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Social Security and Federal Benefits

El Salvador is part of a Direct Deposit Program for checks from the U.S. Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Civil Service Office of Personnel Management, and the Railroad Retirement Board.  The Embassy's goal is to have 100 percent of the benefits recipients in El Salvador enrolled in the program, but the continuing arrival of new beneficiaries keeps us just shy of that goal. 

To enroll in the Direct Deposit Program, benefits recipients must first establish a savings or checking account with the two authorized banks.  Both banks charge a monthly service fee of 6 dollars, which they will deduct from the beneficiary's monthly payment.

The U.S. federal government has designated Embassy San Salvador as a NON-CLAIM-TAKING POST.  This means that the Embassy cannot accept or process benefits applications.  We do not have access to the databases of the benefits paying agencies.  However, the staff of the American Citizens Services unit can provide addresses and instructions to assist beneficiaries contact the appropriate federal agency for services.

The staff of the American Citizens Services unit also can provide limited assistance in helping benefits recipients work with the appropriate federal agency to resolve problems.

To request specific assistance, beneficiaries may come to the American Citizen Services unit of the Embassy between 8:15 and 11:30 a.m. any workday, with the exception of American and Salvadoran holidays, and the first Wednesday of each month.  Please bring with you all the documents and information that the consular staff will require to understand the precise nature of any problem. 

Once a beneficiary is registered with the Embassy, our staff can assist beneficiaries telephonically contact the benefits paying federal agencies at no cost to the beneficiary.  In most cases, the beneficiary can request this assistance by calling the Embassy from his or her home.  This means that, unless instructed otherwise by our staff, the beneficiary need not come to the Embassy to communicate by telephone with the benefits paying agency.

Other services offered by the Embassy's Federal Benefits Unit include:

  • Providing the forms needed to apply for a first-time or replacement Social Security card,
  • Providing forms to register name changes with Social Security,
  • Certifying photocopies of original documents required by federal benefits paying agencies,

Assisting applicants enroll for Medicare benefits.  Please note that the Embassy is authorized to provide this service only during the months of January, February and March, and that the applicants must reside in the United States to receive Medicare benefits.

Federal beneficiaries may obtain additional information on the Internet websites of the benefits paying agencies.

  • The website for the Office of Personnel Management, which administers Civil Service benefits, is www.opm.gov
  • The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board website is www.rrb.gov