SOCIAL SECURITY REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE PROGRAM
Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) conducts reviews of representative payees who have been appointed by Social Security Administration (SSA) to manage the Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for anyone who can't manage or direct the management of his or her benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that there are 5.6 million rep payees serving 7.7 million beneficiaries nationwide, responsible for $77.9 billion in SSA benefits, in 2022. (Data source: Annual Report on the Results of Periodic Representative Payee Site Reviews and Other Reviews, ssa.gov)
The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays benefits to certain eligible people, called beneficiaries. If a beneficiary cannot manage or direct the management of their SSA benefits, SSA appoints a representative payee (rep payee) to receive and manage the SSA benefits. A rep payee can be a person or an organization.
If you think your representative payee is misusing your SSI or SSDI benefits, please contact the Social Security Administration to report it. You can find your local Social Security Administration office by using this link: https://www.ssa.gov/locator.
Click here for the Social Security Monitoring Program Flyer
What is a Representative Payee?
A representative payee is an entity selected by the Social SecurityAdministration (SSA) to receive and manage SSA benefits on behalf of a beneficiary who can't manage or direct management of his or her benefits, which might include beneficiaries: under age 18, or legally incapacitated, or those determined by SSA to be incapable of managing their money.
What Is DRCT Doing As Part Of Its Representative Payee Monitoring Program?
DRCT conducts reviews and educational visits to individual and organizational payees, including fee-for-service payees on SSA's behalf. Reviews and visits help ensure the protection of beneficiaries and recipients' interests and help ensure that the payee performs satisfactorily.
Does A DRCT Review Mean There Is A Problem With Representative Payee?
Not necessarily. SSA designed the program as a method to check on representative payees to ensure they are meeting the needs of the beneficiary. DRCT staff, however, can make recommendations to SSA for monitoring reviews if they learn of a situation where a representative payee may not be meeting a beneficiary’s needs.
What If I Know Of A Situation Where A Beneficiary’s Needs Are Not Being Met?
You can contact SSA at 1-800-772-1213 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on business days or contact your local Social Security office between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on business days. People who are deaf or hearing impaired may call the toll-free "TTY" number, 1-800-325-0778, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on business days. You can find answers to many questions by visiting the SSA website at www.socialsecurity.gov/payee.
Will DRCT Provide Any Other Services Under This Program?
In addition to the reviews, DRCT may be asked to recommend corrective action, assist the representative payee to improve management of beneficiary funds, and provide education to beneficiaries and representative payees.
This page is funded through a Social Security grant. Although Social Security reviewed this information for accuracy, it does not constitute an official Social Security communication. This communication is printed, published, or produced and disseminated at U.S. taxpayer expense.
If you have questions about the Social Security Monitoring Program, call (860) 297-4300 (voice), (800) 842-7303 (toll-free CT), (860) 509-4992 (videophone), email us at info@disrightsct.org, or visit www.disrightsct.org.
Representative Payee Confidential Complaint of Misuse of Benefits/Financial Exploitation
Note: This is a complaint to Disability Rights Connecticut and will assist us in potential investigations of rights violations. Although DRCT cannot investigate all complaints, the information may be used to identify trends or systemic issues.
