What Are the Duties of a Representative Payee?
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 or herself. SSA encourages payees to go beyond just managing finances and to be actively involved in the beneficiary’s life. The following lists the required duties of a payee. Required Duties: • Determine the beneficiary’s needs and use his or her 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; • Report any changes or events which could affect the beneficiary’s eligibility for benefits or payment amount; • Keep records of all payments received and how they are spent and/or saved; • Provide benefit information to social service agencies or medical facilities that serve the beneficiary; • Help the beneficiary get medical treatment when necessary; • Notify SSA of any changes in your (the payee’s) circumstances
