Can I Have Myself Appointed As The Payee For My Disability Benefits After Having A Representative Payee?

If you have a representative payee to handle your Social Security disability payments, it is likely due to your inability to manage your own money when you first began receiving benefits. There may come a time when you feel as though you no longer need someone else to fulfill this role. When this is the case, you can request to have yourself appointed as payee instead. While this may seem like a positive change, it is important to exercise caution before proceeding.

Before Requesting Yourself as Payee

Before making the request to have yourself appointed as payee for your disability benefits, it is important to understand how the process works and how it may affect your eligibility to receive benefits. You can apply to have yourself appointed as the payee if you are able to show that your condition has improved enough to allow you to manage your own money. Exercise caution when going this route, however. If your qualifying condition for purposes of obtaining Social Security disability benefits is a mental condition, you could jeopardize your benefits by claiming to now have the ability to handle your own money. Making this request will alert the Social Security Administration that there has been an improvement in your condition and they may choose to reopen your case. If they determine that you have improved sufficiently, your benefits may be denied going forward. While wanting to manage your own affairs is completely understandable, you don’t want it to jeopardize your much-needed benefits.

Before requesting a change to your representative payee, we encourage you to reach out for legal guidance. Contact use today at (214) 373-3761 for more information.