Opinion ID: 624162
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 1971 Application for CIB

Text: Appellant Bello is the child of Lucia Sanchez, born in Puerto Rico, and Carlos E. Bello, a citizen of the Dominican Republic. In 1967, the parents met in Puerto Rico. In 1969, the parents and their infant daughter moved to the Bronx, New York. In August 1970, two months before Appellant Bello was born, Bello’s father died. Bello’s mother moved to the Dominican Republic. On October 21, 1970, Appellant Bello was born in the Dominican Republic. On February 16, 1971, Bello’s mother returned to the United States with Bello’s sister, leaving Bello in the care of relatives in the Dominican Republic. In July 1971, Bello’s mother applied for CIB on behalf of Appellant Bello and his sister. The Social Security Administration (“SSA”) determined that Appellant Bello was eligible for CIB benefits, but that those benefits were subject to suspension, pursuant to the alien non-payment provision of the Social Security Act (“the Act”), 42 U.S.C. § 402(t). Under the alien non-payment provision, 2 benefits cannot be paid to an individual who is not a U.S. citizen if that individual “is outside the United States” for six consecutive calendar months. See 42 U.S.C. § 402(t)(1). Bello’s mother did not appeal the denial of the CIB application.1 On September 15, 1980, Bello moved to the United States to live with his mother and sister. From October 1980 until October 1988, when Bello turned 18, he received CIB benefits. B. Bello’s 2002 Letter to SSA Requesting Retroactive Benefits On December 6, 2002, Bello received a letter from the SSA stating that he was eligible for CIB beginning in October 1970 until he turned 18 in October 1988. In a December 11, 2002 letter, Bello advised the SSA that he had not received benefits between October 1970 and October 1980, and requested that those benefits be paid retroactively. In response, the SSA sent Bello a December 12, 2002 letter explaining that he did not receive benefits during that ten-year period because he was not a U.S. citizen and was not living in the United States at the time. Bello does not dispute that he was in the Dominican Republic during the ten-year period. 1 Because the SSA destroyed Bello’s 1971 file as part of its record management policy, his 1971 CIB application and the SSA’s decision are not in the record. However, the parties do not dispute that the SSA denied Bello’s 1971 application pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 402(t), and Bello does not contend his mother appealed that decision or requested a hearing before an