An individual who handles a person’s social security payments is known as a representative payee for supplementary security income. They must be authorized by the Social Security Administration and must uphold a set of obligations while acting in the best interests of the person they are representing.
An individual who is unable to administer their own benefits is assisted by a representative payee. This often indicates that the subject is a minor child or an adult who lacks the mental capacity to make decisions. The law makes the assumption that persons can manage their benefits on their own, however conditions like dementia and others may prevent them from doing so, necessitating the use of a representative payee.
We will examine who is eligible to become an SSI representative payee and the obligations and responsibilities that come with the position. If you are having issues qualifying for SSI or SSDI, contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 for legal help.
Who Is Eligible to Be a Represented Payee?
Any number of different people may serve as a representative payee. For some families, having a family member act as a representative payee makes the most sense. Some people will think a friend would be more appropriate for the position. Others might still choose to rely on a business, whether it be for profit or not. It might be ideal for some persons, especially those who don’t have many family members remaining, for their mental health facility to act as a representative payee.
The Social Security Administration must first approve all representative payees. In order to do this, the prospective representative payee must get in touch with their local Social Security office, complete form SSA-11, and show the necessary identification documents. For individuals, this would be their social security number, while for businesses, it would be their employment identification number.
What Are a Representative Payee’s Responsibilities?
Your responsibility as a representative payee is to oversee the Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefit payments. Of course, you would manage your own benefit payments if you had them, but you would not be a representative payee in that case. Only when you are representing someone else are you a representative payee.
According to the law, representative payees must utilize any monies from payments they receive to meet the needs of the beneficiary. The person you are representing is the beneficiary. As an illustration, suppose your mother has dementia and you decide to act as their representative payee. This would allow you to control their benefits, but you would still need to act in their best interests. As long as the beneficiary benefited, the money might be used in a variety of ways. The money cannot be used to pay for your new pool or anything else just because you want it.
What Should I Do If a Family Member Requires a Representative Payee?
If you can act as their representative payee, you should. But, if it is above your scope, you might think about contacting a qualified lawyer. They can assist you in determining the best course of action, whether it be working with a business that can function as a representative payee in your place, pursuing additional education, or perhaps choosing a different path of action that we haven’t discussed today. You can reach PLBH at (800) 435-7542 for help.