Procedural Memos
Check Pick-Ups /
Deceased Clients /
Reporting Responsibilities /
Client Statements for Disbursement /
Clearing Warrants /
Employed Sub-Payee Clients /
Sub-Payee Clients in the Ticket to Work Program or PASS Program /
Client Balance Over $2,000.00
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Check Pick-Ups
If you would like to pick up a check, you must indicate this on the transmittal or talk to a Sub-Payee worker personally. Download Check Pick-Ups memo Deceased ClientsI am sorry to report that in the past year or so, a good number of our Sub-Payee clients have passed away. This has presented many questions regarding who should take responsibility and who will pay for burial/cremation arrangements. Therefore, please review the following information and guidelines carefully:Remember that the Sub-Payee Program and all case managers and contact staff do not have any legal authority to sign any legal documents for our clients. The Sub-Payee Program is not a legal entity. We provide payee services only. You and Sub-Payee are only authorized to complete and sign forms and documents from Social Security or from Social Services; this means that you cannot and should not sign any contracts or agreements of any kind on behalf of our Sub-Payee clients. This includes signing for funeral or burial arrangements or for cremation authorizations. Nor should you call a funeral director or mortuary when a client passes away. If one of you Sub-Payee clients passes away, the next of kin should be contacted first. The next of kin needs to contact the funeral director for burial arrangements. Case managers, contact staff or Sub-Payee workers should not contact a funeral director. If the next of kin does not wish to be involved, they should contact the Coroner’s Office immediately, at (510) 268-7300. You may contact the Coroner’s Office yourself; however, you will need to provide them with the name(s) of the next of kin. If there is no next of kin and you are notified by the board and care home or hospital or another person or facility that your client has passed away, per the Public Administrator: “If there is no known next of kin, the hospital or the board and care operator must contact the Alameda County Public Administrator’s Office and the Coroner’s office, which both can be reached at (510)268-7300. They need to ask to speak to a Public Administrator Investigator. Their hours are Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. They can leave a message and they will be contacted by someone at the Public Administrator’s office as soon as possible.”The above applies if there is no next of kin. We are not allowed to pay for any burial/cremation services out of the client’s account if there is no next of kin. Sub-Payee will send the balance in the account to the Public Administrator for services rendered. If there is next of kin and they are handling the funeral arrangements, you may submit a transmittal to send the available balance directly to the funeral director if you provide us with the invoice of bill from the funeral home along with your transmittal. If the next of kin pays for the arrangements themselves, you may submit a transmittal to reimburse them up to the available balance if they present proof of payment to you to send with your transmittal. Please remember, we can only issue payments up to the available balance in our account. If the client has any overpayments remaining at Social Security, we need to pay Social Security first before any monies can be used for funeral/burial arrangements. Therefore, before you inform the next of kin that funds may be available for burial/cremation services, contact Sub-Payee to find out the amount of available funds. If there is any balance left in a client’s account after burial services are paid and there is a next of kin, please contact the Sub-Payee worker to determine whether or not the balance can be disbursed to them. There are certain regulations that govern this situation and each case must be determined individually as to how the balance will be disbursed. These are basic guidelines, and hopefully this will answer your questions regarding what to do if your client passes away. Since each case is different and there are different circumstances involved for each client, always contact us if you should have any questions or need clarification as to how to handle the situation. If you have any questions regarding the above information, please contact someone in the Sup-Payee program, or the Sub-Payee supervisor. Download Deceased Clients memo Reporting ResponsibilitiesIt has recently come to my attention that there has been some confusion regarding reporting responsibilities of Sub-Payee case mangers and contact staff. Therefore, I would like to clarify and reemphasize what information is required by the Social Security Administration, Social Services and the Alameda County Substitute Payee Program.The Sub-Payee Program is mandated to report to Social Security and to Social Services all financial information, information regarding living arrangements, changes in employment, changes in marital status and any and all information that may have any bearing on the client’s benefits. As a participant of the Sub-Payee Program, you are not required to obtain permission from the client regarding release of any information to the Sub-Payee Program. Do not delay in informing the Sub- Payee PST of the required information pending you discussing the matter with the client or trying to obtain the client’s permission. Clients participating in the Sub-Payee Program have signed a consent to release information as a condition of participation, and it is all the authorization we need. Delays in reporting the required information may have an adverse affect on your client’s benefits. We will only release information to Social Security or to Social Services. We are contracted with Social Security and have agreed to provide and verify all information required to determine the client’s eligibility for benefits. Social Security requires that case managers and contact staff must have, at a minimum, direct monthly contact with the client, be aware all of the financial issues and needs of the client, and have knowledge of client’s whereabouts at all times. Case managers and contact staff must provide us with all required information and verification immediately. If you have lost contact with the Sub-Payee client or the client refuses to contact you, you must notify us at once and all disbursements need to be stopped. Failure to provide all information to the Sub-Payee Unit necessary to meet Social Security and/or Social Services requirements will affect your client’s benefits (i.e. suspended or terminated benefits and overpayments). In addition, continued failure to adhere to program reporting requirements will impact your client’s ability to remain as a participant in the Sub-Payee Program. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your reporting responsibilities, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (510) 383-1567 or tie line 31567 Download Reporting Responsibilities memo Client Statements for DisbursementThis is a reminder to obtain a signed and dated statement from the client acknowledging each disbursement from their Sub-Payee accounts payable to someone other than the client for spending money, personal needs, damages, food, clothing, reimbursements, etc.For example, if the client wishes to purchase an item or items from a department store and the check will be payable to the department store, you should have the client sign a statement to the effect and submit that statement with your transmittal. Also, if you have a bill that needs to be paid for the client, you must submit the bill with your transmittal. The name of the client should appear on the bill. If the name of the client is not on the bill, then along with a copy of the bill, you must also submit a signed statement from the client stating that they wish to pay the bill with your transmittal. A statement from the client will not be required if we have a copy of the bill with their name on it. If you have any questions regarding these regulations, you can reach me (Renee Plunkett) at (510) 383-1567, or at tieline 31567. Download Client Statements for Disbursement memo Clearing WarrantsUnfortunately, there have been many issues regarding client’s whose SSI is put into suspense because there is a warrant out for their arrest. Social Security considers clients with outstanding warrants as fugitives from justice and will stop their benefits. Social Security is informed by various criminal justice systems when there is an outstanding warrant, and will provide them with the warrant number, the date the warrant was issued and the name of the criminal justice agency or the jurisdiction. Social Security will then put the client’s SSI into suspense and will not reinstate benefits until they receive written verification from the jurisdiction or the criminal justice system that the warrant has been cleared.Whenever the Sub-Payee unit receives a letter from Social Security stating that there is an outstanding warrant for your client, we will provide you with the warrant number, the date of the warrant and the name of the jail or county of jurisdiction. It will then be your responsibility to provide the Sub-Payee PST with written verification that the warrant is cleared. The written verification must state the following: 1. The number of the warrantSocial Security will not reinstate your client’s benefits without the written verification stating the required information. You will need to contact the police department or the criminal justice system and request written documentation. Below are some telephone numbers that may be helpful: Download Clearing Warrants memo Employed Sub-Payee ClientsThis is to serve as a reminder to everyone that if you have any Sub-Payee clients who are employed, either full time or part time, working through Vocational Rehab Programs, or any other type of job: Verification of earnings or wage stubs must be submitted to the Sub-Payee worker each week or each month.In addition, it is required that the previous month’s wage verification be submitted to us by the 10th of each month. Social Security mandates that we are to report all income in a timely manner otherwise the client’s benefits may be suspended or terminated. If you have a client who is working, it is your responsibility to report this to us and to obtain all wage stubs each week or each month and fax or mail them to the Sub- Payee Unit. If we do not receive your client’s wage stubs each month, this may be cause for termination form the Sub-Payee Program. You must closely monitor your client’s employment status. If your client terminates employment for any reason, you must immediately notify the Sub-Payee worker. We will require the date of the last day worked and the last wage stub. If your client provides wage verification directly to Social security, you are still required to submit verification to the Sub-Payee Unit. Since we are the payee, it is our responsibility to maintain a record of all income received by all clients according to Social Security regulations. Additionally, Social Security requires that your clients apply for Unemployment Benefits if employment is terminated for any reason. The Sub-Payee Program requires that you fax or mail written verification that an application has been submitted to us in order to show that we are in compliance with Social Security regulations. You can assist you clients with the unemployment application by applying for them online at http://www.edd.ca.gov/uirep/uiappind.htm If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please let me know. Thank you for all your continued cooperation in providing the best possible services for all of our clients. Download Employed Sub-Payee Clients memo Sub-Payee Clients in the Ticket to Work Program or PASS ProgramIn order to encourage disabled clients to return to work, find a job, or to obtain vocational training, Social Security has instituted the Ticket to Work and Pass Programs. You can obtain more information by calling Social Security or visiting their website at www.ssa.gov/work/For those Sub-Payee clients who have been accepted to either one of these programs, you must continue to submit all wage verifications to the Sub-Payee worker either on a weekly or monthly basis. As the Representative Payee, Social Security Administration requires that we monitor and obtain verification of all our clients’ income and resources. In addition, if your client has been approved for the PASS program, you will need to submit a copy of the approved PASS Program Plan to the Sub-Payee Unit. Please fax or mail us a copy when it is approved by Social Security. If you are aware of, or are assisting your client in applying for this program, you must inform us immediately. Also you will need to monitor your client’s participation in the PASS program and report to us immediately if the client is unable to follow the plan, decides not to pursue his goal, decides to pursue a different goal, decides that they do not need to pay for any of the expenses listed in the plan, if someone else pays for any of their plan expenses, they use the income or resources Social Security excludes for a purpose other than the expenses specified in the plan or if there are any other changes in their plan. We are mandated to report changes within 10 days. Also, clients need to keep receipts to show what expenses were paid for as part of the plan. As stated in my memo dated January 20, 2005 regarding any employed clients, you must provide the Sub- Payee worker with verification of the previous month’s earnings by the 10th of each month. This includes all clients who are in the Ticket to Work or PASS programs. Even if the client submits verification directly to the Social Security Administration, you will also need to provide us with copies of all wage stubs. Additionally, if the client sets up a separate savings account for the PASS program, you are required to submit bank statements each month to the Sub-Payee worker. If we do no receive the required verifications in a timely manner, this may be cause for your client to be terminated from the Sub-Payee Program. As the Representative Payee, Social Security requires us to provide all required verification by a specified date. If you or we as the Representative Payee do not comply, your client’s benefits may be suspended or terminated. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to call (510) 383-1567 Download Sub-Payee Clients in the Ticket to Work Program or PASS Program memo Client Balance Over $2,000.00SSI recipients are ineligible for SSI benefits if their resources exceed $2,000.00 If the balance in any other account, plus the balance in the Substitute Payee Trust Account exceeds $2,000.00 on the first day of the month, this also constitutes an overpayment. We must return the SSI payment received to Social Security for each month the combined balances exceed $2,000.00. If a client receives a retroactive SSI and/or SSA payment and it exceeds $2,000.00, they will have six months from the date the payment is received to spend it down to or below $2,000.00 in order to remain eligible for SSI. If you have any questions regarding these regulations, you can reach me (Renee Plunkett) at (510) 383-1567, or at tie line 31567. 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