Representative Payee

SSA requires a representative payee to perform the following duties:

1. Manage funds so the beneficiary has no unmet needs;
2. Account for all funds received and spent;
3. Conserve any unspent funds appropriately; and
4. Comply with all accounting and reporting responsibilities

The SSA requires representative payees to keep records and, when asked, report how funds are spent on behalf of a beneficiary.

A majority of the representative payee reviews will be directly assigned to the DRC-NH by SSA. The DRC-NH will also select other representative payees to review at its discretion.

During a representative payee review, the DRC-NH will do the following:

1. Interview the individual or organizational representative payee;
2. Review the representative payee’s financial records for the requested beneficiary or beneficiaries;
3. Conduct a home visit and interview with all included beneficiaries; and
4. Interview any legal guardians or third parties, when applicable.

DRC-NH will review a wide range of financial documents, including a beneficiary budget and ledger, individual bank statements, receipts of income, expense documentation, etc. For a more complete list of financial documents, please visit the SSA Representative Payee program webpage.

If DRC-NH has concerns that the representative payee is not fulfilling its duties, corrective action may be required. If corrective action is needed, either DRC-NH or the SSA will contact the representative payee to explain the findings and begin the corrective action. If the review finds no corrective action is needed, the representative payee will receive notice that the review is complete.

If you have concerns about your representative payee, you can contact DRC-NH at (603) 228-0432 to learn more about your legal rights as a beneficiary. You can also visit the SSA webpage “When a Payee Manages Your Money”.