Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries


500 - Internal Server Error

Status: Offline
Posts: 36507
Date:
Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries
Permalink  
 


Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries

(The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board issued the following on September 3, 2010.)

CHICAGO The Railroad Retirement Boards policy is that every annuitant has the right to manage his or her own benefits. However, when physical or mental impairments make a railroad retirement annuitant incapable of properly handling benefit payments, or where the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) determines that the interests of the annuitant so require, the RRB can appoint a representative payee to act on the annuitants behalf. A representative payee may be either a person or an organization selected by the RRB to receive benefits on behalf of an annuitant.

The following questions and answers provide information for family members, or others, who may have to act on behalf of an annuitant.

1. Does the RRB have legal authority to appoint a representative payee for an annuitant?

The Railroad Retirement Act gives the RRB authority to determine whether direct payment of benefits, or payment to a representative payee, will best serve an annuitants interest. The RRB can appoint a representative payee regardless of whether there has been a legal finding of incompetence or commitment and, depending on the circumstances in a particular case, the RRB can select someone other than the individuals legal representative to be the representative payee.

2. What if a person has been given power of attorney by a beneficiary?

Power of attorney is a legal process where one person grants another the authority to transact certain business on his or her behalf; but the RRB, like the Social Security Administration, does not recognize power of attorney for purposes of managing benefit payments for a beneficiary. For this purpose, the RRB uses the position of representative payee.

3. Why doesnt the RRB recognize power of attorney?

The Railroad Retirement Act protects a persons right to receive benefits directly and to use them as he or she sees fit by prohibiting the assignment of benefits. Power of attorney creates an assignment-like situation that is contrary to the protections given by this law. The Act likewise gives the RRB exclusive jurisdiction in determining whether to appoint a representative payee for an annuitant. If the RRB recognized power of attorney, it would be deferring to a designation made by someone outside of the agency and would, in effect, be abdicating its responsibility to the annuitant.

Also, events often occur which may affect an annuitants eligibility for benefits. The responsibility for reporting these events to the RRB is placed, by law, directly on the annuitant or the annuitants representative payee. When benefits are accepted, the annuitant or his or her payee attests to a continued eligibility for such benefits. And if payments are misused, they can be recouped from the payee. This is not true with power of attorney.

4. How are these representative payees selected?

Generally, the RRBs local field offices determine the need for a representative payee and interview potential payees. The field office also advises the payee of his or her duties, monitors the payee, investigates any allegations of misuse of funds, and changes the method of payment, or the payee, when appropriate.

The RRB provides 15 days advance notice to an annuitant of its intent to appoint a representative payee, and the name of the payee, in order to allow the annuitant a period of time in which to contest the appointment.

5. What are the primary duties and responsibilities of a representative payee?

The payee must give first consideration to the annuitants day-to-day needs. This includes paying for food, shelter, clothing, medical care and miscellaneous personal needs. Beyond day-to-day needs, railroad retirement benefits may be used for other expenses.

The payee is also responsible for reporting events to the RRB that affect the individuals annuity, and is required to account for the funds received on behalf of the annuitant.

In addition, since railroad retirement benefits are subject to Federal income tax, a representative payee is responsible for delivering the benefit information statements issued each year by the RRB to the person handling the annuitants tax matters.

Periodically, the payee will be asked to complete a report which includes questions regarding how much of the railroad retirement benefits available during the year were used for the support of the beneficiary, how much of the benefits were saved, and how the savings were invested. In order to complete the questionnaire correctly, a payee must keep current records of the railroad retirement benefits received and how the benefits were used. The records should be retained for four years.

6. What are a representative payees primary responsibilities for an annuitants Medicare coverage?

When an annuitant requires covered medical services, the payee must have the annuitants Medicare card available. The payee must also keep records of the services received and the expenses incurred or paid, just as for any other usage of railroad retirement benefits.

7. What if an annuitant is confined to an institution?

When annuitants are in a nursing home, hospital or other institution, their railroad retirement benefit payments should be used to meet the charges for their current maintenance. Current maintenance includes the usual charges the institution makes for providing care and services.

The payee should use the benefit payments to aid in the annuitants possible recovery or release from the institution, or to improve his or her living conditions while confined. Payments may be used to provide such items as clothing, personal grooming supplies, transportation of relatives to visit the patient, trial visits to relatives, medical and dental care, and reading materials and hobby supplies.

8. How should railroad retirement benefits not immediately required to meet an annuitants needs be handled?

Benefit payments which will not be needed in the near future must be saved or invested unless they are needed for the support of the annuitants legally dependent spouse or child, or to pay creditors under certain circumstances. It is recommended that conserved funds be held in interest-bearing accounts. Preferred investments are Federally-insured or State-insured accounts at financial institutions and obligations of, or those backed by, the Federal Government, such as U.S. Savings Bonds.

Funds should not be kept in the home, where they may be lost or stolen, nor can they be mingled with the payees own funds or other funds.

9. How can a person get more information about being appointed as a representative payee, or whether the use of railroad retirement benefits for a particular purpose would be proper?

More information is available by visiting the agencys web site, www.rrb.gov, or by calling an RRB office toll-free at 1-877-772-5772. Persons can find the address of the RRB office servicing their area by calling the RRBs toll-free number or at www.rrb.gov.

Monday, September 27, 2010



__________________

© Equal Opportunity Annoyer

Troll The Anti-Fast Freight Freddie

 

 

 

 



Force Majeure

Status: Offline
Posts: 23396
Date:
Permalink  
 

Fear not, Snippy has stepped forward to act on behalf of Uke's money.

__________________

Tinhorn Dictator



500 - Internal Server Error

Status: Offline
Posts: 36507
Date:
Permalink  
 

Snippy wrote:

Fear not, Snippy has stepped forward to act on behalf of Uke's money.




special-ed.jpg



__________________

© Equal Opportunity Annoyer

Troll The Anti-Fast Freight Freddie

 

 

 

 



Gloabal Modemator

Status: Offline
Posts: 522
Date:
Permalink  
 

Be;Believe me I know what being furloughed is like

__________________

MOLA LABEL

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Chatbox
Please log in to join the chat!