How Is a Representative Payee Chosen for Social Security Payments?

The Social Security office handling a claimant's case may decide that a benefit payee (representative payee) is required, or this recommendation may be required by the administrative law judge (ALJ) in the Notice of Decision.

A Social Security recipient who has been notified that a representative payee will be needed can propose his or her own payee and go with that individual to their local Social Security office.

What are the requirements to be a payee?

A payee cannot have felony convictions and must have a means of support, which can either be a form of employment or even a monthly benefit, such as a Social Security retirement benefit or a Social Security disability benefit.

Learn more about how the representative payee is required to manage the recipient's disability check.