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Is this relevant info for our Philippines SSA folks?

PalawOne

Social Security payments suspended for Americans abroad


Story by Hannah Bietz, 2 days ago


The Social Security Administration (SSA) has suspended payments to some Americans living abroad.


This is because they did not submit a required form called the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire. The form is needed each year to confirm eligibility for payments outside the U.S.


The suspensions impact Americans who receive Social Security benefits and have an address in another country.


According to the SSA, over 700,000 beneficiaries live in foreign countries as of December 2023. Around 59,000 live in Mexico and 2,000 in Costa Rica.


U.S. Embassies in several countries have sent out notices about the suspended payments.


The U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica stated, 鈥淚f you did not receive your February benefit payment, your benefits have been suspended.鈥 Similar messages went out to those in Mexico, Haiti, and other nations.


Not all Americans abroad are affected right away. Those under 90 who receive their own benefits and have a Social Security Number ending in 50 to 99 do not need to submit the form now.


They will get a form to complete between June and July 2025.


Social Security suspensions abroad


Those with a U.S. address on record are also not required to respond.


If your Social Security payment for February did not arrive, your benefits were likely suspended. Payments started going out on January 31, with the last ones issued by February 28. To get benefits reinstated, you must contact the Federal Benefits Unit for your country.


For Costa Rica, call 506-2519-2228 Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or email FBU.CostaRica@ssa.gov. In Mexico, email FBU.Mexico.City@ssa.gov, FBU.Guadalajara@ssa.gov, or FBU.Ciudad.Juarez@ssa.gov. Submit the appropriate Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire or confirm your compliance.


Once the unit receives the necessary documents, benefits should be reinstated within about seven business days. The SSA sends these questionnaires to beneficiaries outside the U.S. every year or two. The answers help determine ongoing eligibility for benefits.


If you do not receive the form when expected, contact the SSA or your Federal Benefits Unit.


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PalawOne

Oops, wrong web address above, here it is:

mugtech

This happens every year.

Fred

This happens every year. - @mugtech

But maybe different this time



Will anyone here lose their pension and/or be forced to give up expat life and return to the states?

Enzyte Bob

Fredie asked . . . . Will anyone here lose their pension and/or be forced to give up expat life and return to the states?


Nada . . . . Nein . . . . Nyet . . . .

Lotus Eater

@Enzyte Bob

Fredie asked . . . . Will anyone here lose their pension and/or be forced to give up expat life and return to the states?


As I understand it the British state pension for retirees in Indonesia is not price index protected unlike in the Philippines.

Presumably Fred has taken this into account. If not the replacement cost of his underwear in years to come is going to be astronomical 馃槵

bigpearl

Lotus, while Fred has undergarment issues I'm sure he has his house in order or else he couldn't catch the 300 klick train. nor the toll roads etc.

Who the hell can tell how the SSA will go with all the crap going on, now it's 100% tariffs on movies made in foreign countries,,,,,, only an opinion but I can see a heck of a lot of back peddling to try to save face simply blaming a predecessor?

Doesn't affect me as I have private super and investments in Oz, I will add that if a leader of our country bandied about the crap going on in some other country they would be hung drawn and quartered.


This is not just a threat to one country but a world wide catastrophe created by an ego and little/no thought. What the hell is next?


Very happy to live in the Philippines where we can look, laugh and daily shake our heads.


OMO.


Cheers, Steve.

Fred

@Enzyte Bob
Fredie asked . . . . Will anyone here lose their pension and/or be forced to give up expat life and return to the states?
As I understand it the British state pension for retirees in Indonesia is not price index protected unlike in the Philippines.
Presumably Fred has taken this into account. If not the replacement cost of his underwear in years to come is going to be astronomical 馃槵 - @Lotus Eater

I have too much in the bank to be bothered.

I fully intend to take the pensions, but I don't need them.

Anyway, as things are at the moment, UK pensions aren't looking shakey.

Returning to the question in hand, are US expats experiencing issues?

Cherryann01

@Enzyte Bob
Fredie asked . . . . Will anyone here lose their pension and/or be forced to give up expat life and return to the states?
As I understand it the British state pension for retirees in Indonesia is not price index protected unlike in the Philippines.
Presumably Fred has taken this into account. If not the replacement cost of his underwear in years to come is going to be astronomical 馃槵 - @Lotus Eater
I have too much in the bank to be bothered.
I fully intend to take the pensions, but I don't need them.
Anyway, as things are at the moment, UK pensions aren't looking shakey.
Returning to the question in hand, are US expats experiencing issues? - @Fred

I think the only US 色花堂s who will face issues are the ones who did not make adequate arrangements for their mail to be checked and forwarded on from whatever arrangement they set up before moving. Not sure if they will get their payments backdated when they finally complete the form though.

Enzyte Bob

Why are. . . .聽 "only non American expats" . . . .聽 so worried about us American 色花堂s?


As per cherryann01 . . . . People who file for SSDI get up to 12 months retro payments.

Lotus Eater

@Fred


I have too much in the bank to be bothered.

I fully intend to take the pensions, but I don't need them.


Silly me for not realising. I鈥檝e just checked the MSS pay grades.

danfinn

@Cherryann01

I think the only US 色花堂s who will face issues are the ones who did not make adequate arrangements for their mail to be checked and forwarded on from whatever arrangement they set up before moving. Not sure if they will get their payments backdated when they finally complete the form though.


Why? If the expat needed to have their US mail to be properly forwarded to the Philippines, then the assumption is they are still sending it to yoir USA address, meaning that you were still registered with your USA address, meaning that they will never send you the form (in the uSA) until age 95.


if your are thinking they have your Philippines address, then nothing needs to be forwarded. In that case your problem the firm not being delivered within 3 months, especially if upu live in the provinces.


Solution is to use your USA mailing address, (son/daughter etc where you live when in America), with SSA. Then, no forms required and the issue is moot.



hen the SSA would already have their Phils address.

Enzyte Bob

Lotus Eater mention Fredies Undies . . . .聽 the replacement cost of his underwear in years to come is going to be astronomical

*


Fredie replied . . . . . I have too much in the bank to be bothered.
I fully intend to take the pensions, but I don't need them.

Your undies should be eligible for a pension.

bigpearl

Extra payments for skid marks Bob?


Perhaps we should drift back to the topic.


Cheers, Steve.

Enzyte Bob

bigpearl said . . . . This is not just a threat to one country but a world wide catastrophe created by an ego and little/no thought. What the hell is next?

**

Recently the Kentucky was run, 2012 meters to the finish line. At this time Trump has covered 145 meters.


So are you going to throw away your ticket and go home?


Enzyte Bob

bigpearl said . . . .Extra payments for skid marks Bob?

***

No doubt

Fred

No doubt
- @Enzyte Bob

About the skid marks - none.

However, just a musing, but how long before Pope Trump realises US payments are being spent outside the US?

What would Fatty T will聽 do when he works that one聽 out.

I think I will create a new email acccount - rednexforrump@gmail.com - and complain that my tax money is being spent in businesses run by non whites.

bigpearl

Bob I threw the ticket away on January 6 2020 as all should have done.

Obviously a majority kept their tickets and are paying the price. Early days yet though.


OMO.


Cheers, Steve.

danfinn


Obviously a majority kept their tickets and are paying the price. Early days yet though.
OMO.

Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

Paying the price? Or finally benefiting as a nation from fair, reciprocal tariffs for the 1st time since the Marshall Plan after WWII and rebuilding a strategic manufacturing base that was outsourced to China. Trump's Liberation Day will be recognized as a major turning point but I also understand why the rest of the world hates it:


The free ride is over.

Fred

Trump's Liberation Day will be recognized as a major turning point but I also understand why the rest of the world hates it:
The free ride is over.
- @danfinn

It is a major change. The US is isolated in a way a non-American could ever have managed.

The world will soon see a day without the US trying to control everything as they fail, wither, and finally die.

The free world, that's the bits free from the US,聽 loves Trump's crappy policies.


Back to pensions - When the US goes bust, the country might very well have no money left to pay anything to anyone.

The US is only a bond yield rise away from bankruptcy, and that might very well stop your pensions. Another pretty strong possibility is the US Dollar ending up like Zimbabwean cash when they had an idiot in power.

You still get your pension, but the Dollar is at parity with the Thailand's Baht.

bigpearl

Benefiting Dan?


Not that it really affects most of us living in the Philippines but lets see what happens in 2/3 months in the US when half the shelves are empty and the stock that is in the store is far more expensive than it was 6 months ago.


Why slap tariffs on countries ie Oz that import twice as聽 from the US than we export to the US.


No point to argue as we all have our views and let's see in a few months where things end up. Originally I thought 2 to 3 years with the new US administration but given the unfolding events and ramifications? I offer less than a year now before the fit hits the shan. Time reveals all.


I also wonder how you can say imposing/implementing ridiculous tariffs will benefit the US citizen trying to live pay check to pay check. If enforced there will be no pensions and probably a bankrupt US,,,,, I know someone that is familiar with bankruptcies.


OMO.


Cheers, Steve

Enzyte Bob

bigpearl said . . . . Bob I threw the ticket away on January 6 2020 as all should have done.
Obviously a majority kept their tickets and are paying the price. Early days yet though.

****

As I mentioned before, "Nobody has lost money" unless they sold their stocks and cashed out. Those who have cashed out are day traders. Forty percent of the market volume is from day traders.


On January 20, 2021, Biden was sworn in.

bigpearl

Sorry Bob, I thought you were talking about the Kentucky derby,,,,, as for day traders? There are plenty that are extremely wealthy that know when to sell and get back in when they see the changes coming.


I just did it with transferring some funds from my super account to buy a new car and locked in at the current rate, a day later and I would have lost 20K. Swings and merry go rounds. but long term is the winner no matter the ticket you hold for us mum and dad investors with retirement in mind.


Off topic but relevant to where people stick their money no matter country and retirement options.


Cheers, Steve.

Enzyte Bob

bigpearl said . . . . as for day traders? There are plenty that are extremely wealthy that know when to sell and get back in when they see the changes coming.

**

Day Traders . . . . studies show between 70 to 90 percent lose money. Only 1 percent make significant profits.


How can a day trader know during the day when they see any changes coming?


bigpearl

Trends Bob. Watching political decisions and sentiments world wide. I also said there are plenty of extremely wealthy day traders and while I can't dispute your figures you can't say I'm wrong.

I have been playing with the stock market for 40 years and done very well, I have had a few losses, plenty of break evens and enough wins to stay interested in a boom bust industry that invested in wisely can make good money to the point of not needing a piddly pension.


My choice and happy.


Cheers, Steve.

Enzyte Bob

bigpearl . . . . Checkout out GameStop (GME) day traders and others drove the stock over $450 almost 1500% in a two week period. Today it is $26.60.

bigpearl

Not interested Bob, I have my ideas how the system works for me, You?


Cheers, Steve.