The “RP is overpaid due to death of the beneficiary” alert means that during prior
service as a payee, the applicant received a check issued after the death of a beneficiary
and did not return the check to SSA. A payee’s failure to return payments received
after the death of a beneficiary is an indication that the applicant is not a suitable
payee choice. For more information, see GN 02201.001B.2.e. If the payee has multiple overpayment liability indicators, you must resolve each
specific indicator prior to appointing the payee.
NOTE: The Rep Payee Selection-Decision screen error message is “Payee overpayment due to
death of a beneficiary”.
To determine the record involving the overpayment and verify the correctness of the
alert message, take the following steps:
-
1.
Perform an individual payee, organizational payee, or a beneficiary/payee search on
the eRPS home screen (MS 07401.002);
-
2.
On the Representative Payee Details tab, under the Case Details heading, click Beneficiary
List, and then click Terminated List. Obtain a list of the payee’s terminated beneficiaries
from the Terminated Beneficiary List screen (MS 07420.018).
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3.
Look for a Yes in the Bene OP field on the Terminated Beneficiary List screen;
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4.
Query the Master Beneficiary Record (MBR), Payment History Update System Queries (PHUS),
Supplemental Security Record (SSR), Debt Management System (DMS), or the Treasury
Check Information (TCIS) to verify when death occurred and if the check is still outstanding.
Do not appoint a payee applicant who has received and not returned checks issued after
the death of a beneficiary unless you have evidence that:
-
•
the applicant poses no risk to the beneficiary;
-
•
there are no other more suitable applicants; and
-
•
the debt has been satisfied.
If a payee applicant meets all three criteria, take the following steps:
-
1.
On the Relationship Details Tab, under Case Details, select Overpayment Liability
to access the Overpayment Liability screen (MS 07420.024);
-
2.
Delete the overpayment liability indicator and document your reason for deleting the
indicator in the “Change Reason” text box.
If the payment records do not show that the specific debt has been satisfied, you
may appoint the applicant if one of the following exceptions apply:
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•
there is evidence the payee returned the overpayment due to the death of the beneficiary;
or
-
•
there is a waiver/appeal pending for the overpayment due to death of the beneficiary.
If one of the exceptions applies, take the following steps to appoint the applicant
and track the case:
-
1.
Document the evidence of the returned overpayment or pending waiver/appeal on the
Overpayment Liability screen (MS 07420.024);
-
2.
Select “Remittance/Waiver /Appeal Pending” check box on the Overpayment Liability
screen. This action will establish a work issue with a 180 day tickle;
-
3.
If the work issue is outstanding after 180 days, eRPS will issue the alert, “RP is
overpaid due to death of beneficiary (evidence expired).” For additional instructions
on appointing the applicant after the 180-day work issue, follow GN 00502.132B.4.o in this section.