Capital Connections, Inc.

SOCIAL SECURITY pays your benefits to a representative payee to manage and decide how to spend those benefits to help create a stable living environment for the beneficiary. A representative payee must manage and use the funds for the exclusive use and benefit, and in the best interest of, the beneficiary.

• THE FOLLOWING DUTIES ARE REQUIRED BY SSA

  • Determine the beneficiary's current day-to-day needs and use his/her payments to meet those needs;
  • Save any money left after meeting the beneficiary's current needs;
  • Report any changes or events which could affect the beneficiary's entitlement to benefits, including inability to contact beneficiary and not knowing where they are;
    
  • Provide benefit information to social service agencies or medical facilities that serve the beneficiary;
    
  • Keep separte records for each beneficiary of all payments received and how they are spent and/or saved;
  • Be aware of all SSI beneficiary's income and funds, and all items a beneficiary owns that could be converted to cash;
  • Return to SSA any conserved funds after we no longer serve as payee;
    
  • Complete appropriate forms for periodic reviews or redeterminations of eligibility factors
    

• THE FOLLOWING DUTIES ARE SUGGESTED BY SSA 

  • Meet regularly with the beneficiary (phone is preferred method);
  • Establish a budget, discuss it with beneficiary, and involve him/her as much as possible in financial decisions;
  • Explain benefits and expenses to beneficiary;
  • Help the beneficiary access other needed services;
  • Help negotiate with landlords and others to get the "best possible deal" for the beneficiary;
    
  • Assist beneficiary in completing other applications and/or cooperate with caseworkers;
  • Provide support and guidance to the beneficiary, including teaching them to use their benefits appropriately;
  • Counsel the beneficiary in using spending money in a responsible way.



A payee has no legal authority to manage a Social Security beneficiary's non-Social Security income or make medical decisions.  As a result, we do not take or manage other income of the beneficiary, such as pensions, child support, wages, spousal income, tribal payments, cash or bank accounts.

We cannot use the beneficiary's benefits for anything other than the beneficiary's own needs, and cannot spend the funds in a way that would leave the beneficiary without necessary items or services.



You must have an I.D. in order for Capital Connections to serve you. Valid I.D.'s are Drivers License or State I.D. (any state), or passport.

See this link for information about fees for payee services: http://capital-connections.org/resources/duluth_area/admin