TN 9 (04-97)

A. BACKGROUND

Generally, no payments have been made to, or on behalf of, beneficiaries in Armenia since 1951. Until June 1968, Treasury Department regulations prohibited the release of U.S. Government checks to individuals in the Soviet Union. Although the restriction was lifted in June 1968, SSA could not pay benefits to anyone in the Soviet Union because the Soviet authorities would not give SSA assurance of free access to beneficiaries and records in that country.

When the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a political entity, SSA renewed its efforts to obtain the needed assurance of access through the DOS.

SSA has now received assurance of free access to beneficiaries and to vital statistics records in Armenia. This permits the payment of benefits to beneficiaries (as shown in RS 02650.140B.) in Armenia.

B. POLICY - WHO CAN BE PAID BENEFITS

SSA can now pay benefits to individuals in Armenia.

Assuming that they meet all the requirements for entitlement in the applicable months, benefits can be paid from the month they were suspended to the following beneficiaries:

• U.S. citizens and nationals (see RS 02650.144 for information on establishing U.S. citizenship); or

• Aliens who meet an exception to the alien nonpayment provisions (see RS 02650.140C. for a discussion of the alien nonpayment provisions in these cases).

Aliens who do not meet an exception to the alien nonpayment provisions cannot receive benefits for any month after they have been outside the U.S. for 6 consecutive calendar months.

C. POLICY - ALIEN NONPAYMENT PROVISIONS

The alien nonpayment provisions differ depending on the period under consideration.

Armenian citizens cannot meet the social insurance (code 6), 10-years-residence (code 3) or 40-quarters-of-coverage (code 4) exception to the alien nonpayment provisions for any month after June 1968.

To receive benefits after they have been outside the U.S. for more than 6 consecutive calendar months, Armenian citizens must meet one of the other exceptions discussed in RS 02610.010, and where applicable, the 5-year residence requirement discussed in RS 02610.025.

NOTE: Armenian citizens cannot meet the code 6, code 3 or code 4 exception because the social insurance system of the Soviet Union, which was in effect in Armenia from July 1968 through December 1991, did not meet the requirements of the Social Security law. SSA has not evaluated the social insurance system in effect in Armenia after 1991.

D. PROCEDURE

Refer to DIPPA, OIP (by a route slip or similar form) all claims for benefits that accrued for months prior to July 1968.