TN 8 (02-97)

A. BACKGROUND

Generally, no payments have been made to, or on behalf of, beneficiaries in Russia 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 access assurance through the Department of State.

SSA has now received assurance of free access to beneficiaries in Russia (i.e., the Russian Federation). This permits the payment of benefits to beneficiaries (as shown in RS 02650.260C.) in Russia.

The Russian authorities have not given SSA assurance of free access to vital statistics records. This affects the payment of benefits to the extent that payments or entitlement depends on such documents. (See GN 00307.787 for information on Russian documents).

B. WHEN TO USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

The information in RS 02650.260 - RS 02650.272 applies only to beneficiaries in Russia (i.e., the Russian Federation) AND NOT TO BENEFICIARIES IN ANY OTHER FORMER REPUBLIC OF THE SOVIET UNION.

NOTE: Although “Russia” was commonly used to refer to the former Soviet Union, Russia as used in this instruction refers only to the Russian Federation.

C. POLICY - WHO CAN BE PAID BENEFITS

SSA can now pay benefits to individuals in Russia.

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 02650.264 for information on establishing U.S. citizenship); or

• Aliens who meet an exception to the alien nonpayment provisions (see RS 02650.260D. 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 United States for 6 consecutive calendar months.

D. POLICY - ALIEN NONPAYMENT PROVISIONS

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

Russian 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, Russian 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: Russian 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 Russia from July 1968 through December 1991, did not meet the requirements of the Social Security law. The social insurance system in effect in Russia after 1991 has not been evaluated by SSA.

E. PROCEDURE

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