Payees on Benefit Issuances - Overview

Revised November 16, 2011

Purpose:

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

  • Clarifying Information and Worker Responsibilities

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-460-0001

  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 - WAC 388-460-0001

  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.