UPDATE: Problem solved, scroll down to see the details.

Once again, SIGforum provides fast answers to a question!

If anybody else needs a hard copy of this form, you can find it at

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-ut...199-a_dirdeposit.pdf.

Interesting that I could NOT find a Social Security form on the SSA website -- it's on the IRS website.

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This should be a simple task, but like many things associated with the Federal government, it is turning out to be a Royal Pain In The Ass.

I opened a checking account with a new (different) bank.

I want to have my Social Security checks deposited to the new bank, changing from the old one. Should be easy.

Is there a form that I can download to request this change? If not, can I just write a letter to request it? If so, where should I send it?

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A quick Google search tells me that I should create a log-in account on the SSA website. I tried this, using minor variations each time, but every attempt returns the same error message: "We cannot verify the information you provided.

Please correct your information and try again."

The website also suggests calling a toll-free number to make an appointment at a Social Security office. A problem with this: I am hearing impaired, so I can not just pick up a telephone and make a call. I have to use a relay service, which means giving my Social Security number to an operator. Not at all secure. And this assumes that the SSA telephone number would actually be answered. I have sat and stared at the screen for more than 45 minutes, while the relay operator types to me: "(STILL HOLDING)" while the SSA number waits for a human.

The SSA has been around for a long time. Longer than internet browsers. Longer than the time that everybody had a telephone. In The Good Old Days, this sort of thing was routinely handled by mail. That ability is probably still around, but the information seems to be buried.

Can you, Fed161, as a retired SSA manager, (or maybe any other SIGforum member) tell me how to handle this either by email or the old-fashioned mail, where I put a stamp on an envelope and drop it in the mailbox?

I’m wondering if the bank has the answer you are seeking and will help you?

Surely with all the retirees in FL the banks have employees experienced with Senior needs.

Good luck to you.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:

I’m wondering if the bank has the answer you are seeking and will help you?

Nope. Bank told me I could do it online.

If you have an online account set up with SSA, this website directs you to the place where you change the bank.

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/...huYivIwaAreBEALw_wcB

I'd give it a month or two before I closed the old account, if this is your intention.
Mike

Here's a link with a phone #.

http://cbisonline.com/us/wp-co...s_deposit_change.pdf

Can you use a TTY ? If so then TTY 800-325-0778

I just logged in to my SS account. As part of the login procedure, they sent me a code, by text message to my phone, to enter into a box (two-factor ID). Don’t recall seeing that before. Did you see that in your account set up attempt?

BTW – my SS account credentials are stored in my PW manager (mSecure). Couldn’t survive without it!

mcrimm suggested that I use the website. This requires the use of an account. As I stated in my original post, every attempt to create an account results in an error. No joy there.

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OKCGene suggests using a TTY. Does this require a TTY terminal connected to a landline? I have neither. Is this service available directly on the internet, either using a browser or a downloadable app? . . . Update, a bit of searching reveals that the iPhone has a TTY mode, dependent on carrier support. I'll investigate this later and report back. Need to see if iPad has that feature.

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doublesharp gave a link with a phone number. Not too useful, per my original post. However, the third paragraph in the linked document gives another link to the SSA form. That link is dead-ended, page not found, however it DOES mention the form number, 1199a, so a search for that form brought up a PDF. That's the document that I was hoping to find! Hallelujah! I filled in (or filled out), the "customer" section of the form and will drop it by the bank today so they can do the rest of the job.

I will "educate" the bank rep who told me to do it online, and will give her a blank copy of the form, for her files, so that she will be able to help others in the future.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I just logged in to my SS account. As part of the login procedure, they sent me a code, by text message to my phone, to enter into a box (two-factor ID). Don’t recall seeing that before. Did you see that in your account set up attempt?

BTW – my SS account credentials are stored in my PW manager (mSecure). Couldn’t survive without it!

Problem is (as explained in the original post at the top of this thread), I can not get that far in the attempt to create an account. Can't create, therefore can't log in. Every attempt results in an immediate error message stating that (my words) they have no record of my existing. Weird, considering that I paid into the system for decades, and now have been receiving monthly checks / deposits for over fifteen years.

As far as password manager, I was an early adopter of 1PassWord -- a great product! I am "grandfathered" as a purchaser. I believe that all new users have to "rent" the software on a subscription basis. If they try to pull that on me, I'll find a different password manager.

Yea! Awesome!

Isn’t SigForum the best place on the planet!

I suggest that everyone, even younger members, should open up a My SS account. Having an account that is password protected helps prevent ID theft. I see your problem is solved. Great! Easiest way to do it is with the MY SS account. There have been a few changes to the website since I retired 2 years ago. If you go to the search feature and type in direct deposit, it gives you a page that explains direct deposit and refers you to My SS. It also gives you a link to the form on the IRS site. The form works for all federal benefits and could be mailed in. So it looks like they are trying to direct as much traffic as they can to the my SS account. Not surprising since SS continues to loose staff as workloads increase. If you can't get into your MY SS account, you'll have to visit the office. They can get you back in. The verification software uses info from credit reporting agencies and other sources to verify your ID. If something doesn't match up perfectly, you won't be able to get in. The text coded message is part of enhanced security they were adding at the time of my retirement. You can also change your direct deposit by calling the 800 number if you are comfortable with that. They'll ask lots of question to verify your ID, but it can be done by phone.

SS won't make an appointment just to unlock your My SS account, so keep this in mind so you don't spend half your day waiting to be called when you visit the office. I frequently had so many people in my office I was exceeding the maximum capacity according to the fire code and had to stop allowing people to come in. With no appointment:
1. Do not visit the first week of the month.
2. Avoid Mondays and Tuesdays.
3. Avoid the Tuesday after a Monday federal holiday at all costs.
4. About an hour before closing time is actually a good time to visit, keeping 1 - 3 in mind.

Hopefully I was of some assistance to some readers.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:

I'd give it a month or two before I closed the old account, if this is your intention.
Mike

Mcrimm is correct. Don't close the old account until the first check goes into the new account. If the change is processed after the cutoff, your check could go to the old account. Not that big of a deal if that were to happen. The bank with the closed account would just return it treasury, and it would be reissued to the new account. But who needs the hassle.

One other thing V-tail. I know that they were considering removing bank's access to the treasury system for direct deposit because of some bad actors at banks misdirecting checks. Don't know if that's happened yet or not. The bank may tell you to bring or mail the form to SS. Or they may just mail the form to SS themselves.

quote:

Originally posted by Fed161:

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
I'd give it a month or two before I closed the old account, if this is your intention.
Mike

Mcrimm is correct. Don't close the old account until the first check goes into the new account. If the change is processed after the cutoff, your check could go to the old account. Not that big of a deal if that were to happen. The bank with the closed account would just return it treasury, and it would be reissued to the new account. But who needs the hassle.

One other thing V-tail. I know that they were considering removing bank's access to the treasury system for direct deposit because of some bad actors at banks misdirecting checks. Don't know if that's happened yet or not. The bank may tell you to bring or mail the form to SS. Or they may just mail the form to SS themselves.

No, not going to close the old account. I need to keep two accounts, for different purposes. The new bank charges a monthly maintenance fee, but waives it if there is direct deposit, so I'm moving SS deposits from old credit union to new bank.

Re mailing the form, the instructions for the 1199a tell me to complete my section, then give it to the bank; they are instructed to complete their section and then mail it. The address is on the form. I guess envelopes and stamps are not obsolete yet.

 
If you have your credit frozen at the three major bureaus, you won't be able to create a SS online account. You have to unfreeze one temporarily (Equifax, IIRC, but they may have changed to another since then). That's what the "unable to verify" means. They do a credit check pull. I finally had to call them to find that out. When I called and explained the error message, the first question she asked was did I have a credit freeze. She then went on to explain which credit bureau they used and that I had to unfreeze that one long enough to open the account. After that, it went right through.