Representative Payee Program

Representative Payee Program

The Tehama County’s Representative Payee programs (Rep Payee) main duties are to use the client’s benefits to pay for the current and future needs of the beneficiary, and properly save any benefits not needed to meet current needs. A rep payee is an individual or organization that receives Social Security and/or SSI payments for someone who cannot manage or direct someone else to manage his/her money. The representative payee’s responsibility is to use the funds to pay for the current and foreseeable needs of the consumer for food, clothing and housing, recreation and miscellaneous expenses. Any funds left over after meeting the consumer’s current and foreseeable needs are kept in an interest bearing account.

A fee will be charged to all clients for payee services.  This fee is set by Social Security. The 2016 fee is: $41.00

      The Tehama County’s Rep Payee staff work very closely with the Department of Public Health Division of Mental Health and Social Security Administration to ensure that our clients’ financial stability is maintained.

     Currently Tehama County’s Rep Payee program is not serving clients that are receiving Veteran benefits, Pensions, or Annuities.

Check pick-up times

Monday-Friday

10:00 and 11:45 or from 2:00 to 4:00*

*UNLESS you are with your home health worker or case manager.

NO EXCEPTIONS

Guidelines for Rep Payee Clients:

  1. Must be able to provide birth certificate, proper identification, picture ID, and social security card.
  2. Must provide all insurance cards such as: Medi-Cal card, Medicare card, or any other private or secondary insurance cards.
  3. Must sign a release of information consent, this will help the payee better serve you by communicating with Mental Health, Social Services, Family Members, Landlords, and Social Security.
  4. Please allow 7 to 10 working days to have a check request fulfilled.
  5. It is the responsibility of the case manager and client to change the billing address of all vendors that the payee office will have to deal with.
  6. All questions for your payee are to be directed to YOUR case manager. Please contact your case manager for any questions you have or concerns you have regarding check requests for example: questions about amounts, when to pick up your check or if they have been processed.  If you need to change the day you pick up your check, or if you want to pick it up early or any other questions that may arise, you will still need to contact your case manager. The Public Guardian’s Office will refer you back to your case manager if you do not contact them first.
  7. The case manager is responsible for completing a change of address form whenever a client moves.  This needs to take place within 3 days of the move, as our office is responsible for notifying Social Security within 10 days.
  8. When a client moves case manager is also responsible for putting in a check request within one day of change.  You will need to put in a request for rent and one for P&I or groceries.  If this is not done in a timely manner, it creates problems with the wrong vendor being paid or the check going to the wrong address.
  9. Please submit a change immediately when a new case manager is assigned.
  10. The Public Guardian Office requires receipts for all check requests. If receipts are not provided, you can be in jeopardy of being terminated from the program.
  11. All applicants are expected to follow the guidelines and the terms of the program.  Failure to do so can result in termination.

 

For more information on the Rep Payee Program:

https://www.ssa.gov/payee/faqrep.htm#

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