A Reminder about the Social Security Representative Payee Program
Date:
Dear Colleague,
Helping people who face barriers to our services is very important to us. This includes people who need the assistance of a representative payee. Since you serve as a Fee-For Service, Institutional, or Organizational Payee, please ensure that you are:
- Aware of the beneficiary's current day-to-day needs (i.e., food, clothing, shelter, medical expenses, and personal items).
- Using payments to meet the beneficiary's needs.
- Conserving any money left over after meeting the beneficiary's needs in a checking or savings account (preferably interest-bearing), U.S. savings bonds, or other appropriate investment(s) that is titled in a way that clearly establishes the beneficiary's ownership.
- Planning to spend wisely, or conserve, any large payment you receive in the best interests of the beneficiary.
- Reporting any event that may affect the beneficiary's entitlement to benefits or payment amount, such as returning to work.
- Promptly reporting to us any misuse or employee theft of the beneficiary's funds.
You can find the information above in the Guide for Organizational Representative Payees.
Being a payee does not give you authority to:
- Use the beneficiary's Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for anything other than the beneficiary's needs.
- Spend the beneficiary's Social Security or SSI benefits in a way that would leave the beneficiary without necessary items or services (i.e., housing, food, clothing, medical care).
For more information about resources Social Security offers, please visit our Social Security - Representative Payee Program and Information for People Helping Others pages.
Thank you for your work in helping our beneficiaries manage their benefits.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Buckner
Associate Commissioner
Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
@SSAOutreach