When I went into the SS office to file for my ss, my husband went with me. The person helping me could tell that something was wrong and ask me if I was representative payee for him. I said I had DPOA and that his ss check was direct deposited so I didn't think I needed to be. He told me that ss does not recognize DPOA and if we ever needed to make any changes with his ss, change banks maybe, that I couldn't do it. He did what he needed to do to have me named representative payee. The only change it made was that I had to fill out a one page questionaire every year. This questionaire ask how much ss he received and the second question ask how much was used for housing, utilities, clothing, doctors, etc. I always entered his entire ss amount on that line and put a zero on the next line. Signed the form and sent it back. Never any questions. I never had to make any changes with his ss either. So I guess I really didn't need it.
I went to file for representative payee for my husband. Piece of cake. His retirement social security was going into the joint savings account. Now it will go into the joint checking account we have. They will send him a letter stating I am his rep. If he doesn't object then all he needs to do is nothing. They are sending a form to his doctor to sign saying he has dementia and can not handle his affairs. I asked if it could go into the joint savings first and they said yes. Then I asked if it could go into the checking instead. No problem had the checkbook with and they just entered the info. Then I'll just fill out the reporting form once per year.
porkhck, a SS person here told me that if I was representative payee for my husband and wanted his check direct deposited it would have to go into an account in his name only. As long as I'm not representative payee, the check can be direct deposited into our joint account. I sometimes wonder if the people who work for some of these agencies know the rules.
My husband's ss check goes direct into our joint checking and there has not been a problem. The only thing I had to change was his pension. It went into the savings account and his name needed to come off the savings account for medicaid purposes so I just had to change the pension check to the checking account using my POA.
SS required me to be my husband's representative payee and open an account in his name as beneficiary and me as the representative payee. He was not to be able to access the money. I was given the specific way the account had to be set up and worded by SS. This was a requirement for his approval for SSDI due to FTD. I have to fill out the accounting form they send once a year. It is a very easy form to fill out as it only asks for two amounts. The first was how much of his SSDI was spent on rent/mortgage, food and the second on healthcare and other miscellaneous expenses. Also if there was any money left over at the end of the year, where was this money kept. I did it online.
I think SSDI works differently than regular Social Security payments. My sister was just approved for SSDI because of a mental disability and she had to have a representative payee. She and I currently have a joint account, because I've been handling her finances. I was told that if her checks were automatically deposited they would have to go in an account in her name only but set up in a particular way so that I could pay her bills. If the checks were sent to my home, we could keep the joint account. Strange . . .
This is strange because when my husband was first approved for SSDI I was his representative payee and the money was direct deposited into our joint checking account every month for as long as he lived. No one ever mentioned setting up a separate account....Interesting...
Yes, I think if my husband had been retirement age, we wouldn't have had to go through all of this. But, he was just 59 when he was approved for disability. I had to set up a checking account that said:
Husband, Beneficiary Me, Representative Payee
Also, any mail I receive from SS is addressed to me as his Representative Payee. When we went to the Social Security office, my husband was still more verbal and able to know what was going on and he did ask (with a bit of anger) why the checks had to come to me rather than him. Since his regular paychecks had always been direct deposited, I just told him it was so I could handle the paperwork without having to bother him just like we had always done. Since I have always handled the bills in our marriage, he accepted that. Now, he doesn't even wonder where the money comes from as long as he has $10 in his wallet and his cigarettes.
When my DH was approved for SSDI in 1988, Soc. Sec. told us we had to have his Direct Deposited check go into a savings account in his name with me authorized for access. DH wanted to know why. I told him that when people with certain disabilities affecting thinking abilities were given SSDI, Soc. Sec. couldn't sit there deciding which ones could handle their own money and which ones couldn't so they had all of them have Rep. Payees. He accepted that. Never brought up the idea to contest it (thank goodness), which can be done. When he hit Retiremnt Age, his SSDI was rolled right over into Soc. Sec. and the Rep. Payee status has continued. He'll turn 68 in October, and is solidly in Stage 6 of VaD. At this point I see no reason to rock the boat. Just pay the bills and complete the report once a year.
My wife was only 57 when I assisted her in applying for and getting Social Security Disability. She did little more than accompany me on our visits to the SS office and every SS rep that we dealt with knew very well that she was utterly incapable of answering any questions or even signing her own name. Not one of them ever questioned the situation nor my authority to act on her behalf. Her check has been direct deposited to our joint checking account from the beginning.
My dh was having his SS and pension direct deposited into our joint savings account long before I became his representative. After I became representative there was no change and no one mentioned a seperate account. The only difference was that statements came in my name for him and I had to fill out the yearly questionair. They told me the reason I should be his representative was in case I wanted to change banks. I would not be able to have his SS moved without it. I was representative for almost five years and never really needed it, but just in case I would, it was there.
No, Thunder. His original reason for applying for SSDI was a Mental Breakdown, Dxd as Schizo-Affective Disorder. When we married I knew he had multiple Learning Disabilities, confirmed in testing in 1987. There were no teaching methods available at that time to help him improve on the coping skills he'd developed on his own. His breakdown was work related, so we also messed with a Workman's Comp. claim as well. I count my Caregiving from March 1988 when his breakdown went to crisis. His Dx of VaD came out of the blue in Aug.-Sept. 2006, when he was admitted for a Psych Med adjustment required because extended exposure to one of his meds caused a false signal in his sytem telling his body to dump electrolytes. The DR.s decided to do a full Neuro-Psych Eval. to determine the meds to use. After the Nuro-Psych Test, when explaining the results to me, the Dr. first asked me, "Tell me about his Stroke History." My response, "What Stroke History?" They found 2 major Stroke Scars in his Brain, one of which is likely the cause of the tremors he has--we were told Essential or Familial Tremors in about 1976, 2 years after we married. So, to recap--He has significant Learning Disabilities which impair his ability to perceive and process; Schizo-Affective-Disorder which impairs his ability to comprehend clearly and respond appropriately, and Vascular Dementia which is slowly destroying his already impaired brain.
I applied for his SSDI online and only talked to someone at SS twice. First was to see how the claim was going. The second time was after this thread was started. I wanted to find out about representative payee and was told it was not necessary since I was his spouse. If I were parent, sibling or anyone else she said it would be needed.
I wonder if the difference has anything to do with the state you are in? Washington is a community property state.
Wow..just what I need..another thing to worry about. My husband's SS, his VA disability and his military retired pay is all direct deposit and it goes into a checking account that we both have and is in our trust such that if one of us cannot function for some reason the other can pay bills.. I wonder if I am missing something with this new thing about being payee? : 0
I cannot wait to be a representative payee...so far all I have been is the representative payer. But first, I need to become a payee,,,then add the representative in front of it.. We have a hearing on ssdi on May 7, and we chose not to have an attorney...My daughter and I will be her representative...and we are "armed to the teeth" with documentation and knowlege..
Best wishes, phranque. We're too old for SSDI, and elder law attorney said rep payee isn't necessary--just keep things simple as they are: direct deposit into joint account which is in trust.
As I said Zibby, the only reason they said I should be representative was if we moved and wanted to change where the money was direct deposited. They said I couldn't change where it went unless I was representative even with DPOA
Social Security doesn't recognize powers of attorney, so if that's what you have and you ever need to talk to someone about your spouse's SS, they won't talk to you unless you are the representative payee. But, you can use your power of attorney to set up the representative payee status after he or she can no longer sign. That makes no sense to me. I'm hoping we can continue without my every becoming the representative payee for my husband. Doing it for my sister and her SSDI is plenty for me.
Claude's SS and pension checks went into our joint account without any problems and I paid bills like normal.
When we moved my brother-in-law into a nursing home in our hometown after his wife died, we (meaning me) took over his affairs. His SS and pension check went into a joint account (his name and mine) and I paid all his expenses out of it. I also dealt with DHS and SS on his behalf and never was asked to be representative payee. This was in Oklahoma if that makes any difference.
From personal experience, always get an opinion from a second SS employee. Claude was told he couldn't get Medicare when he turned 65 because he was a retired government employee and had medical coverage as a retiree. WRONG...when we wised up when he was 72, he had to pay a 25% penalty each month to get Medicare.
i am new to being a represenative payee for my dad. i was made his payee in november 2010, but before that he was awarded several months of back pay and i was not his payee at that time of back pay, he was given back pay a month before i was his payee, my concern is are they going to ask me for a yearly report of his back pay also? im worried cuz before i was his payee i do not have any idea what he used the money for i only have record for the time i became payee, please help?
spanprn-- That is a question I'd ask them. And make a note of the date, name of worker, etrc. who answers it.
I believe though that you'll be asked for the aounting from the date of becoming his Rep. Payee for a 1 year span, and then for each year thereafter as long as ytou are his payee. The reporting sheet it very simple/ They tell you the span of time and the fuds provided tht you're aske to account for. You verify that you haven't commiotted a felony i the last hyear. The living arrangements for him have or haven't changed. Then you indicate how much of funds went for fod and shelter; how much went for clothing, Dr.s, entertainment, etc; how much, if any was saved. If any was sav ed they also want to know the kind of account and purpose. These 3 figures have to equal the amount the paid. Nothing is itemized.
My husband was awarded SSDI at 60 , dx of AD. The issue of a rep payee never came up. Last month I went in to a SS office to file for MY benefits, and the representative said that I should become his rep payee if he is ever living somewhere other than our home. For now, it is direct deposited into our joint checking account and I am happy to have one less piece of paperwork per year to do!
Don't worry to much about the accounting for being a representative payee. The form is super easy to fill out and does not go into great detail on how it was spent. They will probably only ask for the 1 year period you were his rep payee.
Well, I'm driving myself crazy with worry. They told me I had to be a Representative Payee and I got a little booklet that said I needed to put his money in a separate account. I hadn't gotten around to doing it (about 4 months ago), and this month his check is not in our account! I feel like this is just another job on top of the job I already have. What are they thinking to treat people who have been married 50 years like this anyway. I feel afraid of SS and I don't even want to talk to them, but I know I have to get it out of the way. I tend to try to analyze everthing out before I get to the interview, etc. Sends my blood pressure soaring.
Just call Social Security and ask if there was a mistake. I am my husband's Representative Payee and I had to open a separate account for the check to be deposited. The checking account states that my husband is the beneficiary and I am the Rep. Payee. It is an account that has his name on it but he cannot access the funds.
The checks read:
Husband's name, Beneficiary My name, Representative Payee
Try not to get yourself upset over this. When I opened the account, I went into my bank and spoke with a personal banker. I showed her the pamphlet and she set up the account AND called social security to set up the direct deposit for his checks while I was in her office. All mail that pertains to his payments and medicare come addressed to me as his representative payee.
Personally I wish I would have NEVER become his Rep Payee. It means keeping records of all that is spent on him. He hasn't had anything to do with the finances for years & wouldn't in the future. I should have just left well enough alone
I never set up a separate account....he was approved for his disability, we provided them with the blank check from our joint account and it was deposited in there for all the years he was alive. The reporting was easy....I just zeroed it out every year.
I didn't have a choice in becoming my husband's Representative Payee. When he was approved for disability, this was one of the requirements for getting his payments. Social Security also required the separate checking account before they would allow direct deposit of the check.
interesting - when hb was approved nothing was said about being his Representative payee or a separate account. I asked about the Rep Payee and was told it was not necessary. I wonder if that is because Washington is a community property state?? Wish all states had the same story/requirements when it comes to this.
I just explained to my DH why I'm his rep. payee, his way. When they approve people with certain disabilities like mental illness, dementia, or retardation, they can't spend a lot of time deciding which ones can handle their own money and which can't, so they have them have rep. payee to help them.
I've been doing it Since 1988. The form is still the same. In our case I just figure out a balance by percentage for the 2 categories. Nothing is saved--his check is too small. And if ever they want to audit I can show that "his share of the bills is actually more than what I report/
Deb, I didn't have a choice either when it was set up......I got a letter in the mail saying that due to my husband's diagnosis they wanted me to be the Representative Payee along with the forms to fill out. Nothing was ever said about a separate account. Of course, this was back in 1996 and things have probably changed a lot since then.
I am the Representative Payee for both my DH and DD, she is just 14. It goes into our joint account and I keep a little book with the spending for each one for each month. I ended up spending more on both last year than they got, I am sure it will be the same this year. They asked me up front to do it for DH. At first it worried me but now I just keep track of the spending and don't think about it. Just one more job we have........
The accounting is super easy since they don't want an itemized statement month by month. They pretty much have just two categories and I zero it out every year. We always spend more than his ss check is on insurance, medications, etc.
That's exactly what I did, Deb.....it is super easy. Not once in the 12 years I filled those forms out did anyone ever have a question.....but it would have been real easy to just show them checks written for a house payment, utilities, insurance, groceries....and on and on and on....the amount he got from SS didn't even come close to covering expenses.
I am always surprised when I hear SS required the spouse to be the representative payee. When DH qualified for SSDI, I asked if I should be made the rep payee. They told me no, that wasn't necessary. So the check is deposited in his checking account (not joint) and I manage the fund/payments. Not sure if this the best arrangement, but since I have my own SSDI which is greater than his and should he pass away we won't be dealing with assets in a joint checking acct.
I went to the bank and dutifully set up a checking account as they require and then I came home and found a check in the mailbox for the sum I was looking for. So, I'm feeling a little better. Thank you all for your comments as they helped me to cool down. My bank did not call Social Security for me, but I need to see them anyway to get our address straightened out. They have an office close by, but it's usually pretty busy.
When my husband filed for SSDI, the rep payee issue was never brought up. I recently filed for my own SS bens, the claims rep said that if I ever move my husband out of the house, then I should become his rep payee. Interesting how we all got different stories on this. His check is direct deposited into our joint account.
Jeannie--I like Deb's idea of going to the bank and letting them help you with this issue.
I am the representative payee for my spouse, and I am looking forward to filling out my first accounting. Will I get reimbursed to all the extras that I had to pay for in excess of what she received?? Will her future checks be increased?? Hmm.... I guess I might have to fudge the figures to show that we spend everything they send, and that it was all for her...but will they question 12,000 dollars in makeup????
When I had my husband's SS put into our account under both of our names, I began keeping track of our spending as I have to fill out a form every year from SS to account for the money. All I do is divide most things in half (that's how it as explained to me from the beginning). Even when my husband turned 65, I still had to do this. The only things I don't divide in half are his medical, dental, expenses we don't share but all of the household stuff is 1/2. Of course, this does not come near what our expenses are, but it is a portion and that is what they want to know.
My husband always had a separate account for some of his retirement income - pension and social security (one check went into our joint account). I have a bank card for that account (and I can sign on it), and I find it very handy when I buy Depends or meds or pay doctor bills, to use that account, so it's easily identifiable.
I am not rep payee for hb's ss. I recently went on line and changed his check to a different bank account w/no problem (a family trust account). He doesn't have a clue about $. His only income is a low ss check, and if I divided expenses, he'd be in the hole. A spouse doesn't have to be rep payee.
I'm not sure what this business of a SS Representative is. My wife gets a small (!!!!) SS amount each month, on my SS #, which is direct-deposited into our joint account. It is included in the income reported on our Federal and State income tax forms. Her medical expenses alone are many times above what SS pays her. What else do I need to do?
Social Security required me to become his representative payee due to his diagnosis. He is getting social security disability not regular social security. He was 59 at the time. It seems that each social security office (or area) handles these things differently. If you are not required to be a representative payee, then you don't need to do anything different than what you have been doing.
I am my sister's representative payee on her social security disability, because she receives it due to a mental disability. I was told that if we wanted the check deposited automatically, we had to open a special account. We already had a joint account in which we kept her money, but which I used to pay her bills, but the ownership wasn't phrased correctly for SS. I decided to get the checks in the mail and deposit them myself. I may change that though as it gets harder to get out with my husband. I don't to use any time I get to myself running errands for my sister.