Traveling when we’re older happens frequently! I was surprised by a quiet regulatory update from the Social Security Administration and wanted to share it today.
As of December 2025, the SSA paid benefits to approximately 75 million people, of whom about 11 million were under age 65 and receiving disability benefits, and nearly 5 million were receiving SSI only.
Under long-standing rules, SSI and Social Security recipients must self-report foreign travel that lasts 30 days or more. If you are a citizen, you may still be able to collect Social Security while residing abroad, but SSI is strictly limited to residents of the U.S. and certain U.S. territories
Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay
Foreign Travel and Social Security
- Social Security benefits can be received while traveling abroad, but certain conditions apply.
- You must report your travel plans to the Social Security Administration (SSA) if you will be outside the U.S. for more than 30 days.
- Benefits may be suspended if you are outside the U.S. for more than six consecutive months.
- Ensure your bank can deposit your benefits while you are overseas, or consider setting up direct deposit.
- Be aware of any tax implications or reporting requirements for foreign income.
- Keep your contact information updated with the SSA to avoid disruptions in benefit payments.
If you’d like to dig deeper, there is a 40-page guide published by Social Security. You may access it HERE.
Reporting Requirements
WHAT THINGS MUST YOU REPORT TO SOCIAL SECURITY?
You must report any of the changes listed below to us, because they may affect your eligibility for supplemental security income (SSI) and your benefit amount:
- Change of address
- Change in living arrangements
- Change in earned and unearned income, including a change in wages or net earnings from self-employment, including your spouse’s income if you are married and living together, and parents’ income if applying for a child
- Change in resources including your spouse’s resources, if you are married and living together, and parents’ resources if applying for a child
- Death of spouse or anyone in your household
- Change in marital status (including any same-sex relationships)
- Change in citizenship or immigration status
- Change in help with living expenses from friends or relatives
- Eligibility for other benefits or payments
- Admission to or discharge from an institution (such as a hospital, nursing home, or a correctional institution such as prison, jail, detention center, boot camp, etc,)
- Change in school attendance, if you are under age 22
- Change in lawful noncitizen status
- Sponsor (or sponsor’s spouse) changes of income, resources, or living arrangement for noncitizens
- Leaving the U.S. for a full calendar month or for 30 consecutive days or more; or
- an unsatisfied felony or arrest warrant for escape from custody, flight to avoid prosecution or confinement, or flight-escape
- For detailed information about reporting requirements for those collecting Social Security Benefits, you may go HERE.
The Foreign Travel Data (FTD) Application
Information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) website is for your reference. It applies to those collecting SSI payments.
In early January, the SSA updated its Evidence of Foreign Travel – Foreign Travel Data Application to increase scrutiny of foreign travel by Americans receiving benefits. This change allows the agency to use travel data collected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The SSA’s revised rules update this reporting requirement to lean less on self-reporting and more on data collected by the DHS. The agency argues this move is about compliance and part of an effort to curb “improper payments”.
This change could reflect a broader shift toward automated monitoring of benefit recipients, with limited transparency around how travel data is collected, stored, and shared across agencies. Make sure to sign in to your MySSA account annually.
There are data privacy concerns that sensitive SSA data could be misused, accessed improperly, or repurposed beyond its original intent. If you receive Social Security and are traveling outside the country for an extended period or expect a change in your situation that may impact your benefits, make sure you document and report this carefully to avoid any errors.
Image by HeungSoon from Pixabay
Spring Has Sprung
The weather extremes have been crazy the past few weeks. Spring is coming in with a roar! Heat waves, snow, tornadoes, winds – oh my! Stay safe, everyone.
Planning for today and tomorrow is an ongoing process. Changes are inevitable. I wish this could be a “once and done” process – oh, how I wish!
If you’d ever like to discuss how you’re planning for now and the future, click on Book a Time with Lynn for a complimentary 30-minute Zoom with me. Or send me a note via Email or check out what I offer @ The Living Planner.
For you pre-planners, my book is a resource you might enjoy. The 2026 edition of Living Planner What to Prepare Now While You Are Living © is being printed! Check it out HERE.
Quote of the week in celebration of spring: “The earth laughs in flowers.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Breathe in springtime! Lynn
#Can’tPredictCanPrepare #CareForPeopleCareForBusiness