Payees on Benefit Issuances - Overview
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Payees on Benefit Issuances - Overview

Revised November 16, 2011

Purpose:
WAC 388-460-0001Who may be issued cash, child care, medical and Basic Food benefits?

WAC 388-460-0001

WAC 388-460-0001

Effective December 1, 2003

WAC 388-460-0001 Who may be issued cash, child care, medical and Basic Food benefits?

  1. Cash and child care assistance may be issued in the name of the following persons:

    1. A client who is the recipient of the benefits; 

    2. An ineligible parent or other relative getting benefits on behalf of an eligible child;

    3. A person, facility, organization, institution or agency acting as a protective payee or representative payee for a client;

    4. A guardian or agent acting on behalf of a client; or

    5. A vendor of goods or services supplied to an eligible client;

  2. When medical coverage accompanies cash assistance, the medical identification (MAID) card for the assistance unit members is issued in the name of the person listed as payee for the cash benefit.

  3. For other medical assistance units, the MAID card is issued to the person named as the head of the assistance unit.

  4. Basic Food benefits are issued to the person named as the head of the assistance unit for Basic Food.

This is a reprint of the official rule as published by the Office of the Code Reviser. If there are previous versions of this rule, they can be found using the Legislative Search page.

CLARIFYING INFORMATION

  1. See Protective Payees for information about when and how a protective payee is established.

  2. Vendor payments are most often done for cash benefits issued under the Additional Requirements programs.  See  EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE -  Additional Requirements (AREN)  and  ONGOING ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (OAR).

  3. Clients, guardians, parents, or agencies may ask you to issue the SSP in someone else’s name for the client. We do not pay for SSP payee services.

  4. We issue SSP benefits as warrants or Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT direct deposit) payments. Never try to issue an SSP using EBT.

WORKER RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Refer to Protective Payees for further instruction when there is evidence of the following:

    1. Repeated failure of the client to meet obligations for rent, food and other essentials on behalf of themselves or a child in their care;

    2. Repeated requests of the client for additional help because of an eviction or shut-off notice;

    3. The client is not properly caring for a child in their care;

    4. The client is misusing alcohol or drugs;

    5. The client demonstrates an apparent inability to handle daily affairs.

  2. Do not establish a protective payee when the cause of unpaid obligations is simply insufficient funds or a temporary lack of funds due to an emergency.

  3. To issue SSP benefits in a name other than the client’s name, require the following:

    1. A written request from the client naming the payee; or

    2. Proof that the agent or guardian has authority to act on the client’s behalf when the client cannot provide a written request.

  4. To issue SSP benefits for an SSI child in the parents name, require the following:

    1. An address match for the child and parent; and

    2. Using the SDX or another source, verify that the parent is the payee for the child’s SSI check.

  5. EBT cannot be used to issue SSP.  Select an AREP type that allows EFT (direct deposit) such as; “CG”, “NA”, “NO”, “NW”.  Select “PP” when a warrant is required.

Modification Date: November 16, 2011