Understanding Social Security Representative Payee Program

Friday, October 26th
9:00 am – 10:15 am

Social Security’s Representative Payment Program provides financial management for the Social Security and SSI payments of beneficiaries who are incapable of managing their Social Security or SSI payments. Being an authorized representative, having power of attorney, or a joint bank account with the beneficiary is not the same as being a payee. These arrangements do not give legal authority to negotiate and manage a beneficiary’s Social Security and/or SSI benefits. In order to be a payee, you must apply for and be appointed by Social Security.

This session will explain exactly what Social Security’s representative payee program is – why it exists, how it works and who it affects. In addition, it will go through the numerous questions asked from beneficiaries and payees – individual and organizational.

No one gets too excited about sitting through a Social Security presentation. That makes Vonda VanTil’s job even more critical. After 27 years at Social Security, Vonda has mastered the art of entertaining while teaching. She effectively uses humor to engage and entertain her audience while ensuring that all understand the information and retain it for later reference.

Vonda, a West Michigan native, is a graduate of Aquinas College with a dual major in business and communications. Public speaking, webinars, newspaper articles, and radio interviews are just a few of the ways she educates and informs the public about their Social Security benefits.