My mother is unable to handle her Social Security benefits. What should I do?

Social Security recommends that you call their toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, as soon as possible and request an appointment with your local Social Security office to discuss your concerns. If they decide that your mother is incapable of managing or directing the management of her Social Security benefits, Social Security will select someone to serve as her "representative payee."

A representative payee is the person, agency, organization, or institution selected to receive and manage benefits on behalf of an incapable beneficiary. Whenever possible, the preferred payee is a family member or friend who has shown interest in the well-being of the beneficiary.

When a representative payee is appointed, the Social Security Administration field office provides the payee with complete information about the use of benefits; i.e., proper disbursement and how benefits should be conserved or invested. Social Security ensures that the payee understands the fiduciary nature of the relationship, that benefits belong to the beneficiary and are not the property of the payee. The payee is informed about the penalties for using the benefits other than for the benefit of the beneficiary and that an annual accounting is required.

For more information, you may call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free number and ask for the Social Security Administration’s publication called "A Guide For Representative Payees," publication number 05-10076. Social Security representatives there will be glad to help you. This publication is also available on the Internet at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10076.html