GN 00502.112 Identifiers for the Representative Payee System (eRPS)

A. Policy

Correct payee coding is critical to representative payee (payee) oversight, including accounting and monitoring reviews, and for holding payees liable for debts. Be sure to record the proper Social Security Number (SSN) or location ZIP Code when taking a payee application in eRPS.

Each payee in eRPS is identified under a specific numeric identifier:

•

The SSN is the identifier for an individual applicant/payee; or
•

We verify employer identification numbers (EINs) to accurately identify organizations, see GN 00502.118. However, since EINs are not unique and there are no unique indicators for organizations, eRPS establishes an identifier, the “Organization ID,” using the ZIP Code of the physical location of the organization.

B. Procedure

1. Individual payee

eRPS verifies the applicant’s SSN before using it as the unique identifier of the individual.

2. Sole proprietorship, general partnership, or limited partnership

Even though the following businesses may have an EIN, record them as individual payees and use the owner’s or a general partner’s SSN to identify them in eRPS:

•

Sole proprietorship,
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General partnership, or
•

Limited partnership.

Record the SSN of the owner or the partner who is the SSA contact. Add a Rep Payee Applicant note in eRPS to keep a record of the name of the business and any EIN (MS 07415.002). In the case of a general partnership or limited partnership, add a Rep Payee Applicant note to keep a list of the names and SSNs of additional general partners. See GN 00501.012 for more information.

3. Entity with limited liability

Identify entities with limited liability as organizations in eRPS; for more information, see GN 00501.012B. Managers document and verify the EIN in eRPS, see GN 00502.118. eRPS uses the ZIP Code of the organization’s physical location to create the Organization ID.

4. Government agency

Code government agencies as organizations, see GN 00501.012B. Managers document and verify the EIN in eRPS, see GN 00502.118. eRPS uses the ZIP Code of the organization’s physical location to create the Organization ID.

5. Guardian

A guardian may be an individual or an organization. Code based on the Rep Payee Type.

a. Joint guardian

Only one identifier (SSN) can be used for cases involving joint guardians. Joint guardians are two or more individual legal statutory guardians appointed as guardians with equal responsibility for the beneficiary (see GN 00502.139A.3). Enter all data about the guardians under the first named guardian's SSN and enter the Type of Payee relationship based on that person's relationship to the beneficiary. On the Payment Legend screen (MS INTRANETERPS 011.006), enter the legend preference exactly as shown in the court order naming the guardians.

Add a Rep Payee Applicant note (MS 07415.002 and MS 07415.003B) with information about the second guardian as appropriate.

b. Public guardian

Public guardians are almost always organizational payees, and generally the Payment Legend should include the official's title.

However, in some localities where only one person serves as the public guardian, they usually prefer that the payment be made in their own name (e.g., Jane Smith, Public GDN for -). In other localities, the law requires that the public guardian's name be included in the Payment Legend. In those situations, process the payee application as for an organizational payee (i.e., use the correct location ZIP Code and verify the EIN). On the Rep Payee Organization Basic Info screen (MS 07414.007), use the public guardian's name and title in the Payment Legend.

C. Reference

GN 00501.012 Determining the "Rep Payee Type" of an Applicant or Payee

GN 00501.013 Explanations for Types of Payees

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0200502112

GN 00502.112 - Identifiers for the Representative Payee System (eRPS) - 07/17/2026
Batch run: 07/17/2026
Rev:07/17/2026

Program Operations Manual System (POMS)