Speaking of Social Security Benefits--Remember the Proof of Life

If you're searching online for this form, it is SSA form 7162, as you may have trouble finding it under Proof of Life, which apparently is a nickname.

www.socialsecurity.gov

PS50, what are the snailmail and Ecuador Embassy/email addresses to send to ?

Fun Fact:  This is National Social Security Week, July 19-25, 2015.

cccmedia in Quito

Hello,
I found this link:
http://ecuador.usembassy.gov/service/fe … fits3.html

For some reason, when I try to navigate to "FBUQuito@state.gov," I receive a message, "cannot  be found." I do know the Federal Benefits Units (FBUs) at the various Embassies handle the SSA Form 7162 for Americans living outside of the U.S. who want to retain their various benefits. I only became aware of this when a blogger acquaintance in Panama posted similar info for Americans living there. I know the email for FBU there has the same suffix of "state.gov".

UPDATE: Aha! I clicked on "Overview and Contact Information" at the above link in the left margin and found this information for Ecuador:
Mailing (Correspondence):
Embajada de los Estados Unidos
American Citizen Services
Avigiras E12-170 y Ave. Eloy Alfaro
EC170505 - Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

The email differs, depending on services needed.

Cheers,
PS50
Hope this helps!

fbuquito@state.gov is the email address of the Federal Benefits Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Quito.

Anyone who sends in a completed 7162 to the Avigiras address of the Embassy may want to email the FBU a week or two later to make sure it was received, thus reducing the possibility of interrupted or canceled benefits.

The Embassy can also assist Expat residents of Ecuador in arranging direct deposit of their benefits into their EC bank accounts.  This is a way of ensuring a reliable cash flow to Expats in a country where ATMs can be unreliable for getting cash from U.S-based bank accounts.

cccmedia in Quito

Things have changed from the pre-pandemic days of 2015, when this thread was last active:  Ecuador's postal service, Correos del Ecuador, was no great shakes back then.  It seems comatose now.

Today, at my condo in Quito, I received a mailing from the U.S. with the proof-of-life form for me to fill out and send back to the Social Security Administration.  (The letter explained that benefits could be stopped if the form was not completed and returned.)  That's not unusual;  it happens every two years, although SSA apparently is letting things slide during the pandemic.

I inspected the cover letter that was seeking the completed form.  It is marked Second Request and dated October 4, 2019!

I put the onus squarely on Ecuador's moribund postal service.  I haven't received a single piece of mail sent from the U.S. to me in Quito that was originated after 2019.

----

Fortunately, I am able to ignore this old letter with no concern about benefits stoppage.  While I was in the U.S. for over a year until recently, I completed and mailed my proof-of-life form(s) .. and I have confirmed that my benefits have been continuing sans interruption.

cccmedia in Quito