U.S. SSA Form 7162 delivery difficulties

[Alotoftravel]

Does it make sense to change our Thai address to a usa address to avoid 7162? I am able to use my usa relative address . I currently filed ssa with a Thai address to send my benefits to a usa bank account .

 

I guess I could change ssa address to usa after I start receiving my benefits in the coming months but wondered if it makes sense to do it, however I will only update the address after mg first deposit .

 

. My irs has the Thai address .I appreciate any comments 

[Isaan sailor]

With the Baht so high Social Security’s 8%+ raise in January means we’re actually making less money now, than we did last Sept/Oct when USD/TB hit 38+.  It really makes you wonder—who did this, and why?

[jeffandgop]

On 1/11/2023 at 10:43 AM, Pib said:

The access denied problem could be caused by a problem on your end.  See weblink below for possible solutions.  And if  possible try using a different device (I.e., different computer browser,  phone browser, etc).

https://softwarekeep.com/help-center/fix-access-denied-you-dont-have-permission-to-access-on-this-server-on-windows-10

 

Also you can call the Manila SSA FBU at their Philippines phone number or their "U.S. phone numbers".. US numbers but rings at the Manila Embassy, listen to interactive menu, then press 3 for the SSA FBU but only on Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 11am Manila date/time.  The US numbers are 202-370-6642/6497.  I just tried calling both from my US number and they both worked....rang/answered at the Manila Embassy.

 

 

I tried again to submit a request to Manila SSA FBU via their https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/fbu-inquiry-form/. Again, when I selected the Reason for Inquiry being the Annual Questionnaire from their drop down menu, "Access Denied" was the return response after submitting.  

Then I chose as my selected Reason for Inquiry "Apply for Social Security Benefits" and requested an update on my wife's 8-week old long wait for any response relative to her application, THAT inquiry went thru successfully.

 

Surmise that the FBU is simply blocking any inquiries on the 7162 thru their own portal not wanting to work this issue....

Edited February 2, 2023 by jeffandgop

[Dante99]

On 1/20/2023 at 6:57 PM, Isaan sailor said:

It really makes you wonder—who did this, and why?

Right there is definitely somebody out there who is after you. 

[flexomike]

Well tomorrow is payday, both me and the wife are looking forward too a deposit, if not I am going to be one not too happy camper, good luck everyone

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

Right there is definitely somebody out there who is after you. 

Well, good luck, but hopefully most of us aren't living so close to the bone that we couldn't handle a delay of perhaps some months in getting benefits restored. I assume once an expat knows for sure they've been cut, that social security would priortize such cases at least somewhat.

[Pib]

7 hours ago, jeffandgop said:

I tried again to submit a request to Manila SSA FBU via their https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/fbu-inquiry-form/. Again, when I selected the Reason for Inquiry being the Annual Questionnaire from their drop down menu, "Access Denied" was the return response after submitting.  

Then I chose as my selected Reason for Inquiry "Apply for Social Security Benefits" and requested an update on my wife's 8-week old long wait for any response relative to her application, THAT inquiry went thru successfully.

 

Surmise that the FBU is simply blocking any inquiries on the 7162 thru their own portal not wanting to work this issue....

Interesting.   Why don't you try sending your 7162 inquiry again but this time select the "All Other Requests" reason vs the 7162 reason.  

 

Any yea, if the Manila FBU is blocking all 7162 inquiries then that just ain't right in my book.  Maybe, they don't know about the problem....or maybe they do. Maybe if you do try to send your 7162 inquiry under the All Other Requests reason include a note that you had to use the All Other Requests reason because if using the preferred 7162 reason you get an access denied reason---and ask if they are aware of this problem.

 

Now tomorrow, 3 Feb is direct deposit payday for folks with overseas addresses "unless" some of us have had our benefit suspended in mid Jan due to non-receipt of our 7162.   The wife and I appear to be good-to-go as we didn't get a 2nd notice which supposedly means they got our first mailing....and in our SSA Online accts as of a day or two ago our accts show as "Active" (in green color) and there is a planned 3 Feb payment showing for both of us.  

 

[SamSanuk]

Sent my Form letter 7162 back to USA in August. Didn’t receive any more letters on the subject here in Thailand. Did get a letter with tax information about a week ago.

 

And…just now, received my February deposit in my US bank account.

 

Does this mean I’m in the clear?

[flexomike]

48 minutes ago, SamSanuk said:

Sent my Form letter 7162 back to USA in August. Didn’t receive any more letters on the subject here in Thailand. Did get a letter with tax information about a week ago.

 

And…just now, received my February deposit in my US bank account.

 

Does this mean I’m in the clear?

Hope so, mine just arrived also and I got a second notice even though they received the first one

[orang37]

Sent the first 7162, got a second notice to send another. and sent it, got a message about benefits for 2023 ... believed i was dead because i had no notice of benefits continuing ,,,

 

surprise: SSA => $ today.

 

how can i re-animate my corpse ?

 

if i'm alive today, will i still be alive in April ? could i be, now, like a Schrodinger cat, both dead and alive, depending on who opens my mind ?

 

these questions make sleep impossible !

Edited February 3, 2023 by orang37
recovering identity after alien abduction

[Dante99]

It is shocking that so many of you failed to receive your monthly payment.  

 

What are you going to do now?

[flexomike]

3 hours ago, Dante99 said:

It is shocking that so many of you failed to receive your monthly payment.  

 

What are you going to do now?

have not read any quotes about not receiving payment, am I missing something, everyone I know received a payment

[Bill97]

2 hours ago, flexomike said:

have not read any quotes about not receiving payment, am I missing something, everyone I know received a payment

Exactly.  Seven pages of wrangling about not getting payments and not one person has confirmed no receipt.

[Pib]

3 hours ago, flexomike said:

have not read any quotes about not receiving payment, am I missing something, everyone I know received a payment

It's probably a little early to know since the international 3 Feb payment date was only two days ago on Friday and sometimes people may not notice a missing payment for days/weeks later, I expect the forms everyone mailed back "did indeed arrive and were processed" although mail tracking and calls/emails to SSA customer service may have indicated the forms were MIA.

 

I'm a firm believer that many times the SSA left hand don't really know that its right hand is doing (vice versa) when you ask either hand although either hand will give a firm answer like it really knows what it's talking about.

 

And who knows, maybe this year since it's the first year since the COVID pandemic mailing problems have subsided that the SSA has decided not to cut off anyone if the form was not received "although the SSA would never-ever admit such."   But maybe next year the SSA will enforce their 7162/7161 rules (or not).

 

 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Pib

[flexomike]

3 hours ago, Pib said:

It's probably a little early to know since the international 3 Feb payment date was only two days ago on Friday and sometimes people may not notice a missing payment for days/weeks later, I expect the forms everyone mailed back "did indeed arrive and were processed" although mail tracking and calls/emails to SSA customer service may have indicated the forms were MIA.

 

I'm a firm believer that many times the SSA left hand don't really know that its right hand is doing (vice versa) when you ask either hand although either hand will give a firm answer like it really knows what it's talking about.

 

And who knows, maybe this year since it's the first year since the COVID pandemic mailing problems have subsided that the SSA has decided not to cut off anyone if the form was not received "although the SSA would never-ever admit such."   But maybe next year the SSA will enforce their 7162/7161 rules (or not).

 

 

Just don't understand why they can't work with the IRS, if you file taxes you shouldn't have to do this form, I don't think to many dead people file taxes, have heard a rumor that some of them vote, but that is a different story, getting ready for next year - 555

 

[Jingthing]

Heck they could do it by Zoom even charge for the service but I guess they make more cutting off people 

[Bill97]

21 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I guess they make more cutting off people 

They don’t make anything by cutting off people.  It just inconveniences everyone to restart them.

[lopburi3]

41 minutes ago, flexomike said:

Just don't understand why they can't work with the IRS, if you file taxes you shouldn't have to do this form, I don't think to many dead people file taxes, have heard a rumor that some of them vote, but that is a different story, getting ready for next year - 555

 

I suspect the same person getting your SS after death could well file your IRS tax return if required.

 

This annual letter requirement may be what is keeping some of us alive.  With any luck post covid will get mail back on track so not an issue for most.

[Jingthing]

28 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

They don’t make anything by cutting off people.  It just inconveniences everyone to restart them.

I disagree.

There will be a small percentage that don't complain or take a very long time to complain.

Lots of people don't even need that money.

The government has use of all that money in the meantime. 

Edited February 5, 2023 by Jingthing

[Bill97]

20 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Lots of people don't even need that money.

But they mostly still file to get it, just as most people cut off will reestablish.

 

you say a small percentage will accept cancellation, I think that is very small, not material

[Jingthing]

38 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

But they mostly still file to get it, just as most people cut off will reestablish.

 

you say a small percentage will accept cancellation, I think that is very small, not material

I'm sure it adds up.

Not saying it's a policy to over cut off but I doubt the government is losing sleep over it.

[Dante99]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I'm sure it adds up.

Sure everything does.

 

15 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I doubt the government is losing sleep over it.

Of course not, governments do not sleep.

 

Cut the idiom and find some facts.

[Jingthing]

29 minutes ago, Dante99 said:

Sure everything does.

 

Of course not, governments do not sleep.

 

Cut the idiom and find some facts.

I don't think such facts are available. 

Why would the government release them?

 

I want it to be easier and more reliable for us to do these reports and to get verification of success or failure.

 

Apparently that's too much to ask for.

 

Consider expats in countries like Colombia that don't even have a postal service!

 

There really should be an online method to do this.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Jingthing

[Skallywag]

I do not see what everyone's problem is. I have used Thai post EMS 4 years in a row with no problems. 

I received the SS "proof of life" form by mail, I return the completed form by mail.  

It actually says in the instructions to just mail it back.