The Beneficiary Wants to Spend Money on Things That Do Not Meet My Approval. What Is My Responsibility?
Your main obligation is to ensure that the current needs of the beneficiary are met. Once that has been done, the beneficiary has the right to have some discretionary spending money, even if you do not approve of all of his or her choices. In the case of drug or alcohol abuse, you may want to give the beneficiary only small amounts of spending money, or purchase food to give to the beneficiary, rather than giving him or her cash. If you think the beneficiary is spending his or her money on illegal or dangerous items and activities then you should seek help from a social service agency. You can request guidance from your local SSA office or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
