TN 34 (08-08)

Poland (along with Hungary and Panama) requires more digits than are available in SSA’s direct deposit (RTN and DAN) fields. Full information must be on the International Treasury Services website (ITS.gov ) so the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) can add the extra digits before sending the payments to Poland’s banks. Only a small number of banks in Poland can accommodate SSA’s International Direct Deposit (IDD) payments. All IDD payments to Poland go to U.S. dollar accounts. Procedures vary according to the office that receives the IDD request. IDD enrollment forms in Polish and English are included at (GN 02402.340G) in this section.

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, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C).

A. Introduction to coding Polish bank data

This section describes how to code bank data for direct deposit of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Poland. The bank data is on the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR) in the same fields that we use for U.S. direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as International Direct Deposit (IDD) for Poland and allows benefit payments to be routed through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the contractor bank (Citibank) to the beneficiary's FI.

The data for IDD coding may come from a check, a signup form for Poland (available in Polish or English at GN 02402.340G.), or the equivalent information received by mail, phone, fax, or email.

NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025.

B. Policy for IDD to Poland

1. Currency for IDD to Poland

SSA sends IDD payments for Poland only to U.S. dollar (USD) accounts. SSA does not send payments by IDD to a Polish zloty account at this time.

2. Acceptable banks for IDD to Poland

To avoid problems with banks that cannot handle IDD, SSA limits IDD in Poland to banks the Federal Benefit Unit (FBU) has determined can handle the IDD processes. The FBU has identified the following banks:

1020     PKO Bank Polski SA

1030     Bank Handlowy w Warszawie SA (Citibank Handlowy)

1060     Bank BPH SA (formerly BPH-PBK)

1240     Bank Pekao SA

2030     Bank BGZ SA

The Warsaw FBU does not accept enrollments for other banks in Poland at this time. Although the FBU expects that these are the only banks that can handle SSA's IDD, the FBU investigates any other banks that ask to be on the list, to see if they can process SSA's IDD payments. When any additional banks become able to process SSA’s IDD payments, the FBU plans to accept enrollments from those banks.

C. Description of Polish bank data

1. The IBAN code

The IDD coding for Polish bank data uses the International Bank Account Number (IBAN), which consists of 28 characters, as follows:

• PL, the IBAN code for international payments to Poland;

• 2 check digits;

• An 8-digit bank and branch code (This must have all 8 digits.); and

• A 16-digit account number. (This must have all 16 digits.)

2. Polish bank data on the MBR and ITS.gov

Because there are not enough total spaces in the Routing and Transit Number (RTN) and the Depositor Account Number (DAN) fields on the MBR, only a portion of the full IBAN code goes on the MBR. However, the full IBAN code must be on the website for the International Treasury Services (ITS.gov ), a Department of the Treasury Internet-based program used by FRBKC for IDD.

D. Process for applying Polish bank data

1. Applying Polish bank data to the MBR

The FBU in Warsaw or DIO keys the complete bank data to ITS.gov . The International Treasury Service then sends a portion of the bank data to SSA through Automated Enrollment (Quick$tart). SSA's MBR doesn’t have enough spaces in the RTN and DAN fields to accept all of the IBAN code for Poland, so some of the data doesn’t go to the MBR.

When the cutoff for direct deposit is near, the FBU or DIO codes the full data for ITS.gov and the correct data for the MBR.

2. Applying the remainder of the bank data before payment

When a payment for Poland arrives, FRBKC checks the payment against the information for that beneficiary on ITS.gov . If the information matches, FRBKC adds the remaining characters to complete the IBAN. If the information doesn’t match, FRBKC sends the payment information to the FBU to resolve the discrepancy.

E. Procedures for coding routing and account numbers for International Direct Deposit (IDD) to Poland

Use this chart to determine which instructions to follow:

1. Instructions for the FBU in Poland, or OEIO

2. Instructions for an FBU outside Poland

3. Instructions if you are in an FO or RO in the U.S.

F. Examples of coding Polish direct deposit to the MBR

1. Example 1

Five days before the direct deposit cutoff, the FBU in Warsaw receives a completed enrollment form for a USD checking account at a bank in Poland that is on the acceptable list. The IBAN is as follows:

PL 12 1240 1125 1787 0000 1234 5678

The FBU technician codes the full information on ITS.gov , but does not need to code directly to the MBR because it isn’t within three days of the cutoff. In three days, the following information appears on the MBR:

RTN: 701240114

DAN: CE2517870000123456

(The system has placed the C in the DAN field because the FBU selected “Checking” in “Type of Account.” The technician must never code a C or S for checking or savings at the beginning of the DAN field.)

2. Example 2

Three days before the cutoff date for direct deposit, OEIO receives an enrollment form from Mr. L in Poland. The form, from one of the banks the FBU has approved for IDD to Poland, contains the following information:

The DIO technician codes the full IBAN information to ITS.gov and then begins the coding on SSA's direct deposit screens. She begins the RTN field with 70, skips PL and the two check digits (12), then codes the first six digits of the Bank-Branch Code (124010). She adds the U.S. check digit (1) at the end, making the RTN 701240101.

The technician then begins the DAN field with E, the country code for Poland with the contractor bank that uses 70 as the prefix at the front of the RTN field. Next, she adds the final two digits of the Bank-Branch Code (37). She finishes with the first 14 digits of the Account Number (12345678901234).

The DAN is now E3712345678901234.

3. Example 3

DIO receives a letter from a beneficiary in Poland asking to have her direct deposit changed to a USD account at Bank PEKAO SA. The IBAN is given as the following:

PL 23 1240 1024 1787 0010 1234 5678.

DIO notes that it is very near the cutoff date for direct deposit. The technician begins with the SSA direct deposit screens, so the IDD information will be on the MBR in time for the cutoff.

• RTN: The technician begins the RTN with 70, the contractor's prefix for Poland, then he skips over the first four characters of the IBAN (PL23), and follows the 70 with the next six digits (124010). This makes the RTN 70124010, so far. The technician adds the check digit of 1, so the full RTN is 701240101.

• DAN: The technician places an E at the start of the DAN field, to show this is for Poland. He skips over PL (23) and the digits he has already coded. He codes the next 16 digits (2417870010123456). The DAN is now E2417870010123456.

After transmitting the information to the MBR, he codes the full information on ITS.gov .

4. Example 4

The FBU in Warsaw receives a completed form from Mr. G. The bank is not one of the banks with which the FBU has arranged to start IDD to Poland. The FBU investigates and finds that this bank is not able to accept IDD. The FBU calls Mr. G and explains that we are not able to accept enrollments for that bank and lists the banks to choose from. Mr. G then gives the FBU the information for his account at PKO Bank Polski SA. The FBU completes the coding.

5. Example 5

DIO receives an enrollment request from Ms. W to have IDD to a zloty account at her bank in Poland. DIO returns the enrollment form with an explanation to Ms. W that we are sending payments only to USD accounts in Poland. DIO includes a new form and tells Ms. W to send a completed form to the FBU in Warsaw if she has a USD account.

6. Example 6

Mr. V, who lives in Poland, is visiting his sister in the U.S. His sister talks him into requesting direct deposit to his U.S. dollar bank account in Poland. She takes him to her servicing FO in Huntington Park, California, where the service representative checks the bank data he gives her and sees that this is an approved bank for IDD. The service representative asks if Mr. V can read English, and he says he would prefer the form in Polish, if possible. She prints both form SSA-1199-PO and form SSA-1199-PO-OP1, so she can use the English translation to assist, if necessary. Mr. V completes and signs the Polish language form. After reviewing it to be sure it has all the necessary information, the service representative faxes the completed form to OEIO’s paperless fax number.

G. Exhibit of the IDD enrollment form for Poland

You can print the Polish version of the enrollment form for Poland, SSA-1199-PO, or the English version for Poland, SSA-1199-PO-OP1 from here. The form is also available from the FBU or OEIO, in Polish or English.

Form SSA-1199-PO-OP1 (English Version)

Form SSA-1199–PO (Polish)

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