For Their Financial Benefit: Determination of Financial Capability for Adult Beneficiaries of Social Security Disability

Social workers assist many adult disabled beneficiaries of Social Security disability with a variety of tasks, including management of their financial benefits. Some beneficiaries are deemed not to be financially capable when they cannot manage or direct the management of their Social Security funds. In such cases, an approved payee receives and disburses the payments to meet the basic needs of the beneficiary. This commentary summarizes a recent report commissioned by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and issued by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Social workers are encouraged to become familiar with the findings and recommendations to improve the SSA’s process of determining financial capability.

Project: Financial Capability and Asset Building