A representative payee is a person or an organization appointed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to manage Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit payments for people who need help managing their money. The SSA appoints a payee to receive the benefits for anyone who cant manage or direct the management of his or her benefits. A payees main duties are to use the benefits to pay for the current and future needs of the beneficiary, and properly save any benefits not needed to meet current needs. A payee must also keep records of expenses.

A representative payee is expected to assist the person with money management, along with providing protection from financial abuse and victimization. The payee is responsible for managing the beneficiarys money for their interests and not theirs, and must manage the payments they receive for the current needs of the beneficiary and in their best interests. While serving as a representative payee, the payee is encouraged to go beyond just managing payments and be actively involved in the beneficiarys life.

The SSA looks for family or friends to serve as payees. When friends or family members are not able to serve as payees, the SSA looks for qualified organizations. Some US states and counties have set up representative, or substitute, payee programs, to allow psychiatric case workers and other professional care providers to manage their clients finances with more extensive oversight.

If youre appointed by the SSA as a representative payee, youre considered a fiduciary, meaning that you must, by law, manage the beneficiarys money for their interests and not yours. Being a representative payee doesnt mean that you manage other money or property for the beneficiary, unless youve been given other legal authority, such as being appointed a guardian of property by a court or as an agent under a power of attorney.

The SSA may select a representative payee for a representative payee review, which provides a more in-depth review. The SSA also mails an annual Representative Payee Report to the payees who are required to complete the report. Payees who are under 18 must complete the paper version. Individual payees who are 18 or older can complete it online by logging in to their my Social Security account.