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Sheilaallison1 Asked September 2014

Why does social security not recognize POA?

My husband has Alz. and I have POA. I was told by social security they do not recognize POA and said I should fill out forms for me to be the payee. I do not understand why I have to do this as we have a joint checking account where his SSI goes into and have not had any problems.

pamstegma Sep 2014
Sheila, do nothing and let the check keep going to the bank account.
Call your health insurance company and let them know he is going on Medicaid, they can change his policy to be a Medicaid supplemental coverage. Actually I am surprised you are not also going on Medicaid.

Sheilaallison1 Sep 2014
He is home with me. He has been approved for Medicaid health plan and long term care plan. I called medicCare to ask if I should take him off my health insurance since he now has Medicaid. They said to call SSI. When I called SSI I was told they do not recognize power of attorney and I should be the payee.
Then I was told to call back Medicare and ask the question again. I was told not to cancel him from my insurance since there could come a time when he might not be eligible for Medicaid and then I would have to prove he had previous insurance. Do not understand why SSI would tell me to be the payee. His check goes straight to the bank which is in both our names.

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pamstegma Sep 2014
Sheila, if he is not with you and in a Nursing Home, the check usually goes to them. Is that the situation?

MaggieMarshall Sep 2014
Did this happen just after he went into assisted living or a nursing home? My friend's brother (I'm both of their POA's; but my friend is POA first in line with this brother) got a letter addressed to his brother from the SSA that they were holding his brother's direct deposit checks until he visited the SS office.

His brother CAN'T visit the SS office, so John went with his POA. They would not recognize it. John filled out paperwork making the nursing home his brother's payee because there are yearly forms that must be filled out showing that the money was actually spent on the recipient (his brother) and for nothing else. John didn't want to fill out the yearly forms (he's 86) so he made the nursing home payee.

His brother had just moved into a nursing home. The only thing we can figure out as to why it became an issue was either some correspondence from SSA was returned to sender, or nursing homes report to SSA when they get a new admission.

Anyhow, I'd say you encountered the same thing -- somehow they became aware he was infirm.

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