Q1: What is a Representative Payee?

A1: A representative payee is a person or organization designated to receive SSI and/or SSDI payments on behalf of a beneficiary. The representative payee must use the monthly benefits to ensure the beneficiary’s day to day needs are being met.

Q2: How Does a Representative Payee Ensure Beneficiary's needs are being met?

A2: A representative payee must use the benefit payments for the support and care of the beneficiary. The payee allocates money for food, clothing, rent, utilities, transportation cost and medical needs that aren't covered by insurance.

Q3: After All My Bills are Paid What Happens to The Rest of My Money?

A3: After addressing your monthly expenses, as determined by the monthly budget, Empower Me and client will determine the allotment schedule for discretionary expenses.

Q4: Will I Get Funds for The Holidays or Special Occasions, Like My Birthday?

A4: During the initial budgeting phase a savings strategy is established to meet these periodic expenses. Empower Me staff strongly encourages clients to save and will discourage use of savings for discretionary expenses.

Q5: Do I Have to Provide Receipts?

A5: Yes. As a way of protecting the financial interests of beneficiaries, SSA/VA requires accountability of funds dispersed by representative payee. Empower Me recognizes that for some beneficiaries providing receipts will be a barrier and will deal with those situations on a case by case basis.

Q6: Who Needs a Payee?

A6: Sometimes the Social Security Administration, Physician or a Social Service agency will decide that due to a variety of reason it is in the beneficiary's best interest to have their benefits managed by someone else. If the beneficiary does not have a family member or friend who can serve as payee, Social Security will appoint an organization to manage their benefits for them.

Q7: Is There A Fee for Your Service?

A7: Yes. The fee for Empower Me representative payee service varies depending on the benefit type. SSA and VA determines the monthly fee we charge beneficiaries. For private bill pay clients fee is determined by income.

Q8: What are The Benefits of Having a Payee?

A8: Representative payee programs have been found to have significant positive effects on a beneficiary’s ability to live independently. Appointment of a representative payee is associated with increased ability to meet basic needs and improvements in health outcomes, declines in homelessness, victimization, and arrests, and increased adherence to outpatient substance abuse treatment. For individuals diagnosed with a mental and/or developmental impairment, better money management is associated with superior quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, improved treatment compliance, and greater self-efficacy.