My wireless Internet service is only $15 a month. The initial equipment was under a $100. This is something that your son should research the costs on and pay for out of his allowance. If he wants to handle his finances, then he needs to prove it before asking SS.

If you believe he is functional enough to not need a Representative Payee, why don't you direct him to this forum? I thought the whole goal is to make him less dependent on you. You say he's online all the time, why keep him out of this?

Do you want to continue to be his Representative Payee during your lifetime? Or do you want him to handle his own finances right away? I think that might be part of the confusion.

In fact, I have him do the grocery shopping if you read my post. He does fine. He gets some stuff he shouldn't at time but everyone does that including me. I don't need a payee. I do let him help my with bills. He does great with that. He used online banking & likes that. He also likes to pay bills by using the phone automated system. I let him use a debit card or ach to pay the bills. Yes, I trust him with our finances.

My point is no one really needs a payee these day except for those who want it or who have guardians. The reason, Debit cards, online bill pay & automated phone pay (ACH or debit card) are very easy. Some stores will print out what left if it is a prepaid debit card. I told him to complain to his congress office, if they still say he needs a payee after I am gone & he is over 65. They can work the red-tape. He does have a hard time writing checks but he can do it if take his time.

Me & My son got to talking. By having a payee it does violate a person constitutional right to have a choice. A payee takes that right away. Any beneficiary should of a right to mess up like anyone else. SSDI doesn't care what you spend it for. SSI does if you are disabled. We watch Cspan a lot.

Do you trust him with the rent money in CASH?

So why do you remain payee when you believe it is morally wrong? Has SSI denied his application to be his own payee? Has he even applied?

I believe that payees should be required for minor children, legally incompetent adults, and mentally disabled adults who have shown that they do not have the ability to be sure the rent is paid or there is food in the cupboard through the end of the month and the lights are still on and the water still runs. I believe society has a responsibility to make sure that mentally challenged adults are neither homeless nor hungry.

So why doesn't he apply to be his own payee? You are the one who thinks he doesn't need it and that it is not necessary. Why do you continue cooperating in something you don't agree with?

When you are no longer payee, you will no longer have any rights to controlling the money, making decisions about the money, getting Social Security to take action on his behalf. That will all fall on his shoulders. He will bear the brunt of his good and bad decisions, like the rest of us do.

Too late to change for November, but December can be changed. Get a form SSA-787. He needs to take it to his treating physician who will make a recommendation. That form can then be submitted with the payee application at your local office and he can be his own payee December or possibly January. Not hard at all.

I am finished responding in this thread.

Any person receiving Social Security benefits--SSI, SSDI, SS retirement, can be required to have a Representative Payee. Janke explained the reason for this.

How old is your son?

Me & him don't want to jeopardized tell his 65 for his own protection. By your thinking in post 44 everyone should have a payee. I know a lot people who don't have food on the shelves or pay their rent or pay their mortgage or pay their credit card or pay their bills on time and and they are not disabled. He has read this thread. I didn't say I completely against a payee either. Just for those who want one or court ordered guardian.

Is your son capable of asking these questions for himself?

If so, then he should. He can post them here. He can go elsewhere on the internet. He can find a free, local Social Security advocate. He can hire an attorney.

If he is not capable of participating in this discussion for himself, then he very likely needs a Representaive payee. He might be more or less capable when he turns 65. If he's over 55 and never worked as an adult, the odds of him losing his SSD, simply for requesting to handle his own finances are pretty small.

Regardless, he needs to ask his doc if he'd be supportive of such a change. Additional psych testing might be required for his doctor to make that decision.

Janke is incredibly knowledgeable about SSI and SSDI. Lefthanded is as well. Their interpretations of the rules and regulations of Social Security Disability are based on the law, not on their personal opinions. I can not state strongly enough how much I respect both of them.

You asking to many personal questions, that he wouldn't even answer. If he posted here he would be banned. He is not patient as I am but do have my limits as well. I am not getting the answers I want. I find another forum unsubscribing.

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Shari,

I think the idea offered about requesting to audit a class is an excellent one.

Obviously, no one here can guarantee you that just one class won't be an issue on your review. I would think that doing one online class wouldn't matter to SSDI, but who knows....I think managing a full time course load, even if it is done online would be an entirely different situation. If someone can do 6 to 8 hours of coursework/homework 5+ days a week, I think it would be hard to prove you couldn't do SGA. I would think SSA would look at it differently if it was just one course because the workload would be so much less.

I'm in a similar situation. One night watching late night tv I saw a commercial for people who wanted to take graduate school classes online. I checked the website....name of which I forget right now, but it was tied to 'education connection' which has A LOT of ads for online classes and finding the right college. I took a pretest (like a mini SAT) and it told me I passed, that I'd be getting a call to arrange to take my first class for free, starting the next evening. I got the call....heard my phone answering machine pick up...heard them say, please call us back quick, the class starts tonight, but, could not get out of bed to get to the phone

I wonder if that's my "sign" that it was a dumb idea to begin with....

I don't know when the next class starts. I'm afraid to get excited about it and have it be something I can't do. I think if it's a matter of read 10 hours worth of stuff and answer a few questions by the next week, I shouldbe able to handle that....but if I need to be "on" on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 10 pm, I don't see how I can make my body agree to be functioning during that timeframe. Sometimes, it WILL be functioning, but I can't guarantee that unless I spend days beforehand in bed. I KNOW this is procrastination, and I should call and find out what the requirements will be, but IF I find out I can't do it....that's just another dream smashed by my stupid crappy body.

Want to make a pact ? I look into my class if you look into your's ?

finz--that left message, just sounds like a sales tool. They're trying to get you "to act quickly" (impulsively) so you don't have time to research less expensive options! Most semester classes start in Aug or Sep and if it's a quarterly program, you won't have long to wait anyway.

Public colleges offer online classes at a fraction of the cost and the classes will be transferrable if you ever decide to switch schools.

My son insisted he wanted to attend a local, nationally known photography program while in high school. It used to have a great reputation. I was leary due to the expense and something just feeling "off" when reading their class schedule. The fact that they pretty much accept everyone was a big clue. I did an internet search and found out that there were lots of issues with the program. Many students had wracked up enormous debt ($100,000-200,000) and then had to drop out because there was no delay for their student loans payments till after they completed their degree like a normal college program. They then found out the units they had completed were not transferrable and if they had finished, many graduate programs wouldn't count their "degree."

He eventually ended up applying to three of the top public school programs in the country and the expense was a lot less, even out of state.

Please research former student reviews away from the school website! So many people go through University of Phoenix, and it is such a waste of money, when even out of state tuition will be cheaper in most cases.

I think it's wonderful to continue your education, but please procede with caution!