How does Social Security choose a Representative Payee?
Appointment to be someone’s representative payee isn’t automatic. Social Security tries to select someone who knows the recipient, who sees the recipient often, and who knows what his or her needs are. For that reason, if the recipient is living with someone who already knows, and is helping, the recipient, they usually select that person to be the representative payee. What Does a Representative Payee Do? A payee acts on behalf of the beneficiary. A payee is responsible for everything related to benefits that a capable beneficiary would do for himself. Social Security encourages payees to go beyond just managing finances and to be actively involved in the beneficiary’s life. A Social Security Representative Payee has the following obligations: Determine the beneficiary’s needs, and use the Social Security payments to meet those needs; Save any money left after meeting the beneficiary’s current needs in an interest bearing account or savings bonds for the beneficiary’s future needs; Re
