USA SSA Report Form (SSA-7162-OCR-S M)

[Fookhaht]

The form referenced in the thread title is sent by the SSA to expats for them to report back any changes in their status (address, marriage, dependents, etc.).  I assume it's also a check up to make sure you're alive and kicking, and no one is benefiting from your SSA payments after you're in the grave or up the smoke stack.   

Three questions:

 

1)  Does anyone know how often these are sent:  annually, semi-annually, etc?   I was surprised to get one only 4 months after my benefits started.  

2)  Anyone ever having a problem receiving these?   The letter & form I got yesterday advised me that they had already sent a first notice (which I never received), and that I had exactly 45 days to return this second form or have benefits stop.  My address was incomplete (no postal code, and city/province messed up), so no surprise that they were having trouble getting it to me.   Of course, it took 11 days to get this second form, so now I only have  34 days to make sure this gets back in their hot little hands.  Which brings me to my last question....

3)  What is a recommended way of sending these back?  Of course, since I've already been chastized and have been given a deadline, I'm going to go EMS so I can trace the signing off of the form as it goes through various channels.   However, is there a less-expensive way, but more reliable than a normal post/mailing?

Thanks in Advance,
Fookhaht    

[ubonjoe]

1. They are sent every year in June. Got mine on the 4th of June this year and it was dated the 2nd of June.

2. I have had it not show up and got the 2nd notice twice. If there is an error in your address you should correct it on the form.

3. You can send it registered mail for about 90 baht that will take about 2 weeks to be delivered. Much cheaper than 1400 baht for EMS. I have sent it by EMS (600 baht then) and it took a week to get there.

[IMA_FARANG]

I believe the SSA has now stopped the mailing of those forms outside the U.S.

I have not recieved one for 2016 yet much less 2017.

i understand they wantt you to have an online account now, and you should download your form from your on line account

However, I have been told by SSA that as I do not have a U.S. address, I am not eligible for an online Social Security account.

I am appaently a Security threat with my email account being an international account.

As the song gord "Paranoia, will distroy ya".

I am going to Manila for other reasons next week, and while I am there I will asking the SSA in Maanla about that matter.

 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

I believe the SSA has now stopped the mailing of those forms outside the U.S.

I got one in June of this year so they certainly are mailing the out.

They are only sent to those living overseas. You may of not got one because you are using a US address.

[Fookhaht]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. They are sent every year in June. Got mine on the 4th of June this year and it was dated the 2nd of June.

2. I have had it not show up and got the 2nd notice twice. If there is an error in your address you should correct it on the form.

3. You can send it registered mail for about 90 baht that will take about 2 weeks to be delivered. Much cheaper than 1400 baht for EMS. I have sent it by EMS (600 baht then) and it took a week to get there.

1.  It was strange to get one in Sept/Oct. for me, then. 

2.  I did write in the complete address on the form, correcting their incomplete information.   The online application form when applying for benefits, where you first input your address, is inadequate for a foreign address.  Not enough spaces to include both Amphoe and Tambon; and no field for the postal code.  So SS beneficiaries should be aware that this will result in an incomplete address on SSA's records.  It might seriously affect the receipt of various notices by mail, as it did mine.  

3.  Yes, thanks for confirming what I just found out at our local post office.  I remember sending a document just 3 years ago (approx.) by EMS and it cost me 600 B.  I could hardly believe the prices for EMS to the USA have more than doubled since then.  They quoted me 1,120B; less than your amount, but still a wild increase in just a few years.  

Anyway, appreciate the feedback/confirmation.

Cheers,
Fookhaht  

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, Fookhaht said:

1.  It was strange to get one in Sept/Oct. for me, then. 

2.  I did write in the complete address on the form, correcting their incomplete information.   The online application form when applying for benefits, where you first input your address, is inadequate for a foreign address.  Not enough spaces to include both Amphoe and Tambon; and no field for the postal code.  So SS beneficiaries should be aware that this will result in an incomplete address on SSA's records.  It might seriously affect the receipt of various notices by mail, as it did mine.  

3.  Yes, thanks for confirming what I just found out at our local post office.  I remember sending a document just 3 years ago (approx.) by EMS and it cost me 600 B.  I could hardly believe the prices for EMS to the USA have more than doubled since then.  They quoted me 1,120B; less than your amount, but still a wild increase in just a few years.  

Anyway, appreciate the feedback/confirmation.

Cheers,
Fookhaht  

1. I got the first  and only notice this year in June. I assume they got it since I have not received a 2nd notice. Was sent by standard international postal rate of about 50 baht.

2. I did my application through Manila. I can see how the online application could be a problem for entering the full address. I have had problems getting it to fit on other sites.

3. The rates went up in January of this year. They certainly gave you a good price. The Thai Post website states 1400 baht for 10 grams.

[Fookhaht]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. I got the first  and only notice this year in June. I assume they got it since I have not received a 2nd notice. Was sent by standard international postal rate of about 50 baht.

2. I did my application through Manila. I can see how the online application could be a problem for entering the full address. I have had problems getting it to fit on other sites.

3. The rates went up in January of this year. They certainly gave you a good price. The Thai Post website states 1400 baht for 10 grams.

3.  The postal clerk asked me if it was a document.  Special rate for official documents?  

[JimGant]

You can change your "mailing address" with SS by logging into your online SS account and going to profile. When you do this, there's a subsequent check box that asks, "Is this also your residence address?"

 

Anyone done this? If so, if you didn't check the box, did they then ask for your residence address?

 

Have a feeling, if you don't check that box, you'll now be subject (at least for one time) to receiving the subject  SSA-7162 form, which asks: "Has there been a change in your citizenship or your country of residence that you have
not yet reported to SSA?"   (Unless -- when changing your address on your online SSA account  per paragraph 1, above -- they then ask for your new residence address, if you don't check the box?)

 

 

[gunghang]

FBU Manila advises sending the form directly to Wilkes-Barre.

 

ssa7162.pdf

[gunghang]

It's taken three weeks for registered mail to reach SSA PA. The time required to go from Lehigh to Wilkes-Barre was perplexing.

 

 

[taxout]

Registered mail to the US is slow! It can take as long as two months from Asia.

 

[gk10002000]

21 hours ago, gunghang said:

It's taken three weeks for registered mail to reach SSA PA. The time required to go from Lehigh to Wilkes-Barre was perplexing.

 

 

Verrrry interesting.  It sort of looks like even though you want the darn thing to go to Pennsylvania, it gets routed through US customs in New York? 

[tutsiwarrior]

I returned the document to the SSA in Wilkes - Barre registered mail from Thailand on 04 July and then got a second notice dated 04 Oct from the SSA...I returned the second notice EMS and tracked it and then saved a screen shot of the EMS tracking record in the event of any more SSA BS...

 

and yeah...the charge for sending a one page document EMS from Thailand to Wilkes - Barre is ridiculous...the SSA and Thailand Post EMS puttin' on the squeeze from both directions...'you better get that document to us tout suite as we demand or we're gonna cut off yer money, goddamit...'

 

that pisses me off...why can't they at least be more polite? they sound like school yard bullies waitin' to kick my ass after school...

 

 

[cusanus]

On 11/8/2018 at 7:15 AM, gunghang said:

FBU Manila advises sending the form directly to Wilkes-Barre.

 

ssa7162.pdf

Thanks, have spent three hours trying to figure out where to mail the thing, for a friend who hasn't seen one in a year and half, but I always get one around June and send it back in the envelope provided. The address above matches my best guess after hours of digging. One other thing, the EXAMPLE link above gives no example to fill out, just a link to your jpg, nor could I find an example via Google, nor are the instructions adequate for a downloaded (blank) form, so BEWARE: I might have missed this, so check the blank square just under Question 2 (for daytime phone number) and, assuming this is a blank form you downloaded, you MUST input your social security number or it's all for naught. Hopefully, I've got this squared away now. I also see a phone number for the Wilkes Barre address above, 1-800-772-1213 where you might get quicker and more reliable feedback, if you call during the right hours. 

[Danthai]

Form SSA-7162-OCR-SM (Report to the United States Social Security Administration)

 

The form is sent from Wilkes-Barre, PA and must be completed regularly by all beneficiaries or their representative payees.

 

·        Beneficiaries with addresses in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, or APO/FPO/DPO receive the form every two years.

·        Beneficiaries in countries not mentioned above, receive the form every year.

 

The form is mailed beginning May 15^th and a follow-up letter is mailed beginning September 15^th. If the completed form is not received in Wilkes-Barre, PA by the end of the year, benefits are suspended beginning with the February payment of the following year.

 

To avoid the suspension of your benefits, complete the form as soon as you receive it, and mail it back to Wilkes-Barre, PA using the enclosed business reply envelope. Do not submit the completed form to the Federal Benefits Unit in Manila or to a U.S. Embassy/Consulate.

 

IMPORTANT: If you do not receive the form by November 1, contact us right away, preferably by e-mail.

 

Sincerely,

Social Security Administration – Federal Benefits Unit

 

Embassy of the United States of America  |  Manila, Philippines

Tel: (+ 63 2) 301-2000 option 9 

http://manila.usembassy.gov

 

Find us online at www.ssa.gov 

 

Can download form and send in if you didn't receive one.

 

 

 

 

[Pib]

This week I tried calling the SSA International Operations in Baltimore to discuss a payment issue regarding one of my family members...it's not an issue in getting paid...it's an issue in the payment amount not being correct...been over and underpayment.  Problem originally caused by a typo the Manila SS Office made during the member's application late last year.  Manila requested Baltimore correct their error and Baltimore has been working to correct the issue for months.   Some SSA issues are not easy fixes.  

 

Now I'm calling the SSA Payment Center which must be called for issues like my family member's once yout application has been approved/payments started; not the the SSA 1800 number you call for general info.  Anyway, all this week since Monday/4 Feb instead of getting their voice mail where you can leave a message or actually get a human on the line if calling "many" times, I was always getting a "this voice mail box is full" where you could not leave a message and then the number just hangs-up on you.  Dial back many times...same problem.

 

Last night/Friday/8 Feb I tried again...got the voice mail is full response on first few calls...then I thought to myself this will be my last try to call...will wait until next week to start trying again....but a human answered the phone....the person I normally talk to regarding the issue.  I got lucky.

 

Talked the family member's issue....got an update on that.  Then I said you know all the week I'v been getting a "your voice mail is full" response when calling.  The rep said Yes we've been overloaded with calls from people whose payments which were just suspended.  I said let me guess, since you are the payment center for SS beneficiaries living outside of the US who get their payments on the 3rd of each month is all the calls for people who didn't get their 3 Feb payment because they never returned the Dead or Alive form?  

 

The rep said exactly...how did you know?  I said I just guessed since the I know SSA mails out the first Deal or Alive  notice in May/Jun of each year....no response then they mail another notice in Sep....and then if no response in Jan they mail out another notice your payment is suspended...basically you will not get your Feb payment (or subsequent payments) until the person contacts SSA to prove they are still alive.  Of course, in some cases that because the person never got the form for whatever reason such as changing his foreign addresses but never notifying SSA of the address change...or if the address is correct but the notices simply got lost in the foreign mail system.

 

I expect there are folks here in Thailand making some of those calls since 3 Feb saying, "I didn't get my 3 Feb payment....my bank confirms no payment received....mySSA online account says payments are suspended, etc.....what's going on.....I need my money!!!"   And SSA responds with, We never got your Dead or Alive form back from you and we sent you several notices trying to get form back....OK, that's water under the bridge now....glad you contacted us....here's what needs to be done to fix it which is usually providing the SSA a completed Dead or Alive form like they been asking for since May/Jun of the previous year.

 

 

[mtls2005]

 

 

Related thread with a lot of good info.

[cusanus]

This is the 2nd year in a row my friend did NOT get the 7162 form. The first year, Manilla said there was no need the first year, but then her payments stopped in Feb 2018. She changed her address with SSA in 2017 before moving to Thailand, but after a few months it appeared she was not getting mail anymore. I helped her call SSA to get the address right, took four different tries and several hours because nobody seemed capable of changing it or reading it back. According the SSA per phone late Feb, it had nothing to do with this form. but they were unwilling to explain what it was really about except at first to say she had no proof of citizenship (she was born in Montana, been on disability SS for 20 years). Only reason she noticed is that Medicare sent her a bill - to the correct address, same one it should be in Thailand, so go figure. Took many calls to straighten this out. We checked over the address and she got one test mail from SSA to ensure it was still or finally correct. Then again this year she did not get her annual statement and once again no 7162 was mailed to her. She filled out a blank one with cover letter asking for an explanation as to why and confirmation, mailed it to W-B, but nothing yet, that was almost four weeks ago.  Not a clue as to what's going on with her. 

[Ron Sam]

Excuse me ! slightly different topic. _ Is there anybody know how can (or possible) I apply for SS Retirement Benefits from Thailand ?   I'm US citizen turning 66 yrs this June 2020.  I don't have US address, is that a problem ? 

 

[longball53098]

7 hours ago, Ron Sam said:

Excuse me ! slightly different topic. _ Is there anybody know how can (or possible) I apply for SS Retirement Benefits from Thailand ?   I'm US citizen turning 66 yrs this June 2020.  I don't have US address, is that a problem ? 

 

See replies in the other topic you opened

[Langsuan Man]

7 hours ago, Ron Sam said:

Excuse me ! slightly different topic. _ Is there anybody know how can (or possible) I apply for SS Retirement Benefits from Thailand ?   I'm US citizen turning 66 yrs this June 2020.  I don't have US address, is that a problem ? 

 

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/lp/landing-page-rome.html

 

Just follow their schedule, and be prepared to be able to answer a phone call from Social Security to verify your final monthly payment amount, other wise,  everything can be done via the portal.   But full disclosure:  I have a US address

 

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