TN 6 (10-03)

A. Policy

1. Canadian Benefits

When a person files an application for Canadian benefits in one of the designated border offices listed in GN 01715.320, that office is responsible for verifying certain eligibility factors for Canada and transmitting a liaison package to the Canadian agency in Ottawa and/or Quebec City.

2. U.S. Totalization Benefits

When a person files an application for U.S. Totalization benefits under the Canadian agreement in a designated border office and has at least 6 U.S. quarters of coverage (QC's) but not enough to be insured, the office should request a record of the worker's Canadian coverage from the appropriate Canadian agency. The record of Canadian coverage is requested using either form SSA-2960-CA or SSA-2960-QC (see GN 01715.330).

B. Procedure - Canadian Benefits

Process claims for Canadian benefits filed in designated border offices according to the following table:

C. Procedure - U.S. Totalization Claims

Process claims for U.S. Totalization benefits filed in designated border offices according to the following instructions:

1. Enter the claim into the modernized claims system (MCS).

2. Process the initial insured-status denial.

3. Request the Canadian coverage record by completing SSA-2960-CA or SSA-2960-QC via the Totalization Data Collection Program.

   • Use the border office's customized transmittal form SSA-2960-CA or SSA-2960-QC.

   • Mail correspondence from the USA directly to the New Brunswick office to the following address:

     Service Canada
     P.O. Box 250 STN A
     FREDERICTON NB E3B 4Z6
     CANADA

   • Fax correspondence from the USA to the following fax numbers:

     • Canada (New Brunswick) 506-452-3415

     • Quebec 514-873-1811

     • Ottawa – 613-952-8901

   • Faxes sent from the USA (i.e. urgent SSA liaison responses, and non-urgent requests) should be faxed directly to the New Brunswick office fax number above.

   • Continue to fax the Ottawa office, only if the fax is in response to a Canadian Liaison request originating from Ottawa. Also, if the information needed from Canada is an urgent request, contact the Ottawa Office at the fax number above.

   • Diary the request for 3 months.

   • Canada will send response by mail.

   • If your request is marked “2nd Request,” Canada will respond by fax. Be sure to wait 3 months before sending 2nd request.

   • Diary the 2nd request for 30 days.

   • If your request is a “3rd Request,” Canada will respond by fax. Be sure to wait 30 days before sending the 3rd request.

   • Diary the 3rd request for 15 days.

   • Contact Ottawa/Quebec directly for any special problems.

   NOTE: Only mark requests as “Urgent” if the claimant is terminal, in dire need, or no response has been received after the 3rd request. Send requests for Canada (New Brunswick and Ottawa) to the Ottawa Office at the above fax number. If request is for Quebec, send to Quebec at the above fax number.

4. After receiving the Canadian coverage record, determine if Totalization insured status is met using the Totalization Insured Status Worksheet available on the Intranet at http://eis.ba.ssa.gov/eis/misc/resource-kits/resourcekits.htm .

5. If yes, compute the Totalization primary insurance amount (PIA) and the monthly benefit amount (MBA) using the online computation available through the Title II Inter Active Computation Screen.

6. Reenter the claim into MCS using the Automated SSA-101 process (see MSOM MCS 014.001 ). Add pertinent Totalization information as well as relevant paragraphs and remarks.

7. MCS will not allow clearance of the claim for U.S. Totalization until the path for the SSA-2490 is entered. Complete the first (FINF) screen and print that screen.

8. Complete form e4962, “Totalization Data Collection Form” (see GN 01703.710).

9. Transmit the claim electronically and also mail the A-101 supporting documentation using the special routing form available at http://eis.ba.ssa.gov/eis/misc/resource-kits/resourcekits.htm to the appropriate mod in OIO at the following address:

   Social Security Administration
   OIO Totalization
   P.O. Box 17769
   Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7769

D. Procedure - Exceptions to Automated SSA-101 Processing

The following types of claims for U.S. Totalization benefits cannot be processed in designated border offices:

• Claims involving railroad coverage;

• Insured status disallowances where the worker is not insured after U.S. and foreign coverage are combined;

• Totalization status code (TSC): E-2 claims - worker attains insured status based solely on U.S. coverage, but existing Totalization PIA is higher than non-Totalization PIA;

• Claims that are MCS exclusions; and

• Claims involving the windfall elimination provision (WEP) that have a month of entitlement prior to 1/95.

These claims for U.S. Totalization benefits should be sent to OIO at the address shown in GN 01715.325C for processing.

E. References

• Application for Canadian benefits, GN 01715.220

• Designated border offices, GN 01715.320

• Completion of Forms SSA-2960-CA and SSA-2960-QC, GN 01715.330

• Requesting U.S. earnings records for Canadian claims, GN 01715.210E.4.

• Verifying eligibility factors for Canada, GN 01715.225C.

• Automated SSA-101 process, MSOM MCS 014.001

• Completing e4962, GN 01703.710