TN 24 (04-18)

A. Introduction - Processing remittances received outside the field office

Out-of-office representatives issue manual receipts in resident stations, contact stations, or on field visits when access to the Social Security Administration (SSA) systems is unavailable.

B. Procedure for contact station or field visit

When remote access to the Debt Management System (DMS) is available, via Virtual Private Network (VPN), for example, access the Field Office Remittance Input (RFOR) screen and provide a receipt to the remitter. Hand carry or mail the remittance to the field office (FO). The FO mails the remittance to the Mid-Atlantic Program Service Center (MATPSC) for deposit following regular remittance handling procedures. (See Overview of Field Office Remittance Process, GN 02403.001.)

When the FO receives the remittance, request the Field Office Remittance Transmittal (FORT) (see MS DMS 004.008) for the receipt issue date, line out the previously mailed remittances on the FORT, attach the remittance(s) received from the remote site, and mail to the MATPSC Remittance Accounting Unit (RAU).

When issuing manual receipts, process remittances as follows:

REMINDER: This procedure can be adapted to in-office receipting activities during periods of emergency. (See FO Automated Receipt, GN 02403.007C.)

1. Issuer

Issue a Receipt Book to the out-of-office representative designated to issue receipts. Complete a Receipt Book Log as described in GN 02403.105.

2. Out-of-Office representative

When you receive a remittance, follow these procedures:

1. Examine the payment per instructions in GN 02403.005.

2. Is the payment acceptable?

   • If yes, stamp “For Deposit Only, SSA” or “For Deposit Only, CMS,” as appropriate, and go to step c; or

   • If no, return the unacceptable remittance to the remitter and request a replacement. STOP.

3. Complete Form SSA-1395-BK (Manual Receipt) receipt per instructions in GN 02403.130. Write “Issued in Field” in the “REMITTANCE CLERK” block and give the Remitter Copy of the receipt to the remitter.

4. Enter the information from the SSA-1395-BK receipt into the automated system immediately upon return to the FO. Enter the SSA-1395-BK receipt number in the "Remittance ID" field.

   REFERENCES: For instructions on how to obtain an automated receipt, see MS DMS 003.006 and MS DMS 003.007.

5. Attach the automated FO receipt to the SSA-1395-BK receipt and enter the automated receipt's number on the SSA-1395-BK receipt (original and copies) in the upper right corner.

6. Hand carry the refund to the remittance clerk.

7. Return the SSA-1395-BK Receipt Book and the automated receipt to the issuer.

8. If the remittance clerk or issuer is unavailable, store the documents overnight in a secure location. Present them to the remittance clerk or issuer as soon as possible the next business day.

For more details concerning remittances received after requesting the FORT, see GN 02403.025.

3. Issuer

Review the SSA-1395-BK, Receipt Book, to ensure that all receipts issued include the correct automated receipt number.

• If yes, have the out-of-office representative sign his or her initials in the “REP INITIALS” block on the Receipt Book Log. Write the receipt numbers used in the Receipt Book Log; or

• If no, have the out-of-office representative make any corrections to the entries in the Receipt Book Log.

NOTE: Retain the FO automated receipts for the FO annual management review.

4. Remittance clerk/Remittance supervisor

Complete the refund process.

REFERENCE: See Processing Remittances Received in the FO, in subsection GN 02403.006A.

C. Procedure for resident station

Process refunds received in a resident station without access to SSA Systems as follows:

• If there is sufficient staff to designate a remittance clerk in the resident station, follow procedures in GN 02403.006; and

• When DMS becomes available, enter the remittance information.

1. Resident station employee

Follow these procedures:

1. Examine the payment per instructions in GN 02403.005. For cash payments received outside the FO, follow the procedures in GN 02403.009 upon return to the FO.

2. Is payment acceptable?

   • If yes, stamp “For Deposit Only, SSA” or “For Deposit Only, CMS,” as appropriate, and go to step c.

   • If no, return unacceptable remittance to remitter and request a replacement. STOP.

3. Complete an SSA-1395-BK receipt per instructions in GN 02403.130. Annotate the “REMITTANCE CLERK” block of the remitter’s copy “Issued in Field,” and give a copy of the receipt to the remitter.

4. Mail daily, or hand carry the next business day, the remittance and the original SSA-1395-BK receipt to the resident FO.

• If hand carried to the parent FO, enter the remittance and SSA-1395-BK receipt number into DMS immediately upon arrival in the parent FO. Associate the automated FO receipt with the SSA-1395-BK receipt by entering the automated receipt number on the SSA-1395-BK receipt in the upper right corner of the FO receipt.

  REFERENCE: For instructions on how to obtain an automated FO receipt, see MS DMS 003.006 and MS DMS 003.007.

• If the remittance clerk is unavailable, notify management so that the book and refund(s) can be stored in a secure location and give to the remittance clerk or designated personnel the next day.

2. Designated personnel

If mailed to the resident FO, FO management will designate authorized FO personnel to enter remittance and SSA-1395-BK receipt number into DMS. Associate the automated FO receipt with the remittance and SSA-1395-BK receipt before presenting to the remittance clerk.

3. Resident station employee/Designated personnel

Return the original SSA-1395-BK receipt with the automated receipt to the Resident Station and submit the remittance to the remittance clerk.

4. Remittance clerk/Remittance supervisor

Complete the remittance process.

REFERENCE: Processing Remittances Received in the FO in subsection GN 02403.006A.

5. Resident station employee

Is a verified copy of the SSA-1395-BK receipt and the FO automated receipt received from the FO within a week?

• If yes, file the returned original copy of the SSA-1395-BK receipt in the Receipt Book and file the FO automated receipt in a secured area.

• If no, call remittance clerk in resident FO and initiate lost-in-transit procedures in GN 02403.155, if necessary.

Return the completed receipt book, including the original SSA-1395-BK receipts, and the related automated receipts to the resident FO for review.

6. Issuer

Verify the completed SSA-1395-BK Receipt Book following the instructions in GN 02403.135.

IMPORTANT: These procedures can be adapted for other types of remittances as follows:

• GN 02403.012 Processing Fees Received in the Field Office (FO)

• GN 02403.011 Processing Money Gifts Received in the Field Office

• GN 02403.006 Processing Remittances Received in the Field Office

• GN 02403.015 Processing Savings Bonds Received as Conserved Funds in the FO

• GN 02403.030 Processing Medicare Premium Remittances Received in the FO

• GN 02403.040 Processing Returned Medicare Contractor's Checks and Medicare Overpayment Refunds Received in the FO