Important Message for Social Security Beneficiaries in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
February 1, 2023
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is sharing important information from the Federal Benefits Unit for beneficiaries of Social Security living in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
In addition to relying on beneficiaries (a retired person or family member) to report events that may affect their benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) contacts beneficiaries residing in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza biennially (every two years) to verify their status if they have a foreign address on record.
It is important that you or your representative payee complete, sign, date, and return the questionnaire in the envelope provided with the questionnaire as soon as possible. If you do not, your payments will stop. If you fail to report or deliberately make a false statement, you could be penalized by a fine or imprisonment. You also may lose some of your payments if you do not report changes promptly.
In 2022, SSA mailed the questionnaire to beneficiaries receiving their own benefits whose social security number under which they receive benefits ends in 00-49, beneficiaries over the age of 90, those that were scheduled to receive a form but did not respond in 2019 and to beneficiaries who have representative payees (person receiving benefits on behalf of a minor or other person). Beneficiaries received the form in the mail with a return envelope to the SSA processing facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. If the first form was not received, a second form was mailed in late October 2022 and should have been returned by mail before December 2022. Individuals who did not return these forms could have their benefits suspended effective with the payment date of March 3, 2023. If your payments are suspended, they can only be reinstated once your form is received and processed.
The Federal Benefits Unit in Jerusalem cannot accept forms submitted electronically. They must be mailed to the address below.
You can download the forms here:
SSA-7161 (use this form only if you are a Representative Payee) or SSA-7162, and mail the original directly to one of the following addresses:
Social Security AdministrationP.O. Box 7161Wilkes Barre, PA 18767-7161
Social Security AdministrationP.O. Box 7162Wilkes Barre, PA 18767-7162
Or mail the form locally to:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Federal Benefits Unit (FBU)
P.O. Box 290
Jerusalem 9100201
If you have an questions, you may reach out to the Federal Benefits Unit in Jerusalem via their online inquiry form by clicking here.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem 14 David Flusser St. Jerusalem Telephone: +972-3-519-7575
Online Inquiry System (non-emergency)
E-mail: JerusalemACS@state.gov (emergency)Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv 71 HaYarkon St. Tel Aviv Telephone: +972-3-519-7575
Online Inquiry System (non-emergency)
E-mail: TelAvivACS@state.gov (emergency)Website: https://il.usembassy.gov/
