The Social Security Interview

[BenjiBoy]

I was called as per my original contact with the SS people. They asked the same questions:

Wife's full name

Date of death

Location

Her ss number

If I wanted the 255.00 usd death allowance....I needed to send the original, not a copy, of my wedding certificate with state seal., which will be returned to me after verification....and I have now done that.

She said that the check should reach our account in three weeks.......and so goes the adventure.

Fred

 

[Natasha]

Boy the fun just keeps on happening for you Fred.  Lucky you HAVE that document!!  All we have is a little plastic card ( Canada) that is certainly not an original.  But then our gov't does things very differently from yours, and I 've helped others thru this so know when the time comes it will be much easier.

Stay strong amigo. 

[BenjiBoy]

I guess I am lucky the list did not include ....flowers from her bouquet or rice that was thrown....with USA now,  red tape comes by the truck load! I am ready now for my award for participation....I think it includes a coupon for small fries and a small drink at McDonalds.

Fred

 

[BenjiBoy]

Now that I am nearly through being "stripped searched by my government" I will try to reach Valerie Rhoda at the suggestion of a poster on here.....I shall report back...

Fred

[sm1mex]

Yes. She is a very good educated counselor with group free sessions for all type of help to get through situations that occur who need to get her advice and have group participation with the same issues. She has many different group sessions for different issues. Highly recommended. 

[bmh]

My US citizen. husband passed 2 years ago and i am still battling your Government.If You think it is tough, try being a non us citizen widow...The US is some of the worst . Good luck to You

 

[BenjiBoy]

Well.....I didn't realize that these "lovely" folks do somethings right and a lot wrong.....I have to wait weeks to get my 255.00 burial allowance...BUT they immediately notified all credit reporting agencies of my wife's demise and my bank....therefore I will lose the use of her debit card and any credit cards in her name that we shared....getting credit  card as an ex-pat was already a dance with the devil....now it will be that much worse as I add my age into the mix.....I would consider suicide but I am too busy right now and the USA hasn't sent me permission to move on.

Fred

[Tingting]

Yes, US officials just loooove their paperwork. Geez, I didn't know that they also notified credit reporting agencies, etc. SMH. Big Brother is not only here, but he brought the entire family.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I know it doesn't make things better for you, but you're definitely helping the rest of us prepare for the things we like to ignore until it's too late.

 

[BenjiBoy]

Mas news....Valerie's grief group now meets on zoom rather than in person although she still offers in person private meetings....anyone know of an in person group where people can speak to each other in person for more insight?

Fred

[bmh]

2 hours ago, BenjiBoy said:

Well.....I didn't realize that these "lovely" folks do somethings right and a lot wrong.....I have to wait weeks to get my 255.00 burial allowance...BUT they immediately notified all credit reporting agencies of my wife's demise and my bank....therefore I will lose the use of her debit card and any credit cards in her name that we shared....getting credit  card as an ex-pat was already a dance with the devil....now it will be that much worse as I add my age into the mix.....I would consider suicide but I am too busy right now and the USA hasn't sent me permission to move on.

Fred

I knew they would do that so I told the funeral home I would notify the consulate and got my money out before they closed my accounts,I took 2 months to notify the consulate and SS immediately went into my account at scwab and took the money that I had left so I could return it..Schwab immediately blocked the account  and it was blocked until I could prove my husband had less than 60 000 dollars of non transferable assets... How do you prove you do not have anythig.. Took 30 % of my IRA which I had to claim back and 2 years later I still do not have what they owe me.. Social security or the US cannot touch the Mexican accounts but can help themselves with the US ones..

The nighmare for me is an on going one because I am not a US citizen so consider yourself lucky...  The stuff we find out when it is too late...The French have a song about that..

[ibarra]

Wow.  We had it easy, I guess.  The mortuary in Chapala notified GDL Consulate/Social Security that there had been a death.  When we called GDL, all we had to do was discuss final S.S. payment and what account the death benefit was going to be  deposited into and when.   

It doesn't seem legal to me that S.S. can close or block an account as they are not the owner or are they listed on the account.  Many of us have joint accounts and there is no way they could legally close or block a joint account.   Also, many of us have direct deposit monthly to a bank in Mexico for our S.S. benefit check.  They would have no authority to close or block our foreign account just because one of us died.  

I also find it interesting that you are saying S.S. did all of this.  We had never received a refund for taxes from S.S. and they required, in order to get the stimulus checks, that we fill out a form that went to the Treasury Department, not S.S.  It is my understanding, and recent stimulus checks proved, that it is the Treasury Department that has our banking information. That is evidenced by viewing a stimulus check or, I guess, a S.S. benefit check as they are issued and signed by Treasury Department.

I guess this process has changed, like every thing else we have been used to.

[BenjiBoy]

The power of the IRS is beyond most peoples ideas...Social Security is less powerful but obviously gaining in power. Government seldom drops power but is always eager to gain more....as to being lucky to be a USA citizen...note that they can seize your money if they find out you have any interest in a foreign account with over 50000 usd even if the money was only there for a second...unless you have informed them of your being a party to the account....I await their next move....if I date anyone....I will search their ID to be sure they are not an agent....even my dog and cat will be searched....but I'm okay....NOT!

Fred

[bmh]

Social Security went into our Schwab account and took the money Iy husband had received there for 3 months after his death. The money was there because I knew that once the consulate had the information  he was dead other institutions would be informed. The money that was in the account, was to be returned to the SS so it was not that the money was tasken but the fact that it was taken without my authorization or knowledge.

I wanted to have the time to pull out all my money from the joint account so that it would not be blocked and that was a good thing because it is exactly what happened after I sent the notice to the consulate. I just left the money that was to be returnd but I had no chance to return it as it was pulled the day the consulate received the notice.. One less thing to do . I can see blocking the account but helping yourself with the money should not be allowed.

I find out that  it cannot be done when the money is in a Mexican account. The fact that SS did this alerted Schwab that my husband had passed away so the result that was our joint  account was blocked by Schwab not by SS. Then the nightmare started with Schwab as they follow to the letter the IRS rule. While my husband was alive I was considered a tax resident and paid the taxes at the same rate as a US citizen, when my husband died, I was not allowed to continue. I had to cash in all my IRA at once which put me in the 30 per cent tax rate without a chance of using the IRA as  a low tax income as I needed it as it was represented to me when I open the account.  The IRS is worst that the gestapo-- SS security has their rules and paperwork but are nothing in comparaison to te  IRS,

 

[BenjiBoy]

I wonder why you didn't use your right to apply as a dual citizen....there are still "stupid" rules but your IRA would have belonged to a US citizen and wouldn't have been closed...prior to seizure you could have also moved the money into tax free bonds....if you had a good tax attorney.....

Fred

[bmh]

I had a green ccard so I was fine with that.. not ever wanted to be a citizen.. 

[BenjiBoy]

I fully understand...it just was better if you wanted to be financially protected....which a green card does not offer......

Fred

[NEWMtnMama]

It's not Social Security that blocks the account. THey notify the Credit Bureaus and THEY notify the financial institutions who close the accounts.

[bmh]

My favorite on all the documents requirements is a recent copy/original birth certificate.. What is the matter with an old one.. birth is birth, I can see a recent copy of a marriage certificate but of a birth certificate?? I had to get a more recent one and since I was born in France, it has to be apostilled so it requires to send the paper from the Civil registry to another place that does the apostilles and of course have everything send fed ex even if you are in front of the consulate in Guadaljara...I spent more than 2000 dollars in fedex apostilles , certificates etc  betwen France, the US and Mxico.. but I got my 255 dollars death benefits. After I spent the 2000 dollars the French consulate ask me to update another paper so I would become a widoow officially, since I do not receive anything from France, I told them sorry no more paper and no more money on papers..I do not get anything from France so who cares if Ithey consider me married or widowed.. .. Talking about insane..

I really do not care who closes the accounts, I knew it would happen so I got any money I could get out out before reporting my husband s death becaus I knew it would happen, the same happens in France so the minute someone is very ill the whole family works hard at getting anything out of the governments hands,,

[bmh]

BenjiBoy as you are finding out becoming a widower besides being atraumatic  life changing event is a  paperwork nightmare.

[BenjiBoy]

I have problems, but paperwork is not one of them...all our personal stuff was apostilled for the trip to citizenship in Mexico and I kept them when they were returned to us.

I await the money grab...am surprised it hasn't happened yet as that seemed very important to the agents I spoke with.

Now, I think I will start to broaden my social life...which became minus zero as I became a 100% caregiver. I am already enjoying eating a meal slower as I used to await emergency calls...also I don't jump when my cellphone rings as it is not my wife in a panic.

FYI...I had 25 years in the wine business and was a founding member in Georgia of the Knights of the Vine........

Fred

[bmh]

Well we had a comon past My family is from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux and I spent 25 years importing wines for Abdallah Simon at Chateau and Estate Wines company I was member of all the food and wine associations as well as well as VP sales for the Western Division but that was before... Now I am going to live in CHiapas full time and learn the local languages and have fun...

I took care of my husband for several years as well but never gave up what I was doing so life goes on..I also know the stress of the emergency calls or going into the house not knowing what to expect.. then at his death I had to deal with the police harassement and some events were erased from my mind for over a year. I am finally getting some memories back.. I really do not like to go back to that time and all the paperwork and hassle forces me to and it is awful but this too will pass.

You may get lucky and have no money grab.. I went through tht and I am also nervous about selling the house in Ajijic as the money has to go somewhere.. Well one step at a time we will see what ugly things happen next and deal with it when it happens..

Hope you can go back to enjoying everyday life and have a nice new life.

 

[BenjiBoy]

Letter received from Social Security administration: You have received a payment issued for October 2023. This payment was made after the demise of the  holder of SS#......and must be returned. You may do that by issuing your bank check for.....$.... or by calling this number...... to work out a repayment plan.....blah, Blah, BLAH!

Monday morning, a debit was made from our checking account for the entire amount....no payment plan....no further communication.......Lucky, I left the money in the account, untouched! 

Fred

[Natasha]

5 hours ago, BenjiBoy said:

Letter received from Social Security administration: You have received a payment issued for October 2023. This payment was made after the demise of the  holder.  Monday morning, a debit was made from our checking account for the entire amount.......Lucky, I left the money in the account, untouched!

Canada does that too so one must always be sure not to touch one ( or more) months of payments they'll claw back automatically.

[bmh]

Nice...of course they cannot do it in  Mexico.

Talking about Big brother. Iny case i did not report the death until all money was out  because I knew the bank would block the account  so I did not have to write a check...,It was ok but SO much if You think that the money In the bank is safe from the government

[Honorandfaith]

I am just so sorry to read of the way that you widows and widowers were treated by the gov't.  Which is why I might renounce my US citizenship after I get MX citizenship. 

The gov't preys on vulnerable people when they are most fragile and traumatized. They treat you like a criminal. This is so wrong. They have forgotten who is the master and who is the public servant. 

May the rest of your lives be free of this trauma.