---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 C.F.R. § 416.624"
title: "20"
number: "416.624"
heading: "How do we investigate a representative payee applicant?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/416.624"
---

# §416.624. How do we investigate a representative payee applicant?


Before selecting an individual or organization to act as your representative payee, we will perform an investigation.

- (a) **Nature of the investigation.** As part of the investigation, we do the following:
  - (1) Conduct a face-to-face interview with the payee applicant unless it is impracticable as explained in [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section.
  - (2) Require the payee applicant to submit documented proof of identity, unless information establishing identity has recently been submitted with an application for title II, VIII or XVI benefits.
  - (3) **Verify the payee applicant's Social Security account number or employer identification number.**
  - (4) Determine whether the payee applicant has been convicted of a violation of section [208](/cfr/20/208.md), [811](/cfr/20/811.md) or [1632](/cfr/20/1632.md) of the Social Security Act.
  - (5) Determine whether the payee applicant has previously served as a representative payee and if any previous appointment as payee was revoked or terminated for misusing title II, VIII or XVI benefits.
  - (6) Use our records to verify the payee applicant's employment and/or direct receipt of title II, VIII, or XVI benefits.
  - (7) Verify the payee applicant's concern for the beneficiary with the beneficiary's custodian or other interested person.
  - (8) Require the payee applicant to provide adequate information showing his or her relationship to the beneficiary and to describe his or her responsibility for the care of the beneficiary.
  - (9) Determine whether the payee applicant is a creditor of the beneficiary (see [§ 416.622(e)](/cfr/20/416.622.md?p=e)).
  - (10) **Conduct a criminal background check on the individual payee applicant.**
- (b) **Subsequent face-to-face interviews.** After holding a face-to-face interview with a payee applicant, subsequent face-to-face interviews are not required if that applicant continues to be qualified and currently is acting as a payee, unless we determine, within our discretion, that a new face-to-face interview is necessary. We base this decision on the payee's past performance and knowledge of and compliance with our reporting requirements.
- (c) **Impracticable.** We may consider a face-to-face interview impracticable if it would cause the payee applicant undue hardship. For example, the payee applicant would have to travel a great distance to the field office. In this situation, we may conduct the investigation to determine the payee applicant's suitability to serve as a representative payee without a face-to-face interview.

## Notes

### Amendments

[69 FR 60237, Oct. 7, 2004, as amended at 73 FR 66521, Nov. 10, 2008; 84 FR 4326, Feb. 15, 2018; 84 FR 57320, Oct. 25, 2019]

### Authority

Authority: Secs. 205(j)(1)(C), 702(a)(5), 1631(a)(2) and (d)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 405(j)(1)(C), 902(a)(5), 1383(a)(2) and (d)(1)).

### Source

Source: 47 FR 30475, July 14, 1982, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[69 FR 60237, Oct. 7, 2004, as amended at 73 FR 66521, Nov. 10, 2008; 84 FR 4326, Feb. 15, 2018; 84 FR 57320, Oct. 25, 2019]