I know this topic was disscussed before. But after recent updated to checkless benefits at SSA, etc. How easy to setup to receive monthly SS benefits at taiwan bank? Mine is MEGA Bank.
I have not reach age of 62 yet (just in few months).
Is that a matter of just provide bank info at ssa.gov website individual page?
Thank you
I’m no expert, but I’m 70 and in a few weeks will get my second check - woohoo. Mine are deposited directly in my bank.
Thing is - and I’m currently in the US - the SSA contacted me in March (six months ago) to do my interview (by phone) and collect my banking details. Point is that a representative talked with me, and first off verified that I’m me.
Everybody else who I know gets SS retirement benefits also had to go to a local SSA office and set things up there, in person. First thing was to make sure you’re you.
If I were you, I’d call or contact SSA asap and ask them. I wouldn’t worry too much, you’re not hardly the first American to receive SS benefits living abroad. But it might not be as straightforward as it seems.
Good luck!
PS A two-month delay in receiving your first check is not unusual.
Thank you.
I went through setting up id.me account (at the end I had video call with their agent to verify my identity) and this allow me to access my SSA individual webpage to see my benefits and do some changes.
I would assume it is the same as do in-person verification with SSA agent
Sounds right. I have no idea how you would give them your banking details if they didn’t collect them in your video call. But my experience was that the banking details were the least of their worries, so you sound locked in and only needing to give them your info.
I’m 62 and going through this myself, although I don’t plan to begin receiving benefits until I’m 65. This summer while I was in the US I went to a social security office, but they were not able to help me to sign up for id.me (online stuff seems to be all outsourced now). However, I was able to do it through a video call like you. I think once that is set up you can apply for benefits and set up the direct deposit.
Social Security benefits can be direct deposited to banks in Taiwan according to this tool on the Social Security website:
https://www.ssa.gov/international/payments_outsideUS.html
I wanted to post an update for anyone else planning on receiving their U.S. Social Security benefits while in Taiwan.
I decided to start receiving my benefits this August. I applied online on June 3rd, and I just got a phone call from SS (they use an office in the Philippines for dealing with recipients living in east Asia). I found out something during the phone call that I didn’t see mentioned anywhere while applying:
You can continue to work and receive your benefits before age 65, but if you are not living in the U.S. you cannot work more than 45 hours per month.
Everything is set so I’ll receive my first payment September 3rd directly into my Bank of Taiwan account. But I know how things go with me, government offices, and technology, so I won’t celebrate until see the funds in my account.
By the way, here is the contact info for US residents in Taiwan:
Federal Benefits Unit
United States Embassy
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita, Manila 0930
Philippines
Phone: 632-5301-6200
Fax: 632-8708-9714 or 632-8708-9723
Email: FBU.Manila@ssa.gov
Total drag. In fact, you can’t create an online account with anything but an American phone number and it has to be a number that you’ve had for a number of years in order to verify that it’s you. What a bunch of shit. How many of us have been in Taiwan for 25+ years and maintained a US phone number back in the States? I’ve got a home, but no phone. Why would I?
I tell ya…these days if you don’t have a smart phone, you ain’t shit.
Took me awhile but finally got an online account to work by using the verfication system IDme. IDme actually called me via video call to verify me. Each time I logged in I needed IDme to send a verification code via SMS which would not arrive…so I needed to use a one time password provided by IDme for emergency login. However, after using for awhile I once again could not login. I have had alot of trouble with Social Security beginning with their bank transfers to me could not use my full name to match my Taiwan bank account…well, that is a long story.
Yep, I couldn’t get registered into the IDme system until I went to the US on one of my trips to visit family, used my daughter’s phone, then they did a video call so I could hold up my passport to verify myself. Such a long, frustrating process.
Same here. I finally found the secret, at least for me. I need to use a VPN and make sure I’m using my regular phone internet, not my home wi-fi. Sounds crazy but that seems to be the combination that always works.
I’m supposed to receive my first SS payment in September, and I’m afraid of something like this. I went into the bank beforehand to make sure it goes smoothly, but we know how that goes. Unfortunately, I won’t be in Taiwan during that first payment, so I’m anticipating a mess when I return. I hope not.
Hmmm…interesting. Gotta try everything.
My problem was bank account in Taiwan uses full name as shown in passport…but bank transfer from Treasure Department uses middle initial. Taiwan bank could not accept bank transfer to my account since did not match. If you have that trouble DM me so I can go through the whole story just for your reference.
Is your payment direct deposit or wire transfer? How much are you being charged?
TIA
Supposedly it’s direct deposit, according to this:
https://www.ssa.gov/international/countrylist6.htm
I don’t know if there’s any fee on my bank’s end (Bank of Taiwan); I’m just concentrating on getting the funds here right now 
That’s exactly my fear. My name is long, something like Charles Edward O’Banyon-Tillsdale (not my real name but the same format and number of letters). Every US entity only writes out the middle initial. You’d think Taiwan would understand this since their systems won’t even fit my full first and last name, but we know how that goes. I’ll DM you.
And that’s how I got the nickname “4”. 
I’m getting ready to rip out my eyeballs trying to register with IDme. I indicated that I live abroad and then they asked me to verify my address using US documents…How did you get around this? I do have a mailing address at my sister’s place. I have old tax papers with my last US address as well but those are 16 years old.
Forgive me for my poor memory. Here is what I recall. I remember I had to google for a method to get around the US documents problems. Eventually I found a method to move directly to video online verification. I posted a scan of a Taiwan insurance statement with my handwritten translation of the address. A guy called me video cam and I held up my passport next to my face. He asked me some basic questions. Simple. The problem was what you mentioned…getting to that stage for video verification. I am sorry but can’t remember how I eventually got to the video call.
Others have had problems as shown in early posts.
Question for US citizen who applied for ID.me - Legal / General Legal Matters - Forumosa
Sorry to not be more help.
This was good to read because I used Gemini and it told me how to get around this problem. I scanned my APRC with a hand written translation of my address, as well as an old W-2 form, and my passport. Now just wait. Thanks!
Great. Moving forward…
Now even with IDme working I can’t login into My Social Security site. Have had lots of trouble with that site. Okay for about a year but have not been able to login for over a year. Hope your sailing is smoother than mine.
Well, just had a wonderful interview with Melisa and all went well. I’ve been verified by ID.me and all seemed hunky dory until I tried to access my SSA account and was informed that “We are unable to process your request.” Tried it several times with no luck. Gemini claims that I’m 90% there and listed a number of things to consider. Geo location & firewall glitches and browser session/Cookie conflicts. So I erased all my cookies and went in cognito but still ran into the same problem. Next will be using a VPN and doing it during normal business hours. Have you tried any of these methods yet?
Same error message I still see when I attempt to login. I have only tried calling U.S. social security office but cannot get through. And no one answers the phone at the Philippines office. When I wrote to Philippines office with my problem their response was to give me instructions on how to set up IDme…which I already had done and told them about.
At one point I even attempted to just delete my account and set up another one. I do not if I was successful to delete as when trying to setup new account got message that I could not set up account using that email. So I hoped to ask Social Security to confirm whether I still have an account or not and how to fix the current problem. But I simply unable to contact anyone at Social Security.