SOCIAL SECURITY IN MANILA

[Yeochief]

Beware if you are going through Social Security at the U. S. Embassy. I'm blessed and don't need the money at this time. For those that are counting on the money, you might want to figure out a different way to apply. I sent the below to contact the white house.

I started my process to get my social security back in October 2020. I tried to get it started before I moved to the Philippines at the end of July 2020, was told I had to wait until October 2020. That is when I sent an email to social security at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. They set up a phone meeting with me in December 2020. As the below states my social security should have started in March 2021, with my birth date being 5 February 1959. Now as of 15 April 2021 I'm being told by social security in Manila, it is going to be 4 to 5 months longer, so at 5 months out, September 2021, that will be a year since I started trying to get my social security.

Thank you for contacting the Social Security Administration's Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

***********

Good afternoon sir,

As previously advised, your claim is pending in head office for adjudication.

Your payment will be retroactively paid from your month of entitlement which is Mar 2021.

You need to wait for the notice of decision by mail within the next 4-5 months.

Thank you.

[Old55]

My gosh something is very wrong. That is ridiculous!

Have you attempted to activate your benefit online using the My IRS portal? It took us ten minutes. We then were interviewed via phone a week later. Done.  

[Yeochief]

41 minutes ago, Old55 said:

My IRS

I tired using my Social Security | SSA, but since I moved here back in August 2020, I have had no luck being able to log in.  I'm not hurting for the money right now and don't expect to.  I just want the information put out so if someone is counting on the money and they go through social security Manila, they are not surprised.  When I talked to social security in Manila, I was told four to five months, I guess that is a standard answer they give.  Before when I contacted the white house, I did get results, only time will tell now.

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Yeochief

[Old55]

My bad. I confused the issue we go to Social Security through the IRS portal.

[roddavis]

3 hours ago, Old55 said:

My bad. I confused the issue we go to Social Security through the IRS portal.

I've only gone thru the SocSec Portal MySocialSecurity.  Did online(suggest 3 months before 62nd birthday) Had my money 1 month after birthday. No calls

just a couple emails, done! Never used SSA in Manila!   https://www.ssa.gov/

[Yeochief]

15 hours ago, roddavis said:

I've only gone thru the SocSec Portal MySocialSecurity. 

For some reason, once I moved to the Philippines in August 2020 I could not log in.  When it came time for social security to send me my security code, I never did get an email from them.  I added the no-reply address to my contacts and still nothing.  The young lady I talked to at social security international last night (15 April 2021) said that is a common issue with folks living overseas.  This morning I filled out a form on social security wedsite service desk and explained my situation, hopefully I will get a reply with a solution.  I sent my first email 4 months out to social security Manila, got a reply in a couple of days stating my phone interview was the second week of December 2020, the interview was on time and submitted all the information they requested.  Now my paper work is at the social security international office in Maryland.  The young lady I talked to said it normally takes over 6 months to process the paper work.  

[roddavis]

5 hours ago, Yeochief said:

For some reason, once I moved to the Philippines in August 2020 I could not log in.  When it came time for social security to send me my security code, I never did get an email from them. 

Sounds like a problem of not using a VPN. Seems most places in the US don't like logins from overseas because of phishing/hacking reasons. VPN enables 

you to look like you are login in from somewhere in the US depending from what server location is. Banks and such are notorious for this!

[Yeochief]

2 hours ago, roddavis said:

VPN

I use a VPN.

[Joey G]

Not sure about VPN's or what the US government sites check for.... my experience is... using an iPhone and a cellular connection I was able to access US government websites in the Visayas... if I used the wireless connection in the house, couldn't get anything through.

[OnMyWay]

On 4/16/2021 at 9:33 AM, Yeochief said:

For some reason, once I moved to the Philippines in August 2020 I could not log in.  When it came time for social security to send me my security code, I never did get an email from them.  I added the no-reply address to my contacts and still nothing.  The young lady I talked to at social security international last night (15 April 2021) said that is a common issue with folks living overseas.  This morning I filled out a form on social security wedsite service desk and explained my situation, hopefully I will get a reply with a solution.  I sent my first email 4 months out to social security Manila, got a reply in a couple of days stating my phone interview was the second week of December 2020, the interview was on time and submitted all the information they requested.  Now my paper work is at the social security international office in Maryland.  The young lady I talked to said it normally takes over 6 months to process the paper work.  

Unfortunately, I think SS support in Manila and in the U.S. is a mess due to Covid.  Hopefully they get you set up soon and you get a nice fat retro check!  You are having it deposited to a U.S. bank, correct?

I had to apply for SS in person here in the Philippines because I was also applying for my 2 kids at the same time, which requires a personal appearance.  Luckily, back then, the Embassy was still doing outreaches here in Subic, so we met face to face here and it was painless.  I hope they start the outreaches up again by next year because one of my daughters has to get her U.S. passport renewed, which also requires a personal appearance.