GN 02402: Direct Deposit - Title II and Title XVI

Effective Dates: 07/19/2016 - Present

TN 31 (01-08)

A. Introduction - Coding U.K. Bank Data

This section describes how to code bank data for direct deposit of Title II benefits to a bank in the United Kingdom (UK). The bank data will be stored on the MBR in the same fields as are used for U.S. direct deposit. Special coding identifies the data as U.K. direct deposit and allows benefit payments to be routed through the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (FRBKC) and the processor bank in the United Kingdom (UK) to the beneficiary's FI.

If the account is in a branch in Northern Ireland, you will need to follow the procedure in GN 02402.309C. However, if the account is in a branch in the Republic of Ireland, you will need the procedures in GN 02402.303.

The data for coding may come from a signup form for U.K. (see GN 02402.309E.) or from the equivalent information received by mail, phone, fax, or E-mail.

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).

B. Description - United Kingdom Bank Data

U.K. bank data consists of the following:

Bank Sorting Code Number (branch number): 6 digits.
Bank Account Number: up to 8 digits. If the Bank Account Number contains fewer than 8 digits, enough zeros must be coded in front of the Bank Account Number to make 8 digits.
Type of account: 1 digit:
- Checking Account = 0, and
- Savings account = 1.

If the type of account is not known, a zero should be used.

Building society savings accounts require a roll or reference number (in addition to the Bank Sorting Code Number and Bank Account Number) that cannot be coded in SSA's systems. Therefore, IDD cannot be accomplished to building society savings accounts. IDD can be accomplished to checking accounts in building societies. A building society may not be easily identified as such by its name, which may or may not contain the words “building society.” The beneficiary may not be aware that the FI is a building society. Some building society savings accounts contain letters in the account number. All other accounts, including checking accounts in building societies, contain only digits.

C. Procedure - Coding U.K. Routing and Account Numbers for International Direct Deposit

Use this procedure to code direct deposit of Title II benefits to FIs in the United Kingdom (U.K.).

STEP	ACTION
1	Are you coding an initial claim? If yes, go to step 3. If no, go to step 2.
2	Is the beneficiary's address on the MBR in a foreign country (PCOC = 8)? If no, STOP. REASON: The MBR will not accept the International Direct Deposit (IDD) information.
3	Is the beneficiary's account a U.S. dollar account in U.K.? If yes, STOP. REASON: This must be a pounds sterling account.
4	Is the beneficiary's account a savings account in a building society? If yes, STOP. Building society savings accounts require a roll or reference number that cannot be coded in SSA's systems. If no, go to step 5.
5	Is the beneficiary's account in a branch that is located in the Republic of Ireland? If yes, STOP. Go to GN 02402.303 to code this direct deposit. If no, code the Type of Account as Checking.
6	Does the Bank Account Number contain any letters? If yes, STOP. This is a building society account, and its roll or reference number cannot be coded in SSA's systems. If no, go to step 7.
7	Code the Depositor Account Number as follows: Does the Bank Account Number contain 8 digits? If not, code as many zeros as necessary at the front of the Bank Account Number to make a total of 8 digits. EXAMPLE: The Bank Account Number contains 6 digits. Code 2 zeros before coding the 6 digits in the Depositor Account Number field. Do you know the actual type of account? If yes, code a zero (0) for checking or 1 for savings after the Bank Account Number. If no, code a zero after the Bank Account Number.
8	Code the Routing and Transit Number (9 digits total) as follows: Start with 50, the prefix SSA has designated for U.K. IDD. Code the 6-digit Bank Sorting Code Number. If the beneficiary gives you only the name and address of the financial institution, look up the code in the latest version of the “Sorting Code Numbers” directory. Do not code the dashes. Code the U.S. check digit. Obtain the U.S. check digit by using the Check Digit Code program on Title II Interactive Comps.

D. Example - Coding UK Direct Deposit

The beneficiary calls with the following information for a pounds sterling checking account:

Bank Sorting Code Number (branch code): 80-83-33
Bank Account Number: 1234567

The Depositor Account Number will be: 012345670. (Since the Bank Account Number contains only 7 digits, a zero is placed before the Bank Account Number. A zero is added after the Bank Account Number because this is a checking account.)

The Routing and Transit Number will be: 508083338. (The final digit, 8, is the U.S. Check Digit for 50808333.)

E. Exhibit - IDD Enrollment Form for the United Kingdom

To view this form, go to SSA-1199-OP21.

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