POMS Reference

This change was made on Feb 13, 2018. See latest version.
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GN 02402.313: Coding Austria Bank Data for the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)

changes
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  • Effective Dates: 07/19/2016 - Present
  • Effective Dates: 02/13/2018 - Present
  • TN 59 (11-14)
  • GN 02402.313 Coding Austria Bank Data for the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR)
  • This section describes how to code bank data for international direct deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution in Austria. Social Security Administration (SSA) stores IDD bank data on the MBR in the same fields used for United States (U.S.) direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as Austria direct deposit (IDD) and allows benefit payments to route through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Austria to the beneficiary's FI.
  • NOTE: U.S. domestic (i.e., non-border) field offices (FOs) should not attempt to process an IDD request for this country. U.S. domestic FOs must forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, Division of International Operations (OEIO, DIO) for processing (For more information on forwarding IDD information, OIO for processing (For more information on forwarding IDD information, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C).
  • A. How we receive IDD bank data
  • We receive requests to input bank data by mail, phone, or fax in the following formats:
  • * an International Direct Deposit Signup Form for Austria (SSA-SSA-1199–OPAS) (see GN 02402.313G in this section), or
  • * any document that contains the required banking information.
  • NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025.
  • B. Multi-country contract
  • The processor bank for Austria will have a prefix of 71 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN). The first letter of the Depositor Account Number (DAN) field has the letter “A” assigned for Austria.
  • C. Overview of IDD for Austria
  • IDD payments sent to Austria must be in Euro accounts at local FIs. The beneficiary must provide complete information to the Embassy/Consulate or DIO for input. DIO will fax incomplete forms to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at U.S. Embassy or Consulate that serves that territory, to contact the beneficiary or FI for additional information.
  • The beneficiary must provide complete information to DIO or the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) for input. DIO will fax incomplete forms to the FBU that serves Austria. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.
  • D. Description - Austria bank data
  • The data for coding IDD for Austria will come from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary from his or her FI. The IBAN will be 20 characters (2 letters and 18 numbers). However, the bank data reflected on the MBR will be 21 characters. Technicians will use the IBAN to derive the RTN and DAN when processing an IDD request.
  • E. Policy for coding Austrian IDD bank data
  • The FRBKC relies on SSA to provide the complete bank data to ensure correct posting of payments to a customer’s account. If the information is incomplete, the FRBKC rejects the payment and returns the funds to SSA. When establishing or changing IDD bank data for Austria, you can use an SSA system (i.e. Modernized Claims System (MCS), Manual Adjustment Credit and Award Data Entry (MACADE), etc.). However, you must go to ITS.gov to enter the full IBAN and Society for Worldwide Internet Financial Telecommunication-Business Identifier Code (SWIFT-BIC). If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA. When using ITS.gov, bank data posts to the MBR within four business days.
  • The SWIFT code consists of 8 to 11 alphanumeric characters. If only an 8-digit code is given, it refers to the primary office:
  • * First 4 characters - bank code (only letters)
  • * Next 2 characters - ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (only letters AT for Austria)
  • * Next 2 characters - location code (letters and digits)
  • * Last 3 characters - branch code, optional ('XXX' for primary office) (letters and digits)
  • 1. Initial award processing of IDD
  • Secure IBAN and SWIFT-BIC coding from the beneficiary at the time of filing. The FBU inputs an initial IDD claim if the beneficiary elects the option of direct deposit. All initial IDD claims that an FBU takes for Austria require input into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE, etc.) on the same day. You must complete all initial claims that the International Benefits Office (IBO) takes. You must input all initial claims involving Austria IDD into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE, etc.) on the same day.
  • NOTE: If there is dire need or hardship involved, advise the beneficiary of the option of initiating payment via a paper check. Inform the beneficiary that the bank may charge for cashing the check. If the beneficiary chooses the option of paper check, the FBU documents and processes the initial claim.
  • 2. Adding or updating bank data using SSA systems
  • All changes to direct deposit information for Austria require input into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. Post Entitlement Online System (POS), MACADE, etc…) on the same day. Enter all POS direct deposit changes according to normal procedures. When coding IDD bank data in an SSA system for Austria within four business days of the current operational month (COM) cutoff date, use the procedure outlined in the following chart:
  • STEP
  • ACTION
  • 1
  • Are you coding an initial claim?
  • * If yes, go to step 3.
  • * If no, go to step 2.
  • 2
  • Is the beneficiary's address on the MBR in a foreign country (PCOC = 8)? If no, STOP.
  • REASON: The MBR will not accept the International Direct Deposit (IDD) information unless the address is a foreign country.
  • If yes, go to step 3.
  • 3
  • Is the beneficiary's account a U.S. dollar account in Austria? If yes, STOP.
  • REASON: Beneficiaries in Austria can only receive IDD payments in Euro accounts.
  • If no go to step 4.
  • 4
  • Code the RTN field as follows:
  • * Start with 71, the prefix assigned to the processor bank in Austria.
  • * Code a zero (0).
  • * Code the 5-digit bank code.
  • * Code the U.S. check digit. Obtain the U.S. check digit by using the Check Digit program on Title II/Interactive Comps.
  • NOTE: The final digit is the U.S. check digit Code and is subject to change. Obtain check digit code through the Title II Interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16.
  • 5
  • Code the Type of Account as an “S” for savings or a “C” for checking. If no indicated account type, use a “C” for checking account.
  • 6
  • Code the DAN as follows:
  • * Start with a country code of “A” designated for Austria, and
  • * Code the 11 digit the account number.
  • NOTE: Be sure the Depositor Account Number contains 12 digits total.
  • 7
  • All IDD payments made in Euros must include the applicable IBAN and SWIFT/BIC codes. Technicians must code this information in ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MACADE, MCS) on the same day. Another technician is required to verify the entry on ITS.gov on the same day for the system to accept the input.
  • F. Examples- coding Austria direct deposit
  • The customer provides us with a signup form for Austria containing the following information: AT611904300234573201
  • NOTE: The first 2 characters of the IBAN are “AT”, which represents the International Organizational for Standardization (ISO) country code. The third and fourth characters of the IBAN are the IBAN check digits. The technician should never code the IBAN ISO country code or the check digit to the MBR. The next five characters represent the five-digit Bankleitzahl (bank code). The last eleven characters represent the eleven-digit account number.
  • 1. Derive the RTN as follows
  • Code the prefix of 71 (SSA designated prefix for IDD).
  • Code a zero “0”
  • Code the first digit of the branch code “19043”
  • Code the one-digit check code (i.e., 8) (obtained from the Title II interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16);
  • Code the type of account as a “C” for Checking or an “S” for Savings. If no account type indicated, use a “C” for Checking.
  • 2. Derive the DAN as follows
  • Code A, the letter assigned for Austria.
  • Code the 11-digit account number “00234573201”
  • 3. Coding in ITS.gov will reflect:
  • IBAN: AT611904300234573201 SWIFT: Full code (example: SPSPAT21XXX)
  • The technician will obtain the following:
  • RTN: 710190438
  • Checking
  • DAN: A00234573201
  • The coding in an SSA System will reflect:
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 710190438
  • ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C
  • DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: A00234573201
  • CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):
  • DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):
  • The MBR will reflect the following information:
  • RTN- 710190438 DAN- CA00234573201
  • G. Exhibit - IDD enrollment form for Austria
  • Select SSA-1199-OPAS below to view in pdf.
  •  View PDF Version