TN 59 (11-14)

This section describes how to code bank data for international direct deposit (IDD) of Title II benefits to a financial institution (FI) in Italy. Social Security Administration (SSA) stores IDD bank data on the MBR in the same fields used for United States (U.S.) direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as Italy direct deposit and allows benefit payments to be routed through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in Italy to the beneficiary's FI in Italy.

NOTE: U.S. domestic (i.e., non-border) field offices (FOs) should not attempt to process an IDD request for this country. U.S. domestic FOs must forward all appropriate information to the Office of Earnings and International Operations, Division of International Operations (OEIO, DIO) for processing (For more information on forwarding IDD information, see GN 02402.205C, GN 01010.255, and GN 01702.310C.

A. How we receive IDD bank data

We receive requests to input bank data by mail, phone, or fax in the following formats:

• a blank check,

• an International Direct Deposit Signup Form for Italy (SSA-1199-IT) (see GN 02402.304G in this section), or

• any document that contains the required banking information.

NOTE: If upon receipt of the information, there are any discrepancies, follow instructions in GN 00203.020 and GN 02402.025.

B. Multi-country contract

The processing FI in Italy will have a prefix of 55 at the beginning of the Routing Transit Number (RTN).

C. Overview of IDD for Italy

The beneficiary must provide complete information to the DIO or the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) for input. DIO will fax incomplete forms to the FBU that serves Italy. The FBU contacts the beneficiary or FI for additional information.

D. Description of Italy IDD bank data

The data for coding IDD for Italy will come from the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) provided to the beneficiary from his or her FI. The IBAN will be 27 characters. However, the bank data reflected on the MBR will be 25 characters. Technicians will use the IBAN to derive the RTN and DAN when processing an IDD request.

E. Procedure - coding Italy routing and account numbers for international direct deposit

The FRBKC relies on SSA to provide the complete bank data to ensure correct posting of payments to a customer’s account. If the information is incomplete, the FRBKC rejects the payment and returns the funds to SSA. When establishing or changing IDD bank data for Italy, you can use an SSA system (i.e. Modernized Claims System (MCS), Manual Adjustment Credit and Award Data Entry (MACADE), etc.). However, you must go to ITS.gov to enter the full IBAN and Society for Worldwide Internet Financial Telecommunication-Business Identifier Code (SWIFT-BIC). If the complete bank account information is not in ITS.gov when the payment processes, the payment rejects and returns to SSA. When using ITS.gov, bank data posts to the MBR within four business days.

The SWIFT code consists of 8 to 11 alphanumeric characters. When an 8-digit code is given, it refers to the primary office:

• First 4 characters - bank code (only letters)

• Next 2 characters - ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (only letters)

• Next 2 characters - location code (letters and digits) (passive participant will have "1" in the second character)

• Last 3 characters - branch code, optional ('XXX' for primary office) (letters and digits)

1. Initial award processing of IDD

Secure IBAN and SWIFT-BIC coding from the beneficiary at the time of filing. The FBU inputs an initial IDD claim if the beneficiary elects the option of direct deposit. All initial IDD claims that an FBU takes for Italy require input into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE, etc.) on the same day. You must complete all initial claims that the International Benefits Office (IBO) takes. You must input all initial claims involving Italy IDD into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. MCS, MACADE, etc.) on the same day.

NOTE: If there is dire need or hardship involved, advise the beneficiary of the option of initiating payment via a paper check. Inform the beneficiary that the bank may charge for cashing the check. If the beneficiary chooses the option of paper check, the FBU documents and processes the initial claim.

2. Adding or updating bank data using SSA systems

All changes to direct deposit information for Italy require input into ITS.gov and an SSA system (i.e. Post Entitlement Online System (POS), MACADE, etc…) on the same day. Enter all POS direct deposit changes according to normal procedures. When coding IDD bank data in an SSA system for Italy within four business days of the current operational month (COM) cutoff date, use the procedure outlined in the following chart:

· The Customer Account Number may contain numbers, letters, hyphens, slashes, or periods, and it may contain spaces between characters. SSA's system accepts only numbers, letters, and hyphens. If a slash, period, or space is shown, a hyphen must be used instead.

EXAMPLE 1: The account number is 2456/26. The input should be 2456-26.

· If the Bank Code Number or Branch Code contains a period followed by 1 or more digits, you must ignore the period and any digits following it.

EXAMPLE 2: The Branch Code is displayed as 92046.3.The correct Branch Code to use is 92046.

· If the Bank Code Number or Branch Code is displayed as four digits followed by a period and 1 or more digits, you must add a zero in front and drop the period and any additional digits.

EXAMPLE 3: The Branch Code is shown as 1234.5. You would use 01234.

· If the Bank Code is displayed as five-digits with no period but the first digit is not a 0 or 1, you must add a zero in front and drop the final digit.

REASON: Sometimes an FI will code five-digits without putting in the period. However, all Italy Bank Codes begin with 0 or 1.

EXAMPLE 4: The Bank Code is displayed as 20021. You need to code 02002.

F. Examples - coding Italy direct deposit

The customer provides us with a signup form for Italy containing the following information: IT60X0542811101000000123456

NOTE: The first 2 characters of the Italy IBAN are “IT”, which represents the International Organizational for Standardization (ISO) country code. The third and fourth characters of the IBAN are the IBAN check digits. The next digit is the check char number (C.I.N). Never code the C.I.N. for input. The technician should never code the IBAN ISO country code, check digit, or check char number onto the MBR. The next five characters of the IBAN represent the bank code. The next five digits represent the branch code. The last 12 characters represent the customer account number.

1. Derive the RTN as follows

Code the prefix of “55” (SSA designated prefix for IDD)

Code the five-digit Bank Code Number “05428”

Code the first digit of the five-digit Branch Code “1”

Code the one-digit check code (i.e., 8) (obtained from the Title II interactive Comps from the Main Menus 07/Sub Menu 16);

Code the type of account as a “C” for Checking or an “S” for Savings. If no account type indicated, use a “C” for Checking.

2. Derive the DAN as follows

Code the last four digits of the branch code “1101”

Code the first 12-digit account number “000000123456”

3. Coding in ITS.gov will reflect

IBAN: IT60X0542811101000000123456 SWIFT: Full code (example: BEPOIT21020)

The technician will obtain the following:

RTN: 550542818

Checking

DAN: 1101-000000123456

The coding in an SSA System will reflect:

DIRECT DEPOSIT ROUTING TRANSIT NUMBER: 550542818

ACCOUNT TYPE (C/S): C

DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1101-000000123456

CANCEL DIRECT DEPOSIT (Y):

DIRECT EXPRESS (Y):

The MBR will reflect the following information:

RTN-550542818 DAN- C1101000000123456

G. Exhibit - IDD enrollment form for Italy

Select SSA-1199-IT below to view in pdf.

 View PDF Version