Aging, General, Online Services

Representative Payees Help You Manage Your Social Security

April 25, 2024 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: May 9, 2024

Some people who receive monthly Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments may need help managing their money. When we receive information that indicates you need help, we’ll work with you to find the most suitable representative payee to manage your benefits.

A representative payee is someone who receives your monthly benefit payment on your behalf and must use the money to pay for your current needs.

These include:

  • Food.
  • Clothing.
  • Personal care items.
  • Housing and utilities.
  • Medical and dental expenses.
  • Rehabilitation expenses (if you have a disability).

If you need help managing your benefits, tell a Social Security representative that there is someone you want to be your representative payee.

Your representative payee should be someone you trust and see often, and who clearly understands your needs.

Social service agencies, nursing homes, or other organizations are also qualified to be a representative payee. Ask them to contact us.

You can write to us within 60 days of being assigned a representative payee if you don’t agree that you need one or if you want a different representative payee.

We also offer Advance Designation, which allows you to designate someone to be your representative payee in the future. There may come a time when you can no longer make your own financial decisions. You and your family will have peace of mind knowing that someone you trust may be appointed to manage your benefits for you.

You can submit your Advance Designation request when you apply for benefits or after you are already receiving benefits. You may do so through your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount or by calling and speaking to a Social Security representative.

You can find more information at www.ssa.gov/payee.

Did you find this Information helpful?

Yes
No
Thanks for your feedback!

Tags: , ,

See Comments

About the Author

Comments

  1. Jeffrey W.

    How do I get the requirements stopped to submit annual representative payee reports since I now have legal guardianship of my granddaughter and she lives in my household?

  2. Quacy M.

    i don’t think i need another payee people is attack my payee when i get them. hiding it

  3. Bettie j.

    My e mail address has changed bcs21935@gmail.com

    • T.Y.

      Hi, Betty. Thank you for reading our blog. If you are receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, you can create a personal my Social Security account to change your contact information online. If you are receiving SSI, you should contact your local Social Security office immediately. We hope this helps. 

      • Virginia S.

        I need an appointment

  4. Angel V.

    Mi hijo desabilitado desde chico soy su representante ahora llego un formulario[OMB0960-0511] disability update report,el trabaja 4 horas al dia segun lo estipulado por el seguro social solo trabaja 10 meses anual,cuanto puede ganar en el 2024?gracias

  5. JB

    What happens when current authorized representative who is now diagnosed with dementia will not cooperate to change to new representative. What are our options to change representative.
    thank you

Comments are closed.