Fact Sheet (English)

Representative Payment Program Graphic

You Can Make A Difference

The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Representative Payment Program provides assistance to the most vulnerable members of society-the young, the elderly, and the disabled who are unable to manage their Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

SSA pays these people through representative payees who receive and manage payments on behalf of beneficiaries. For a small segment of the population, traditional networks of support are not available, and SSA looks to state, local or community sources to fill the need. These sources are called organizational representative payees.

 

How To Use The Benefits

A representative payee receives and manages the beneficiary's payments and uses them for the care and benefit of the beneficiary. Social Security or SSI benefits are properly used if they are:

spent for the beneficiary's current and reasonably foreseeable needs; or


saved and invested for the beneficiary, if the current needs are met.

As an organizational representative payee, you will be required to make sure that all the beneficiaries needs are met and good records are maintained.


SSA Seeks Qualified Organizations

SSA is seeking qualified organizations to help satisfy the need for representative payees. Generally, organizations make good payees because they have plenty of experience with services and resources within the community.

The Difference Is You!

Organizations really do make a difference when they act as payees for Social Security or SSI beneficiaries because they provide a critical service to one of the most vulnerable segments of our population. Being a representative payee can be very demanding, but it can also be very rewarding. Representative payees can make a difference.

For More Information

Visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/payee to answer many of the questions you may have about the Representative Payment Program. You also may call our toll-free telephone number, 1-800-772-1213. You can speak to a service representative between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on business days. Or, if you prefer, you can visit or write your local Social Security office.