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HoneyBee

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There is no federal law in the USA that obligates a funeral home to report a death to the Social Security Administration. 

From Social Security website:      What should I do when someone dies?

"Notify Social Security as soon as possible when someone getting benefits dies. In most cases, the funeral director will report the person’s death to Social Security. Give the funeral director the deceased’s Social Security number so he or she can report the death."

When A Family Member Dies

"We should be notified as soon as possible when a person dies. However, you cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.

In most cases, the funeral home will report the person’s death to us. You should give the funeral home the deceased person’s Social Security number if you want them to make the report.

If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can speak to a Social Security representative between 8:00 am – 5:30 pm. Monday through Friday. You can also visit your local Social Security office. An appointment is not required, but if you call ahead and schedule one, it may reduce the time you spend waiting to speak to someone.

My wife and I both collect social security. We are both Mexican citizens. If one of us dies in the USA and no one declares to Social Security how would they know?  Likewise if we die in Mexico no funeral home would notify the USA government. 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, Ferret said:

I just can't wrap my head around anyone committing fraud of any kind. As ye sow, so shall ye reap. Hope they all get caught and pay the price.

Ferret maybe just maybe your income allows you to have some discretionary , or mad  money to spend on wants and not needs. Yes there are folks living in Lakeside receiving a minimum pension and find it a challenge to live decently. I am also told, but have no first hand info, that there  are Mexicans "living" on the official daily minimum of 141 pesos ( not sure if that was increased for 2021). So my dear please do not be judgmental until you have to walk in those  peoples shoes

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I live on a fixed income and know how to prioritize what I WANT by doing without other things in the meantime. And sometimes it takes me longer to achieve my goals as a result.

Lakeside 7, do you pay Mexican taxes on your rental income? 

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10 hours ago, Ferret said:

I live on a fixed income and know how to prioritize what I WANT by doing without other things in the meantime. And sometimes it takes me longer to achieve my goals as a result.

Lakeside 7, do you pay Mexican taxes on your rental income? 

I dont recall saying i had rentals....But since you ask I think I must take the 5th on that question...Is the question  relevant to the posted subject?

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1 hour ago, Ferret said:

I was just wondering since not reporting your rental income is also fraud. Where do you draw the line? Is it okay to rob a bank because you're financially desperate? Or is it only okay until you get caught?

Its easy to rob a bank or any other business for that matter since they require you to ware a face mask. Thinking of triple masking for my next job. ☺️ 

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Asked and answered. It's not a particularly personal question since it could apply to many others as well. Those who stiff the government by not reporting a spouse's passing or those who don't pay taxes on their rental income or those who maintain Canadian Health Care when they live permanently in Mexico. It's all related and it's all fraud. How can I possibly make it any clearer than that.

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26 minutes ago, Ferret said:

Asked and answered. It's not a particularly personal question since it could apply to many others as well. Those who stiff the government by not reporting a spouse's passing or those who don't pay taxes on their rental income or those who maintain Canadian Health Care when they live permanently in Mexico. It's all related and it's all fraud. How can I possibly make it any clearer than that.

I just can't do that fraud even though it would proabaly work. 

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Lovely thread and lovely threaders.

I have heard stories of Americans living in Mexico having to go to Texas to prove they are alive.

This was expressly for restarting pension checks from SSA that had been suspended.

My consternation at the time was that an appointment with the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara "should" have availed a proof of life, but apparently no such service process or procedure is accepted by Social Security Administration, or one does not exist.

Thus, when consulate visits resume at Lakeside (American Legion, LCS) post-pandemic maybe this proof of life issue needs to be raised. If a U.S. citizen can apply for a passport via consulate visits to Lakeside, then surely proof of life and identity are an integral part of that process. After all, we cannot risk anyone running around the world misrepresenting U.S. citizenry (sic).

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2 hours ago, southland said:

Lovely thread and lovely threaders.

I have heard stories of Americans living in Mexico having to go to Texas to prove they are alive.

This was expressly for restarting pension checks from SSA that had been suspended.

My consternation at the time was that an appointment with the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara "should" have availed a proof of life, but apparently no such service process or procedure is accepted by Social Security Administration, or one does not exist.

Thus, when consulate visits resume at Lakeside (American Legion, LCS) post-pandemic maybe this proof of life issue needs to be raised. If a U.S. citizen can apply for a passport via consulate visits to Lakeside, then surely proof of life and identity are an integral part of that process. After all, we cannot risk anyone running around the world misrepresenting U.S. citizenry (sic).

That is sort of like taxation without representation and they seem to be good at it. ☺️

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4 hours ago, southland said:

Lovely thread and lovely threaders.

I have heard stories of Americans living in Mexico having to go to Texas to prove they are alive.

This was expressly for restarting pension checks from SSA that had been suspended.

My consternation at the time was that an appointment with the U.S. consulate in Guadalajara "should" have availed a proof of life, but apparently no such service process or procedure is accepted by Social Security Administration, or one does not exist.

Thus, when consulate visits resume at Lakeside (American Legion, LCS) post-pandemic maybe this proof of life issue needs to be raised. If a U.S. citizen can apply for a passport via consulate visits to Lakeside, then surely proof of life and identity are an integral part of that process. After all, we cannot risk anyone running around the world misrepresenting U.S. citizenry (sic).

You have heard.. are these first person reports?  There is a  FBU office (which includes SS benefits) office at the Consulate in GDL. They can do basically anything that a SS office in Texas can do. If this were even necessary it would absolutely not require a trip to the USA,

 

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Mostly,

That irascible poke of a challenge simply is so far from the truth, it hurts me to respond.

That FBU office is NOT trained in the ins and outs of a U.S. SSA office.

It is merely performing adjunct services such as getting an initial pension applied for to start, and even at that, they can barely get that function

accomplished. (I know first hand.) The person I worked with at FBU was courteous, well intentioned, but couldn't get the forms right after three attempts.

She did eventually succeed, and she was persevering in doing so.

That is not how an SSA office operates, as I have spoken with them countless times on 800 numbers over the last five years, as well as in person at offices

in the U.S., as well as on the phone with small town SSA offices where a person does not have to wait 45 minutes on hold on an 800 number.

SSA people, for the most part, are ensconced in forms and procedures, and rules, and mathematical formulas to help people determine the nature of their new relationship with SSA, right down to months of startup, and amounts expected. The Consulate merely shuffles basic starter application paperwork into an SSA receiving office inside the U.S. Then the SSA contacts the applicant from the U.S. That FBU auxiliary function hardly resembles the command center of an SSA office, which also makes determinations of premiums for Medicare Part B, and no, most certainly an FBU cannot do anything an SSA office can do. They would not know where to start, or have an SSA supervisor or director on hand to make decisions.

I agree, on the other angle, that if a consulate must validate who a foreign living American citizen is, in order to initiate a pension, or to get a passport renewed or applied for, then that consulate reasonably should also be able to validate that the American is alive and is who s/he says s/he is, and no interruption in pension payment should occur.

Yes, to answer your challenge, I spoke with the person who was forced to travel to Laredo to validate himself as alive and who he was, and yes, it worked and his backchecks were sent him, and he is fully on board.

If I may make a suggestion, before you attack someone or cast doubt on what they are posting you might ask youself if you know even half as much as they do about the subject at hand. Cheers. There's your well deserved rebuke.

 

 

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38 minutes ago, southland said:

Mostly,

That irascible poke of a challenge simply is so far from the truth, it hurts me to respond.

That FBU office is NOT trained in the ins and outs of a U.S. SSA office.

It is merely performing adjunct services such as getting an initial pension applied for to start, and even at that, they can barely get that function

accomplished. (I know first hand.) The person I worked with at FBU was courteous, well intentioned, but couldn't get the forms right after three attempts.

She did eventually succeed, and she was persevering in doing so.

That is not how an SSA office operates, as I have spoken with them countless times on 800 numbers over the last five years, as well as in person at offices

in the U.S., as well as on the phone with small town SSA offices where a person does not have to wait 45 minutes on hold on an 800 number.

SSA people, for the most part, are ensconced in forms and procedures, and rules, and mathematical formulas to help people determine the nature of their new relationship with SSA, right down to months of startup, and amounts expected. The Consulate merely shuffles basic starter application paperwork into an SSA receiving office inside the U.S. Then the SSA contacts the applicant from the U.S. That FBU auxiliary function hardly resembles the command center of an SSA office, which also makes determinations of premiums for Medicare Part B, and no, most certainly an FBU cannot do anything an SSA office can do. They would not know where to start, or have an SSA supervisor or director on hand to make decisions.

I agree, on the other angle, that if a consulate must validate who a foreign living American citizen is, in order to initiate a pension, or to get a passport renewed or applied for, then that consulate reasonably should also be able to validate that the American is alive and is who s/he says s/he is, and no interruption in pension payment should occur.

Yes, to answer your challenge, I spoke with the person who was forced to travel to Laredo to validate himself as alive and who he was, and yes, it worked and his backchecks were sent him, and he is fully on board.

If I may make a suggestion, before you attack someone or cast doubt on what they are posting you might ask youself if you know even half as much as they do about the subject at hand. Cheers. There's your well deserved rebuke.

 

 

I asked if you had direct knowledge because 90%+ of all posts that begin with "I heard" are rumors.  If that offended you or you considering someone asking an question as an attack I am sorry as it was not meant to be one.

As to the FBU office in GLD I have had personal and email contact with them many times. My wife needs to file a form every six months with them to continue to receive her SS benefits.  NEVER have we had a problem in person or by email. 

I would disagree they " merely shuffle basic starter application paperwork into an SSA receiving office in the USA" . They access the same system to enter information here as an office accesses in the USA .  They also were able to solve a problem that was more than "shuffling paper" . 

Actually I had problems with an SSA office in Texas where I had to present the rule printed out for them to understand their own rules. So there are incompetent people working in many federal offices. 

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