I have always signed my SSDI check over to my wife as I do not have a bank account. I don't get out much. There is another reason why I don't but I won't get into that.

First Financial Bank, in Scherreville Indiana now states they can no longer deposit the check, nor will thay cash it since I do not have an account. My wife has several accounts with large amounts of funds. Talk about BS.

The end result is I had to open a joint checking with a minimum constant amount of funds and then I have to transfer the funds to my wifes account.

We were not warned about this in any way.

The bank states that the SS folks have asked that these checks not be accepted if they are are a second party, regardless of who that party is. The fact is is that they CAN do it, they just choose not to.

May I add that they put a hold on a GONVERMENT CHECK! And I'm out the minimum balance required for free checking. BS BS BS BS

My SSDI application stated I cannot handle funds, now I have a checking account, that's going to look good.

((((((James)))))),



This is just a thought. It might be too late to do anything about it now, but, ... here goes.

I'm getting up there in years (I'm just one year younger than my Father was when he died). I started worrying about my situation about a year or so ago. I wanted my son to have signing privileges on my checking/savings account. He can't right now because he's incarcerated (less than two months to go ). The other issue was that the bank needed a photo ID from him in order to add him to my checking account as a co-signer (right now, he doesn't have a photo ID).

What they WERE able to do was add him to my account like this:

BARBARA My_Last_Name
ITF My_Son's_First_and_Last_Name <<-- that 'ITF' means "in trust for"
Address1
Address2

Now, James, I'm no expert, but, you might want to contact your bank and also the Social Security Administration and see if your wife can add you as a signer to her checking account with the "In Trust For" designation. That way, I believe, your Social Security check could be deposited directly into her account.

As to this part:
I really don't think you have to worry about that. The Social Security Administration DOES realize that people have to have a LIFE and that sometimes there are rules and complications that make things much more difficult than they need to be.

I hope my suggestion works for you. It would actually simplify things. Good luck.

Hugs.

Barb

being from the California foothills, I remember with horror and dismay the case of Dorothea Puente...

Every month, Puente collected all the tenants' mail before they saw it and gave them only a small amount of their money, pocketing the rest.

On November 11, 1988, police found a body buried in the lawn of 60-year-old Dorothea Puente. Seven bodies were eventually found, and Puente was charged with a total of nine murders, convicted of three, and is now serving two life sentences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Puente

after that case, the rules for cashing SSI and SSDI checks and second parties were tightened a LOT.

also, the rules for doing board & care for mentally and physically disabled were made to include criminal background investigations.

I'm sorry those rules are negatively impacting you, James.

it's really a DRAG when one bad apple makes things so DIFFICULT for the rest of us.

I agree with the laws and that they are needed, but there SHOULD be exceptions!

Thanks Moose53, I'm really going to look into your suggestions. If it works, then I'll be able to close the account I had to open, and get my $200.00 minimum balance back PLUS no hold on the money.
I hope this works.

Cayokay, I really do understand the reason why, I guess. I suppose theirs a lot of fraud and things going on...BUT, these folks at the bank know us really well..my wifes BUISNESS account is there and she revolves about $18,000 a month thru it (I wish we got to keep all of it..lol). I suppose the few screw it up for the rest of us. Not fair, but I guess it's for the best of everyone. It's just a pain the rear.


Thanks folks, I appreciate it much.

James, it's possibly NOT your bank, but the gov't that THEY'RE getting problems with.

in other words, the bank allowed it before, because the bank KNOWS you guys, but then... they might've caught some FLAK for it, by an overzealous government clerk who noticed the signatures when processing?

I had a similar problem with my ex-husband once.

he paid the child support one month by signing over his TAX refund check.

my bank B of A (although they'd known me for many many years, and held my home loan, and handled my company business even!) simply REFUSED to allow me to cash the check, or even deposit the check into my account.

I was told that the reason was "government rules"

the bank doesnt have to put a hold on his ssdi check. They sound uncooperative to me and id be looking for a new place for my business account.

The hold was because it's a new account. Future deposits will be avalible after one buisness day, but never immediatley.

We have:
Buisness checking(1)
personal checking(2)
personal savings(2)
Home equity loan(1)
College fund (1)

And they put a hold on the check. Oh well.

Cayokay, you might be right. I don't know, but maybe they were cutting me slack and got busted for it. That's a nicer way to look at it anyway.

why don't you have a direct deposit into this new account?

Perhaps this just happened. Common sense would dictate that I'd have to have a bank account first.

Wow, I re-read this. It came out wrong.

This just occured and I haven't had a bank account in years. I have opened an account and I already have plans on having my check direct deposited.