SSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I apply for benefits?

You can apply for the following benefits online. It is fast and easy:

Retirement at www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement
Disability at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability
Medicare Only at www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare

The online hours of operation are:

Weekdays 5:00 AM – 1:00 AM Eastern Time (ET)
Saturday 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM ET
Sunday 8:00 AM – 11:30 PM ET
Holidays 5:00 AM – 1:00 AM ET

If you are unable to apply for benefits online, contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: Apply for Social Security Benefits)

How do I apply for a Social Security Number (SSN)?

Please visit our Social Security Number (SSN) page.

How do I mail original documents to the Federal Benefits Unit?

If you were instructed by our office to submit original documents, we recommend that you send them via courier service with tracking capability. For the secure return of your documents, you may provide us with a pre-paid return label issued by a courier service provider. Otherwise, we will return the original documents to you using our mail service provider.

If you reside outside the Philippines and do not wish to send the original documents to our office, you can have them certified at a U.S. Embassy/Consulate. You should schedule an appointment with the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy/Consulate servicing your area. On your appointment, present the original documents to the Consular Staff and inform them that you need certified copies of the documents for a federal benefits / Social Security application. The Consular Staff will give you certified copies of the documents, which you will then mail to our office.

Please do not mail any original documents to the Social Security Administration’s Central Office in Baltimore, Maryland. Our office cannot guarantee the safe return of any documents mailed to Baltimore.

How do I report a change of address?

To report a change of address contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: Change of Address)

If you are moving from the U.S. to a foreign country, you must submit a completed and signed Form SSA-21.

NOTE: Until you actually apply for benefits, our office does not keep your current address on record. The address provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is used by the Social Security Administration in mailing your Social Security Statement. Your address will be automatically updated when you file your next U.S. tax return. Alternatively, you can correct your address by completing IRS Form 8822 and mailing it to IRS.

How do I enroll in Direct Deposit or change my bank information?

If you have a bank account in the U.S., contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: Change of Bank) and provide the following:

Your Full Name:
Your Social Security Number (SSN):
Name and Address of your U.S. Bank:
Your U.S. Bank Account Number:
Your U.S. Bank Account Routing Transit Number:
Type of Account (Savings or Checking):

If you wish to receive your benefits in a foreign bank account, contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: Change of Bank) and provide the following:

Your Full Name:
Your Social Security Number (SSN):
Name and Address of the Financial Institution:
Bank Account Number:
SWIFT Code:
Type of Account (Savings or Checking):

NOTE: You may be required to submit a Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form if the banking information provided is incomplete.

How do I report non-receipt of payment?

You must wait until the 25^th of the month to report the non-receipt of paper checks. We cannot take action until this date. If you receive your payments via direct deposit, please contact the bank first. You can contact us if the payment has not reached your bank account by the 10^th of the month.

IMPORTANT: If you did not receive a payment starting in the month of February of any year, your payments may have been suspended due to the non-receipt of the Report to the Social Security Administration.

Each year, some beneficiaries are required to complete the Annual Report Form (SSA-7161 or SSA-7162). Depending on the country where you reside, the form is sent every year or every other year. The forms are initially mailed in June, and follow-up notices are sent in October.

The purpose of the form is to ensure that SSA has your correct address and telephone number, and that circumstances affecting benefit payments have been reported. Each form is sent with a return envelope to an SSA facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The completed form must be mailed to the following appropriate address.

Form SSA-7161 Mailing Address:
Social Security Administration
P.O. Box 7161
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7161
U.S.A.

Form SSA-7162 Mailing Address:
Social Security Administration
P.O. Box 7162
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7162
U.S.A.

How do I report the death of a beneficiary?

You may contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: Report of Death) to report the death of a beneficiary.

You should also provide a Death Certificate; however, you need not wait for the Death Certificate to be available before reporting the death of beneficiary. The death of the beneficiary must be reported as soon as possible to prevent overpayments which must be repaid. Any payments sent the month after the beneficiary’s death must be returned to the Social Security Administration.

You will be contacted if there are benefits due to survivors.

How do I apply to become a Representative Payee for incapable beneficiaries?

If a beneficiary has become incapable of managing benefits, contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: All Other Requests) to request for a Form SSA-787, which must be completed by a physician.

Information for representative payees and their obligations can be found here.

How do I terminate or enroll in Medicare?

If you wish to cancel or terminate Medicare Part B, submit a completed and signed Form CMS-1763. Alternatively, you may submit a written request stating your full name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number (SSN), signature, and a clear statement of your intention to terminate Medicare Part B.

If you previously terminated Medicare Part B and wish to re-enroll, please visit this link for the enrollment periods available to you. Generally, you can enroll in Medicare Part B from January 1 to March 31 of every year. You will need to submit a completed and signed Form CMS-40B.

You may contact us via our FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: All Other Requests) if you have not applied for social security benefits yet but want to apply for Medicare Only.

How do I request a Social Security Statement or other Proof of Past U.S. Earnings?

You can obtain your Social Security Statement online if you have a mySocialSecurity account. You can create a mySocialSecurity account:

Online through our website https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount;
By visiting in-person any Social Security Administration field office in the United States or the Federal Benefits Unit servicing your country. You will find a list of countries and the contact information of the Federal Benefits Unit servicing each country here. If you will visit the Federal Benefits Unit in Manila, you should request for an appointment via our online FBU Inquiry Form (Inquiry Reason: My Social Security (mySSA) account); or,
Through an authorized external Identity Service Provider (ISP) such as Login.gov or ID.me.

If you will register online through the Social Security website or in-person, you must provide a U.S. mailing address that matches with the information on our internal or external records. If you only have a foreign address, you can still try to create a mySocialSecurity account by choosing ID.me as a sign-in option and creating an account through their portal.

A mySocialSecurity account allows you to:

Keep track of your earnings and verify them every year;
Obtain an estimate of your future benefits if you are still working;
Obtain a letter with proof of benefits you are currently receiving; and
Manage your benefits:
Change your address
Start or change your Direct Deposit; and
Obtain a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S

If you are unable to establish a mySocialSecurity account, you can receive your Social Security Statement by completing Form SSA-7004 and mailing it to:

Social Security Administration
Wilkes Barre Data Operations Center
P.O. Box 7004
Wilkes Barre, PA 18767-7004

Please allow up to four months to receive a response to your request.

How do I obtain a Detailed Earnings Record (for other pensions or to prove citizenship)?

You can request for a detailed earnings record by completing Form SSA-7050-F4 and mailing it together with the applicable fees to:

Social Security Administration
P.O. Box 33011
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-33011

You can visit this link for the instructions and updated fees. The Division of Earnings Record Operations is the only component that is authorized to complete this information. Please allow up to six months to receive a response to your request.

How do I estimate my future retirement benefits?

You may estimate your future benefits by using SSA’s online tool available here.

U.S. Embassy in the
Philippines