Does everyone who is approved for disability with SSDI or SSI need a responsible payee (other than themselves) or is that just in certain circumstances ?

I hope that no one finds that question offensive. I've got my own mental health history too , but my claim was under medical for SSDI.

This question came up in another forum that I am a member of. The SSDI recipient was apparently committing fraud by working under the table. I thought it odd that his payments would not go through a payee who should have noticed the fraud sooner.

Incapable adults need a payee. SSA presumes adults are capable unless evidence shows otherwise. To be capable, you have to demonstrate the ability to not make foolish decisions with money. This can change over time. Someone may need a payee for awhile and then become stable and not need a payee. Some mentally ill people are never stable enough.

A payee is not appointed in order to deter fraud. Heck, some payees collude in the fraud of the recipient. I also think the people who observe the SSDI recipient working under the table and don't notify OIG are also colluding in the fraud.

Sorry.....should have been clearer there. I know that the payee is not appointed to deter fraud, that their job is to reasonably dispense the money because the SSDI recipient might not be able to manage the finances on their own.

The other forum I referred to.......a man was complaining that his brother had been collecting SSDI since he was 18 for ADHD. His complaint was that his brother was going on yet another vacation and he didn't think that was fair because he couldn't afford his own vacation and was resentful that his brother could pay because of his disability check. He went on to complain further that his brother was out partying every night and made quite a nice salary under the table.

I told him that I thought he had a lot of nerve to complain that disabled people should not be allowed to go on vacation when his issue should be that he was aware of SSDI fraud and he wasn't turning his brother in. Fight ensues.....blah, blah, blah. His extended family was all aware of the situation but no one wanted to do anything about it.......even by confronting the brother and asking him to do the right thing. I did post the fraud hotline/email info from ssa.gov and he said he email them......Who knows if he really did ? A payee having knowledge of fraud came up through that.

It made me wonder if qualifying for SSDI under a mental health disability automatically implied that the person would not be able to manage their own finances.

I was approved for SSDI due to psychological problems and even though I indicated in my function report that I am incapable of managing a checkbook they still did not require that I have a payee.

Do you have family to help you manage Shell ?

Yes, my wife handles the finances.

I don't have to have a payee either, and i don't know why.. not only can I NOT handle money, but I can't keep a checkbook...I used to a long long time ago, but not anymore.

Not all psych approvals need a payee, no. As some of the other posters stated above, the claimant would need to show either gross irresponsibility or otherwise diminished mental capacity. Generally a doctor makes this call, and preferably the claimant's doctor.

I believe I could handle my money but the judge recommended it. I did not want to make any waves so I agreed. No big deal it all gets spent anyway.