TN 7 (06-04)

A. Background

Persons in Quebec Province may file for U.S. benefits with the Quebec liaison agency. When a person filing for a pension from the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) indicates that he or she has U.S. coverage but is not old enough to file for U.S. benefits, the Quebec liaison agency sends the person a letter advising him or her to recontact the liaison agency within 4 months of reaching the U.S. age requirement. The Quebec liaison agency also telephones the person within 1 year of reaching the U.S. age requirement to remind him or her about applying for the U.S. benefit.

B. Process – Quebec agency

When taking a claim for U.S. benefits, the Bureau des Ententes de Sécurité Sociale (BESS) will:

§ Obtain the appropriate SSA paper application form(s) (e.g., SSA-1) and secure any necessary evidence.

NOTE: An SSA-2490-BK is not needed in these cases.

§ Send the application form(s) and related evidence to the servicing border office via form QUE/USA-2 “Transmittal and Liaison Form.” It will include a certification of the number holder's (NH's) Canadian coverage.

C. Procedure – Designated border office

Upon receipt of the claims package, the Claims Representative (CR) or higher should take the following actions:

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

• Use the date of application shown on the U.S. application form or, if it results in an earlier month of entitlement, the date of the QPP application shown on the QUE/USA-2 in the Remarks section titled “Application for QPP benefits.”

• Enter “CANAD” as the name of the country on the TOTALIZATION (TOTL) screen (see MSOM MCS 009.011).

• Accept the BESS verification on the QUE/USA-2 of eligibility factors, unless a material discrepancy exists (GN 01702.210). If any additional development is necessary, contact the claimant directly.

• Where a date of birth is established based on a BESS certification, use “Q” as the proof of age code on the award.

• Accept photocopies of documents as valid if they have been certified as true and exact copies by BESS.

• If the worker is not insured based only on U.S. quarters of coverage (QC's), process in accordance with steps 4 – 9 in GN 01715.325C.

NOTE: An indication on an SSA application that the NH has coverage in a foreign country normally constitutes a lead for foreign benefits. However, where the claim originated with the BESS, assume the BESS has already developed any possible eligibility for Canadian benefits. Do not secure a CDN-USA 1 or QUE/USA-1.

D. References

• Applications for U.S. benefits filed in foreign countries, GN 01702.300 – GN 01702.325

• Form QUE/USA-2 “Transmittal and Liaison Form,” GN 01716.240

• Material discrepancy, GN 01702.210

• Proof of age code, GN 00302.011

• Totalization (TOTL) screen, MSOM MCS 009.011