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Need help managing money

Learn what happens if you need someone to handle your Social Security payments.

At a glance

If you get sick or face other challenges, you might not be able to take care of your own money. 

If you get Social Security benefits, you can choose someone to help you manage your monthly payments. This person is called a representative payee.

A representative payee can be a person or an organization. If you haven’t named anybody in advance, we usually pick a family member or friend to help you.

Learn more

Planning for the future

When you get or apply for benefits, you can tell us who should manage your money if you ever need help.

You can give us the names of up to three people. We will not talk to these people unless you need help managing your money.

Becoming a representative payee

If you are worried that someone you know cannot manage their Social Security payments, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can also make an appointment to talk with us.

Responsibilities of a representative payee

There are rules for representative payees.

Your representative payee must:

  • Use your monthly payment to buy things you need, such as food, clothes, and a place to live.
  • Keep track of how they spend your money.
  • Tell us if something happens that may affect your monthly payment or eligibility.
  • Let us know if they can’t manage your money anymore.

Managing your own money

If you have a representative payee but you want to start managing your own money, you need to show us that you are able to do so.

If you have questions about this process, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can also make an appointment to talk with us.