Payee Lies

Rent rebates got sent out today, direct deposited into my bank account. Went to pick up my check from my payee. Receptionist said the bank was holding everyone’s rent rebates until next week.

That sounded strange so I went outside and called the bank. They were very reluctant to give any information since I have a payee. I did find out that the make all electronic deposits available the next day and that the holiday, in three days, would have no effect on that.

I went back in and told her that I had just talked to the bank. I asked the receptionist where she got her information from and she changed her story to one that the payees were holding the rebates. So I asked to speak to my payee.

My payee and another woman came out and told me that the bank was holding all the rent rebates. They said that the holiday was holding things up. When I mentioned talking to the bank they dismissed my concerns.

I went home and called the county. I talked to the woman who oversees mental health services in the county. I told her what had happened and she told me she’d check on it.

I eventually called my payee again and the receptionist said she was out. The she asked me my name and when I told her she immediately connected me to my payee, who was actually there.

My payee said that there were a bunch of new rules since a company took over their organization. I said, “But I thought it was the bank that was holding the money?” She stopped, paused, and then changed the subject.

She’s going to have a check waiting for me.

Why did they have to lie? They show absolutely no respect for the clients.

Funny thing, they have no legal authority to control or hold anything but social security benefits.

I’m not sure I’m going to let this just go away.

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You are correct–the representative payee is only to control Social Security income. They are not a conservator and cannot legally hold any NON-SS income from you.

I appointed my best friend as my payee. So I don’t have to deal with some stranger or shadiness with my money.

I would make sure to clear this matter up with your payee or find a new one. I know reappointing a new one is a hassle, but its your money on the line.

I hope you can get this straightened out.

Blessings,

Anthony

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I know a guy who thinks he’s being swindled by his rep payee and he can’t get anyone to take him seriously about it. His payee is his brothers wife, he knows he gets $800 something a month in disability, he lives in public housing and knows his rent is $200 something a month and yet he only gets $20 a week for spending money. He’s been wondering for years where the rest of his disability check is going. When he has asked his brothers wife she has told him it’s none of his business. He has a strong suspicion that the remainder is going towards his sister in law’s 2 pack a day/4 joint a day smoking habit…

I’ve asked him why he doesn’t get a new rep payee, which I don’t know much about really, but he just kind of grumbles in response about all the beaurocracy of it.

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My son was only getting $30 a week because $100 was going to pat of his medical insurance. I still dont know if that has been rsolved yet. It seems that everytime there is a holiday-SSI gets the checks messed up. I always wonder if the work just doesnt get done because everyone who works there is trying to get off work early for the holiday!
Sorry Malvok–hope you can get this resolved.

I got my check for the full rent rebate amount. The payees lied to me, and continue to lie to the other clients they have. I’ll push this matter tomorrow.

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good on you.
take care

Could you explain the concept, or direct me to a resource that explains it? I am not understanding how this system works.

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A payee is assigned to someone on Social Security if they have trouble managing their finances, or if they ask for one. This payee pays the person’s bills with their social security benefits.

I had asked to have my mother assigned as my payee as I was mismanaging my money. When she died the Mental Health Association became my payee.

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That makes sense. Thank you. I had a similar arrangement early on when I was having a hard time being consistently stable.

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My brother was legally assigned to help manage my finances - He might be a ■■■■■■■ but he is very good at managing money - and on many levels I do trust him, although we have our differences

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@Malvok

I’m sorry you have to go through all this red tape just to get an answer. I hope this gets cleared up quickly with no money loss to you.

I still have my parents as my payee if I ever relapse get on disability again. My sis is helping me learn to self manage the money. I’d like to think I’m getting better. I still have a roof over my head so something must be going right.

payees are required to file reports with the social security administration. get a copy of those from social security.

then audit that report against your utiliy and grocery bills, spending money etc. see where the money is going.

that’s what I’d recommend. I don’t have a payee, you don’t have to have one.

payees are frightening unless they are trusted family members or a spouse… I have heard too many stories, even payees who do skim off the SSI checks sometimes…

This is from SSA website, so you know there is a concern about this sort of thing

“an audit report by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General showed one aspect of the potential for misuse by organizational payees. In 2007, SSA’s Office of the Inspector General examined a sample of 139 organizational payees that received 3 or more benefit payments after the deaths of beneficiaries between January 2000 and May 2006. Of the 139 organizations in its sample, it found that 76 did not timely report the deaths of multiple beneficiaries and/or did not return funds that were incorrectly paid after death, despite SSA’s efforts to recover the benefits. Projecting from its sample, OIG estimated that SSA paid about 2,780 organizational payees $10 million in benefits after the deaths of beneficiaries (SSA, OIG, Organizational Representative Payees).
In the last ten years, SSA’s Office of the Inspector General has issued audit reports on ten of the approximately 1,200 fee-for-service payees. Among the problems these audits uncovered were: holding large amounts of conserved funds in uninsured, non-interest bearing accounts; accepting incorrect payments after the death of beneficiaries; charging excessive fees; having only limited contact with their beneficiaries; not keeping adequate records showing how funds were spent; commingling other funds with benefit funds; and not returning conserved funds for beneficiaries no longer in the payee’s care.”

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/oact/ssir/SSI10/Statement_10.html

Sounds like yours may be trying to commingle other funds with SS benefit funds?

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I hope that you get to the bottom of this.

You seem like a smart guy. Why don’t you make it a goal to learn how to budget, learn how to pay bills online, shop sales,
learn how to prioritize where your money needs to go, and other necessary things? I’m sure you can find many websites that could help you with this or Adult Ed classes that deal with this.

When I originally asked for my mother to be my payee years ago it was because I was going through a rough time and didn’t have the energy nor inclination to deal with paying bills and budgeting. It was a relief when she took care of things.

I can manage my money. I’ve stayed with a payee more out of habit these past few years. Now that I’ve gotten this untrustworthy payee I’m going to be calling my doctor to get a recommendation for me to be my own payee again.

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Well it’s a balance of doing what you are capable of doing and having control over your own life. i.e. managing your own finances. I’m not talking from some lofty height. I’ve gotten myself into debt many times and only got myself back out by luck. But I’m proud that I have a good credit score. I have missed only two monthly credit card payments in my life. Literally. One was a bank error so it didn’t go on my credit report. That was like ten years ago. The other one was just about 1 1/2 months ago. I missed a payment on my Kohls department store credit card. I called them up to straighten it out and they told me since it was my first late payment and it was only late by a couple days that it would not effect my credit or my account with them. I’ve had that Kohls card since 2006.I got my first credit card in 1997. Hey, you know that you can pay lots of bills online, right? You can set up all your bills to be automatically charged to your credit card at the same time each month.Or be automatically deducted from your bank account. You can go paperless by setting up your credit card account online. It’s very convenient. You can see all activity online and what your current balance is in a matter of a minute. I only have three bills each month. I don’t have to worry about them because they are automatically charged to my credit card once a month. I have my Dish TV payed, my internet/phone and my cell phone. You will do what you want but I just thought I would offer some info.

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You’ve made some good suggestions, ones I’ll likely follow when I become my own payee. Thanks, I appreciate it.

Any time…

These situations can be fraught with abuses…so is guardianship. I’m sorry…