Change Date February 13, 2012 a. Countries on The Treasury Department maintains a list of countries to which it will not the Treasury send a Treasury check because there is no reasonable assurance the payee will Department actually receive and be able to negotiate the check for full value. List The countries to which the Treasury Department will send a Treasury not check are of Korea (North Korea), and Democratic People’s Republic Republic of Cuba (Cuba). For information on the References: current Treasury Department list, see services the Department of State provides to VA, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 1.C.14, and sanctions programs and country information, see the . There is no prohibition against development and adjudication of claims filed b. by persons residing in listed countries. ROs may send correspondence to With Persons individuals living in the listed countries even if there is reasonable doubt they in Listed will receive the mail. Countries In correspondence issued outside VA, use the term countries. Note: “listed” Do use the terms or country. not Curtain” “Iron “blocked” Currently, the Department of State does maintain offices in most of the c. Developing not Claims From countries on the Treasury Department list. Residents of Listed Develop and adjudicate an original or reopened claim if a claimant residing in Countries a listed country, on his/her own initiative requests that benefit payments bear a foreign address in a country that is not on the list, and be sent via direct deposit, or specifies the Foreign Service post to which VA should send benefit checks, and that the claimant will take delivery of the checks at the Foreign Service post in person. Limit claims development to listed countries without a State Note: Department office to direct correspondence with the claimant only.
Change Date February 13, 2012 a. Countries on the Treasury Department List The Treasury Department maintains a list of countries to which it will not send a Treasury check because there is no reasonable assurance the payee will actually receive and be able to negotiate the check for full value. The countries to which the Treasury Department will not send a Treasury check are Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and Republic of Cuba (Cuba). References: For information on the current Treasury Department list, see services the Department of State provides to VA, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 1.C.14, and sanctions programs and country information, see the . b. With Persons in Listed Countries There is no prohibition against development and adjudication of claims filed by persons residing in listed countries. ROs may send correspondence to individuals living in the listed countries even if there is reasonable doubt they will receive the mail. Note: In correspondence issued outside VA, use the term “listed” countries. Do not use the terms “Iron Curtain” or “blocked” country. c. Developing Claims From Residents of Listed Countries Currently, the Department of State does not maintain offices in most of the countries on the Treasury Department list. Develop and adjudicate an original or reopened claim if a claimant residing in a listed country, on his/her own initiative requests that benefit payments bear a foreign address in a country that is not on the list, and be sent via direct deposit, or specifies the Foreign Service post to which VA should send benefit checks, and that the claimant will take delivery of the checks at the Foreign Service post in person. Note: Limit claims development to listed countries without a State Department office to direct correspondence with the claimant only.
9-24-15_Key%20Changes_M21-1III_iii_1_SecC.docx