Beginning in January, 2019 the Social Security Administration (SSA) may revoke certification of payment of benefits to any individual serving as a representative payee who fails to comply with a background check. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security benefits on behalf of an individual who cannot manage their own finances. The representative payee is required to use the money for the beneficiary and must account for the money to SSA. If the beneficiary lives with a spouse or parent who is the representative payee then there are no accounting requirements to report to SSA since a parent or spouse would have the beneficiary’s best interest in mind. Under the new law, states must conduct periodic onsite reviews of representative payees and a representative payee cannot act if they have been convicted of a felony or of an attempt or conspiracy to commit a felony.
