Representative payee

Description

Representative payee

The Social Security Administration (SSA) appoints a person to be a representative payee for another person who needs help managing his or her Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit payments. A representative payee can only manage the benefit checks paid by SSA. If the person receiving the benefits has other money or property that he or she cannot manage, a representative payee must have legal authority from another source to manage other funds. For example, a representative payee also could be appointed guardian of property by a court. As a Social Security representative payee, you are a fiduciary.

For more information on representative payees, read this guide on managing someone else’s money.