Information for Representative Payees

Office of Payee Review and Beneficiary Assistance
A Program of Disability Rights California
California’s Protection and Advocacy System

What is the Economic Impact Payment?

The Economic Impact Payment (EIP) is a payment from the government to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The payment is up to $1,200 for each person.

Beneficiaries can get the EIP whether they are working or unemployed. They do not need to have filed taxes for 2018 or 2019 to get it.

Beneficiaries may have received it by:

• Paper Check
• Direct Deposit to Collective or Individual Bank Account
• Pre-paid Economic Impact Payment Card
• Direct Deposit to Direct Express Card

Who Can Spend It?

• The Economic Impact Payment (EIP) is not a Social Security Administration benefit. Representative payees may not manage beneficiaries’ payments without permission from the beneficiary.
• You cannot choose what the EIP is spent on, nor tell a beneficiary how to spend it. You must let the beneficiary know when their EIP arrives. If they ask for it, you must give the entire payment to them.
• If a beneficiary asks for help managing the money, you may help them spend or manage it. Providing this help is not part of your role as their payee.

How Can It Be Spent?

• A beneficiary can spend the EIP on anything they choose.
• They may choose to spend it on living expenses, but you cannot force them to use it to pay for anything that is normally covered by their SSA or Medi-Cal benefits.
• Beneficiaries may add it to their PASS plan or ABLE account, too!

Representative Payee Accounting Reports

The EIP does not need to be included on Annual Accounting Reports for the first 12 months because it is a tax credit, not income.

Will It Impact Benefits?

The EIP is not:

• Counted as income;
• Included in Substantial Gainful Activity; or
• Counted towards SSI or Medi-Cal resource limits for 12 months after the beneficiary receives it.

Long-Term Care Facilities

• Long-term care facilities may not ask a resident to sign over their EIP.
• The EIP is a tax credit and is not counted as a resource.
• If a facility takes the payment, a resident can file a complaint with the California Attorney General, Federal Trade Commission, and licensing agencies.

Additional Resources

Internal Revenue Service

• EIP hotline: 1-800-919-9835
• IRS Economic Impact Payment Information Center

Social Security Administration (SSA)

• Economic Impact Payments Paid by the CARES Act

More Questions? Contact Us

OPRABAinfo@disabilityrightsca.org
www.disabilityrightsca.org
(800) 776-5746