Ask the Consul – Do you get Social Security benefits?

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Every year, during the month of July, the Social Security Administration contacts those beneficiaries that have an address in the Dominican Republic by traditional mail for the purpose of verifying and updating their records in the system. Form SSA-7161 and/or SSA-7162 are mailed from the Social Security office in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The form must be filled in and returned in original with the envelope that has been included for those purposes. The envelope is pre-addressed with the destination where the form should be sent.

If we do not receive the original form sent, for any reason, before the end of the current year with complete responses, your Social Security benefits will be suspended. If your benefits are interrupted by not returning the questionnaire, then you will find out about it in the February of the following year. Under these circumstances, you should contact the Federal Benefits Unit to re-establish your benefits and payments, a process that may take up to 45 days or more.

If you do not receive the questionnaire by mail, you can obtain it from our web page, specifically in the link FOREIGN ENFORCEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (FEQ) – SSA-7161 AND SSA-7162.

You can print it and send a copy via email to sjregion@ssa.gov. Send the completed form to the appropriate address below:

– Submit Form SSA-7161 to: Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 7161, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7161.

– Submit Form SSA-7162 to: Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 7162, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18767-7162

The Federal Benefits Unit only attends the public through appointments. Please, schedule an appointment or for more information, visit our website, www.EmbajadaUSA.gov.do.

If you have more inquiries about any topic related to Social Security, please go to the “US Citizens” tab where you will find the “Social Security and Veterans Benefits” section. In the “Contact Us” segment you will find instructions on how to use our online form for your inquiries. Please note that the inquiry form is different from either of the forms we send by traditional mail in July.