Does it matter which Social Security office I mail Form SSA-1724 to when equidistant from 3 locations?

It doesn't actually matter which office you mail the SSA-1724 to. All Social Security offices follow the same procedures for processing forms, and they'll route it to the appropriate place. What matters more is making sure you include all required documentation with your submission. Since you're dealing with survivor benefits following your father's passing, make sure you include a certified copy of the death certificate and your own identification documents. Also keep copies of everything you send and consider using certified mail with tracking.

I had the WORST experience sending important paperwork to my local office!! They LOST my forms TWICE and I had to resubmit everything. Almost delayed my disability payments by 3 months! If I were you, I'd physically drive to whichever office has the best reviews online. Check Google reviews - some offices are HORRIBLE while others actually have competent staff. It's worth the extra drive to avoid months of delays!!!

While it technically doesn't matter which office receives your SSA-1724, here are some practical considerations: 1. If one of those offices handled your father's benefits before, sending it there might be slightly more efficient 2. You can look up estimated processing times for each office on the SSA website under 'office locator' 3. Some offices are known to be more efficient than others depending on staffing For survivor benefits, you might have a 6-8 week processing time regardless of which office you use. Make sure to include the death certificate and all supporting documentation. You could also fax the documents if the office accepts faxes, which can be faster than mail in some cases.

you need to mail it to the office that handled your dads case. my mom passed last year and they told me it has to go to the office where the person was registered. otherwise it gets forwarded anyway and takes longer.

I had to deal with this exact situation last year but with form SSA-721 for my aunt's survivor benefits. I tried calling the Social Security hotline for THREE DAYS and couldn't get through to anyone. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes! The agent told me I could mail the form to any office, but recommended sending it certified mail with tracking. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it when you need to speak to a real person at SSA.

my friend said it doesnt matter but make sure you call and follow up in 2 weeks to make sure they got it. lots of mail gets lost these days

To answer your follow-up questions: 1. You need a certified copy of the death certificate, not the original (never send originals of important documents) 2. You should call the local office directly rather than the main SSA line for follow-up 3. Each field office has its own direct phone number which you can find on the SSA Office Locator tool Also, when sending the SSA-1724 for survivor benefits, remember that there's a time limit for filing - generally within 2 years of death, though there are exceptions. Since you mentioned it's been 2 months, you're well within the timeframe, but don't delay much longer.

One more thing! Make sure you CALL AHEAD to confirm the mailing address for the SS office. The address listed online might be OUTDATED! I had forms returned to me because I used the address from Google Maps and apparently they'd moved to a new building 6 months earlier! Such a mess!

I went through this exact same situation when my mother passed away last year. I was also rural and had multiple offices at similar distances. What I learned from speaking with SSA directly is that while any office can process your SSA-1724, there are a few things that can help speed things up: 1. If your father had an established case worker or his benefits were managed through one specific office, that office will already have his file readily accessible 2. You can actually submit the form online through your my Social Security account if you have one set up, which is often faster than mail 3. If mailing, definitely use certified mail with return receipt - not just for tracking, but because it creates an official record of when SSA received it The 2-month timeframe you mentioned is actually pretty normal for getting affairs in order - don't feel like you're behind. Most survivor benefit claims I've seen take 6-10 weeks to process regardless of which office handles them. The key is having all your documentation complete when you submit.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I went through this same process when my grandmother passed away last year. From my experience, it really doesn't matter which of the three offices you choose - they all process forms the same way and have access to the same system. What I found most helpful was calling the SSA's main number (1-800-772-1213) first to confirm which office was handling my grandmother's case originally. Even though any office can process your SSA-1724, sending it to the office that already has your father's file can sometimes move things along a bit faster since they don't need to request records from another location. A few practical tips that helped me: - Make copies of everything before you send it - Use certified mail with return receipt requested - Include a cover letter with your contact information and a brief explanation - Follow up after 10 business days if you don't receive any acknowledgment The whole process took about 7 weeks for me from submission to resolution, so try not to stress too much about the 2-month timeline - you're actually doing well getting everything organized. The most important thing is that you have all the required documentation ready. Wishing you strength during this difficult time.

I'm really sorry for your loss. I work as a benefits coordinator and deal with SSA forms regularly, so I wanted to share some insider knowledge that might help. You're absolutely right that any of the three offices can process your SSA-1724 - the forms all go into the same national system regardless of which field office receives them. However, here's what can make a difference: 1. **Processing efficiency varies by office workload** - some offices are simply busier than others. You can actually call each office directly and ask about their current processing times for survivor benefit forms. 2. **Consider the office that handled your father's original claim** - if he was receiving benefits, one of those offices likely has his complete file readily accessible, which can shave a week or two off processing time. 3. **Online submission is often faster** - if you have or can create a my Social Security account, you can submit the SSA-1724 electronically along with scanned supporting documents. This typically processes 2-3 weeks faster than mail. 4. **Timing matters** - avoid submitting at month-end when offices are swamped with monthly processing. Mid-month submissions often move faster. The 2-month timeline since your father's passing is completely normal - you're not behind at all. Most families take 3-4 months to get everything sorted. Focus on having complete documentation rather than speed of submission. Missing documents cause much longer delays than choosing the "wrong" office ever could.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Jasmine. I went through this exact situation when my father passed away 18 months ago, and I understand how overwhelming all the paperwork can feel during an already difficult time. From my experience, it truly doesn't matter which of the three offices you send your SSA-1724 to - they all process these forms the same way and have access to the national database. What helped me was calling the SSA's main line (1-800-772-1213) to ask which office had been handling my father's benefits. They were able to tell me right away, and I sent the form there just for peace of mind, though any of them would have worked fine. A few things that made the process smoother for me: - I used certified mail with tracking (definitely worth the extra cost for important documents like this) - Made copies of everything before sending - Included a brief cover letter explaining what I was submitting and why - Called after two weeks to confirm they received everything The whole process took about 6-7 weeks from when I mailed the form to getting confirmation everything was updated. Your 2-month timeline is completely normal - most people I know took even longer to get organized after a loss, so don't feel like you're behind. Hang in there, and feel free to ask if you have any other questions about the process. You're doing great getting everything sorted out.

I'm sorry for your loss, Jasmine. I went through something very similar when my mother passed away last year. The good news is that it really doesn't matter which office you choose - all SSA field offices process forms the same way and have access to the same national system. What I'd recommend is calling the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and asking which office was handling your father's benefits originally. While any office can process your SSA-1724, sending it to the office that already has his file can sometimes be slightly more efficient. A few practical tips from my experience: - Use certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery - Keep copies of everything you send - Include a brief cover letter with your contact info - Follow up after 2 weeks to confirm receipt The whole process took about 6-8 weeks for me from submission to completion. Your 2-month timeline since his passing is completely normal - don't feel rushed. Most families take several months to get everything organized, and the SSA understands this. Make sure you have a certified copy of the death certificate (not the original) and all your identification documents ready. You're doing everything right, and this will get resolved. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.