BPDFamily.com

Has anyone had experience with trying to become your adult child's representative payee for their Social Security Disability?  I'm on the verge of it, and it's a very daunting idea.  My daughter is 46, diagnosed at 17.  She is single, no kids. 

One of her worst struggles throughout her life has been impulsive overspending.  Fast forward to today, and I am ready to stop enabling her by catching her up with her bills every month because she spends all her SSDI the week she gets it.  For the past three months she hasn't paid her subsidized rent (Section 8) or utilities before going out spending.  I've rescued her.  If she doesn't pay her rent she loses the Section 8 voucher, and she'll never get it back.  As you know, all over the country there are people on 20-year wait lists for a housing voucher. 

I am the only thing between her and homelessness.  And of course her mental illness is the only thing between herself and reality.  She has dismissed or rejected all supportive offers to help her get her bills paid because she wants to be independent.  Of course independence for her is an emotional state, not a reality-based state. 

She fits the Social Security definition of someone needing a representative payee, but I know she will not cooperate with the idea.  Is it possible to petition for this without the recipient's participation?  Do I need a lawyer?  Has anyone done this for an adult? 

I don't even want to manage her money.  All I want to do is pay her rent and utilities on the 3rd of the month on her behalf.  After that I don't even want to know how she spends the rest. 

Please let me know if you've had experience with being a representative payee or attempted to be, for an adult person with BPD who receives SSDI.  Thank you for any insight you have, and God bless us, every one!

While my son does not have BPD, I am his representative payee.  I was told by a friend who helps advocate for folks with ASD, that if he did not agree, I would have to take him to court and prove he is incompetent to get payee status.  Fortunately, when he applied, he needed my help.  At the office, the person assistine us told him he NEEDED to assign me as payee to finish processing this.  Idk if they changed rules, or if this gal was actually supposed to allow him to represent himself, or if his diagnosis meant he needed a payee, or maybe the fact that he needed my help with the forms meant he needed a payee, idk... .maybe I got lucky.

Hopefully someone with a child with BPD will reply tho.
Could be trickier to undo once it is done.

Idk how the SSDI folks will look at the fact that she is not spending the money on rent and such as you are paying that... .will she loose benefits if they know this?

... .

We have a joint account we set up before going into the office.  I had reassured him it was temporary until he learns money management skills.  The office insisted to do direct deposit into a joint account anyway.  So I am able to go into the account to pay off bills first if I had to.