An annual report form (Representative Payee Report) is sent to representative payees for them to explain how Social Security and/or SSI payments were used during the 12-month report period. Payees should keep records throughout the year so that they can provide an accurate accounting.
Although some State mental institutions receive this report form for each beneficiary, most State mental institutions are subject to a different monitoring process (see §1624).
To help us assess the payee's performance, the report asks for information such as:
Whether the beneficiary lived alone, or with the same person, or in the same institution during the report period;
How the Social Security and/or SSI payments were used;
How much of the benefit payments were saved and how the savings were invested; and
Whether the payee was convicted of a felony during the report period.
Depending on the payee's responses, we may interview the payee, beneficiary, and custodian, if appropriate, and complete a more detailed report (Representative Payee Evaluation Report) in order to determine the continued suitability of the representative payee.
In addition to the annual report form required of all payees (except for State mental institutions), we visit certain organizational and individual payees periodically and examine a sample of beneficiary records. We also interview a sample of the beneficiaries served concerning the payee's performance. This site visit program provides an opportunity for ongoing education about the payees' duties and responsibilities, and helps to improve the lines of communication between the organizations and SSA.
Last Revised: Aug. 1, 2008