POMS Reference

GN 02408: Stop Payments and Reclamations

TN 22 (02-16)

A. Determining when OEIO is responsible for the reclamation of International Direct Deposit (IDD) funds

OEIO is responsible for the reclamation of improperly paid IDD funds under any one of the following circumstances:

  1. If the incorrect payment went outside the U.S. to a country listed in GN 02408.920F, and the total outstanding amount is at least $30 but less than $100;

  2. The Kansas City Financial Center (KFC) has already made two unsuccessful attempts to reclaim incorrect payments through the FI, or

  3. KFC has already reclaimed part of the incorrectly issued payments, but part of the money is still outstanding.

B. Process for obtaining the FI’s address

Unless KFC has already made an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the money from the FI, OEIO sends a request to KFC for the name and address of the FI.

EXCEPTION: OEIO can usually obtain the address of a Canadian FI from the Canadian FI directory.

C. Process for sending a reclamation letter to a foreign FI

When OEIO receives information from KFC, OEIO sends a reclamation letter to the FI using locally developed standard language. OEIO includes a Form SSA-1713 (Statement of Reclamation Action for the FI) to respond to the request for reclamation. A copy of this form is available in GN 02408.920F.

For Canadian payments sent in Canadian dollars (RTN begins with 51) OEIO includes a Form SSA-1712 CN (Notice of Reclamation). For Canadian payments sent in U.S. dollars, OEIO includes a Form SSA-1712 (Notice of Reclamation).

D. Process for follow-up and further action

If OEIO does not receive a response within 40 days, OEIO sends a second request and diaries for 45 days.

If OEIO does not receive a response to the second request within 45 days, or if the FI returns part of the money and some remains outstanding, OEIO does the following:

1. Outstanding amount under $30

If the outstanding amount is under $30, OEIO annotates the record to show that:

  • two attempts were made, but no response was received; or

  • a partial reclamation occurred, but this amount is still outstanding.

OEIO takes no further action to recover the funds.

2. Outstanding amount $30 or more

If the outstanding amount is $30 or more, OEIO takes the following actions:

a. Annotating the record

OEIO annotates the record to show that:

  • two attempts were made to reclaim the payments through the FI, or

  • KFC has reclaimed part of the money, but this amount is still outstanding.

b. Requesting funds

OEIO requests funds as follows:

  • OEIO sends a request for the outstanding funds to the estate of the beneficiary;

  • if the address for the estate is unknown, OEIO uses the address for entitled survivors or the last known address for the beneficiary or survivors;

  • if no response arrives within 40 days, OEIO sends a follow-up letter marked “Second Request”; and

  • if no response arrives within 40 more days, OEIO annotates the record that there was no response received to either letter.