooo helpful through this nightmare! I would prefer to send it Express, but don’t want to send it back in a different envelope than the one SSA provides. But it seems like a fair chunk of folks in Thailand are regularly sending it back in a different / larger envelope for EMS, and it is safely getting processed by SSA? (I’m definitely not doing tracking or registered.)

Good news, mine arrived today. When you guys use EMS in Thailand, are you able to still use the specific return envelope provided by SSA, or does the post office make you put it in a different envelope? If I want to return mine Express from Australia, they put it in a different envelope. Bottom line is — is it risky to return the form in a different envelope than the actual return envelope specifically provided by SSA?

Mailing advice please! Good news folks, mine arrived today. When you guys use EMS in Thailand, are you able to still use the specific return envelope provided by SSA, or does the post office make you put it in a different envelope? If I want to return mine Express from Australia, they put it in a different envelope. Bottom line is — is it risky to return the form in a different envelope than the actual return envelope specifically provided by SSA?

I am in Australia and haven’t received it yet. For the past 10 years (except Covid) I have always received it by 2nd week in June (point being always faster than Thailand). Obviously they mailed it second half of July this year, but mail is so quick to Aus that if I was going to get it I would have got it by now. Can folks please advise what I should do? What action should I take? And when should I do it? Thanks so much in advance!

SSA-7161 is for “representative payees”. I am disabled, but they have always sent me SSA-7162. I appreciate your question though, because I haven’t received mine yet and I usually receive it much earlier than folks in Thailand. I wonder if they purposefully didn’t send it to the disabled? Seems unlikely they would be THAT detailed, to sift the disabled out, but who knows. Are you in Thailand?

100%. Why are we talking about mail delivery options for a form which hasn’t been sent, and in my opinion is not going to be sent at all.

That is what I believe (or some equivalent of) but it seems to be an unpopular opinion here. 🙏

Wow - helpful information. Thanks! What month did you receive the “last chance letter”? What does it tell you to do?

I 100% agree. IMO - they don’t have any idea that they’re doing (either deliberately or incompetently). I’m tending towards waiting until it’s closer to the time when the “second” letter would usually be received, and then if that doesn’t arrive, I will send two - one with the barcode and another blank one filled in. Because at that point, I feel like I’d have nothing to lose. As I’ve never received the “second” form (because my June one always arrived safely), does anyone know what the timing is for the second form. When do they usually send it?

Ah thanks. I see now where you posted that above. I’m sure this will be another unpopular opinion, but I don’t feel any reason to trust what the representative said that these will be sent in September. As we have received so much contradictory information from representatives so far, why would we believe this representative? They say what’s easiest to get the person off the phone IMO. I’d feel differently if we were getting consistent information from reps in Baltimore and Manila but we are not.

Appreciate you calling them. Not surprised they unfortunately didn’t have a clue! On what basis are we expecting the forms to show up in September? Did I miss something?

Thanks for all your super advice. How do I find the BIN and COC?

Thanks so much. This link works!

I am getting an error message when I click on that link. Is this the only source to print a blank 2023 form?

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!