U.S. SS Recipients -- got this year's SSA-7162 yet?

[NancyL]

I've been receiving a few reports of people who receive Social Security benefits as overseas residents getting their annual SSA-7162-OCR-SM form for the past couple weeks. Hubby just received his yesterday. It seems that everyone in Chiang Mai receives theirs at about the same time each year.

This is the annual "Proof of Life" form that SS recipients who are registered as overseas residents have to sign and return each year so the U.S. government knows they're still at the same address. Seems to be a bit of overkill, since if they have direct deposit at Bangkok Bank, they have to go in person each month to obtain the funds, but oh well....

If you haven't received this form you can download and mail it or even file it on-line. The key is that you have to report annually or your benefits will stop.

One year we moved across town and the SSA-7162 didn't go to our new address -- even though I'd emailed the SS office in Manila with the new address and received a reply that they'd input it into "the system". Hubby's benefit stopped and it took about six weeks to get it started again.

[northernjohn]

So if I register at the US consulate I will have to fill one of those forms out every year and trust the mail both coming and going?

[jaideeguy]

Just received mine this last week and will be in the mail asap. They keep sending mine to my former married name and I make a note to them to update it every time for a few years now and they don't seem to read the 'remarks' space. Now you have me scared to contact them in Manila to correct this small mistake, as I don't want to rock the boat..............

[Mapguy]

Excellent reminder for those people who don't pay much attention to detail, in particular for those who move and do not have a good mailing address.

A name change? Well, keep trying the remarks space, jaideeguy (a woman, I suppose). You should indeed contact the Social Security Administration to straighten that out, if you can. It might be (and I do not wish to make you afraid), the SSA might require more than your "say so." A copy of the relevant page of a divorce degree. The reason might well have to do with the sometimes complex nature of survivor benefits, but that is just a guess.

As some might say, "Get right with the Lord!." Or the Social Security Administration! Whichever country you call home!

[Mapguy]

So if I register at the US consulate I will have to fill one of those forms out every year and trust the mail both coming and going?

Register what?

Thai mail is superb if you don't bounce around.

If you don't get a form, call the the Social Security Administration, and tell them.

[chiang mai]

I was going to PM you on this point Nancy since I just received mine also. Is this a yearly event and is it broadly about the same time of the year? The reason I ask is that I am getting ready to relocate and am trying to manage logistics of my future travel plans.

[Mapguy]

Yes. Yearly. Mandatory.

Yes. About the same time. Put it on your reminder calendar anyway.

The administration needs a valid address. Otherwise, if you are circumnavigating the globe, you had better check with them.

The fundamental reason, by the way, that this is done is to ensure you are alive. To be cynical, I wonder how many people cash their parents' social security checks after they are dead. In Japan, in recent years, the government did some thorough checking and discovered a huge amount of fraud by the children of deceased parents who "forgot" to inform the government that their parents were no more.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Mapguy

[noahvail]

Yep, got mine Friday, going out on Monday by EMS. Last year Thai Post neglected to deliver that critical document, but calling Philly or Deleware got it straightened out in less than a week. I've learned from experience just to bypass the Philippines office entirely.

[NancyL]

So if I register at the US consulate I will have to fill one of those forms out every year and trust the mail both coming and going?

Registering at the consulate has nothing to do with SSA-7162. What you're probably thinking of Northnjohn is the S.T.E.P. program, where the State Dept sends people who registered emails about things of local interest like civil distrubances (i.e. marshall law), natural disasters, etc.

I did a google search on this subject, since I've stated a similar TV thread in previous years, and yes it does seem like they send these forms about the same time each year.

[hml367]

NancyL,

Do you happen to have the date of the form that was received?

The one I have found is dated 09-2004.

Thanks

Mike

[NancyL]

The one Hubby received called Form SSA-7162-OCR-SM (7-2011) I suspect that means it was issued July 2011.

[hml367]

Thanks, Nancy.

I will look for a newer one. What I found must be an older one.

Mike

[northernjohn]

So if I register at the US consulate I will have to fill one of those forms out every year and trust the mail both coming and going?

Register what?

Thai mail is superb if you don't bounce around.

If you don't get a form, call the the Social Security Administration, and tell them.

The mail is superb in some areas no question about that. But not in my area. Had to have to many ATM cards and Visa cards special delivery. Will admit one I di9dn't it came 4 months late. I will just keep my US address works great.

[hml367]

For anyone interested in a report on these questionnaires, here is the latest report I could find. If you take the time to read the report you may find some more correct information than some posts have given.

Thank you Nancy for the reminder. My concerns were brought about by the "destroy older versions" on all of the versions of the form that I have seen (2004, 2007, 2009, and 2011).

Also, this report indicates some of the reasons for these questionnaires.

ReportOverseasBene.pdf

[hml367]

I picked my form up yesterday, NancyL. I check my mail every 2 weeks so it got to the Consulate in Chiang Mai sometime between 21 May and yesterday.

It was the version you quoted.

Just my opinion: they may not want people downloading this form as it seems to be a verification of the address they have on file, which is supposed to be in one of the boxes on the form. Of course the person sort gives proof-of-life also.

[johnbits]

One year we moved across town and the SSA-7162 didn't go to our new address -- even though I'd emailed the SS office in Manila with the new address and received a reply that they'd input it into "the system". Hubby's benefit stopped and it took about six weeks to get it started again.

So when the benefits started back up again, did they catch up by making larger payments for the months missed?

[NancyL]

When I contacted Manila and inquired about Hubby's SS being stopped, they actually told me it would be quicker to download a blank form rather than waiting for a new form, with his address already printed, to arrive in the mail. And yes, when they restarted the benefits, they played "catch up", so he wasn't out any money in the long run.

Edited June 5, 2014 by NancyL

[hml367]

When I contacted Manila and inquired about Hubby's SS being stopped, they actually told me it would be quicker to download a blank form rather than waiting for a new form, with his address already printed, to arrive in the mail. And yes, when they restarted the benefits, they played "catch up", so he wasn't out any money in the long run.

What Manila told you does not surprise me. The only places I could find to download that particular form were other than the Social Security web site.

This is the response Social Security gave to my inquiry about downloading the form:

Thank you for contacting the Social Security Administration.

Social Security has many popular forms for download. Information about these forms may be accessed at the following Internet address:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/online/forms.html

Please Note: You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view this file. You may obtain this software from

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Social Security Administration (SSA) forms must be printed on 8 1/2” x 11” white paper. You must print the form with blue or black ink to be acceptable to SSA.

NOTE: If you live abroad and cannot obtain 8.5 x 11 paper, the use of A4 size paper (11.25 x 11.7) is the only acceptable alternative.

If you need a form that is not currently available for download, you should call 1-800-772-1213 to request it. Alternatively, you can visit your local Social Security office. For information on locating your local office, access the Internet address below:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/locator

Where did you download the form (if you remember)? As I said, I couldn't find it on the SS site. I actually downloaded a blank form last year, but I don't remember where from.

[NancyL]

Hmm........ that got me to digging around the email exchange between me and Manila about Hubby's suspended SS benefit.

Amazing but true. I wasn't getting any satisfaction from Manila and at some point I turned my attention to American Citizen Services, Chiang Mai Consulate and they sent me an email with a copy of a 7162 attached -- suggesting we download and fill it in and mail it. I looked at that attachment -- it looks like an old, beat up xerox with an issue date of 11-92! They must of dug it up from the fossil remains in the file drawers at the Consulate, scanned and emailed it to me. But it did the trick and got Hubby's money flowing.

So, I guess they don't pay too much attention to the issue date of the form.

Edited June 5, 2014 by NancyL

[Mapguy]

Lots of fuss and bother.

It appears the straightest line between two government forms is Google. Out of curiosity, I Googled the form number. Lo! There it was! And here it is: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/peru/444495/ssa-forms/SSA-7162.pdf .

What Americans need to remember is to fill one out themselves if they don't receive one in the mail. Put it on your reminder calendar.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Mapguy

[hml367]

Well, this is actually the more current one. I think it is fillable - at least it is on my computers.

ssa7162ocrsm.pdf