Retention Date: 09/21/2024
A. Purpose/Background
This Emergency Message (EM) notifies technicians of a new online service option for representative payees to complete and submit form SSA-552 – Dedicated Account Use of Funds Statement electronically. The online version of the form provides an alternate service delivery channel in lieu of returning a completed paper form by mail or in person for representative payees. This EM outlines these changes and provides instructions for utilizing the online SSA-552 (e552).
B. Policy
Effective August 1996, after any Interim Assistance (IA) reimbursement payment and/or direct payment of representative fees, any payment that exceeds six times the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) plus any Optional State Supplement (OSS) that is issued to the representative payee of an eligible individual under age 18, must be paid into a dedicated account at a financial institution.
This account must be established by the representative payee prior to the release of the past-due benefits. Once the representative payee establishes the dedicated account and provides the FO with the required information for the account, he or she must sign and date the SSA-552, Dedicated Account Use of Funds Statement. The SSA-552 describes how to use and how not to use dedicated account funds, and the reporting and accounting responsibilities relevant to dedicated accounts. By signing the form, the representative payee acknowledges that he or she understands the usage restrictions of the dedicated account. SSA will then directly deposit the past-due benefits into this account. Funds deposited into this account may be used only for certain limited expenditures as described in GN 00602.140.
In the past, the SSA-552 was only available electronically on the SSA’s inForm and UniForms website for the technician to print and mail the form to the representative payee. Now, a representative payee who needs to complete an SSA-552 has the option to use the online service to complete the form in lieu of returning a completed paper form by mail or in person. The technician can send the link to the representative payee to complete the form online. The link can be sent through the eMailer program.
In the event a representative payee contacts Social Security and requests a replacement SSA-552 form, after properly identifying the caller/visitor, the technician may use eMailer to send a link to the representative payee to complete the form electronically himself/herself, in lieu of completing the paper SSA-552 that he or she received in the mail. If the representative payee still prefers to fill out a paper form, mail the paper form.
The e552 will be completed electronically by the representative payee and will not have any pre-filled text on the form. The link for the blank e552 can be emailed or texted to the representative payee through the eMailer program. The representative payee does not need an account with my Social Security to complete the e552.
C. Instructions for the eMailer program for the e552
Retention Date: 02/21/2024
A. Purpose/Background
This Emergency Message (EM) notifies technicians of a new online service option for representative payees to complete and submit form SSA-552 – Dedicated Account Use of Funds Statement electronically. The online version of the form provides an alternate service delivery channel in lieu of returning a completed paper form by mail or in person for representative payees. This EM outlines these changes and provides instructions for utilizing the online SSA-552 (e552).
B. Policy
Effective August 1996, after any Interim Assistance (IA) reimbursement payment and/or direct payment of representative fees, any payment that exceeds six times the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) plus any Optional State Supplement (OSS) that is issued to the representative payee of an eligible individual under age 18, must be paid into a dedicated account at a financial institution.
This account must be established by the representative payee prior to the release of the past-due benefits. Once the representative payee establishes the dedicated account and provides the FO with the required information for the account, he or she must sign and date the SSA-552, Dedicated Account Use of Funds Statement. The SSA-552 describes how to use and how not to use dedicated account funds, and the reporting and accounting responsibilities relevant to dedicated accounts. By signing the form, the representative payee acknowledges that he or she understands the usage restrictions of the dedicated account. SSA will then directly deposit the past-due benefits into this account. Funds deposited into this account may be used only for certain limited expenditures as described in GN 00602.140.
In the past, the SSA-552 was only available electronically on the SSA’s inForm and UniForms website for the technician to print and mail the form to the representative payee. Now, a representative payee who needs to complete an SSA-552 has the option to use the online service to complete the form in lieu of returning a completed paper form by mail or in person. The technician can send the link to the representative payee to complete the form online. The link can be sent through the eMailer program.
In the event a representative payee contacts Social Security and requests a replacement SSA-552 form, after properly identifying the caller/visitor, the technician may use eMailer to send a link to the representative payee to complete the form electronically himself/herself, in lieu of completing the paper SSA-552 that he or she received in the mail. If the representative payee still prefers to fill out a paper form, mail the paper form.
The e552 will be completed electronically by the representative payee and will not have any pre-filled text on the form. The link for the blank e552 can be emailed or texted to the representative payee through the eMailer program. The representative payee does not need an account with my Social Security to complete the e552.
C. Instructions for the eMailer program for the e552
To send a link to the e552 using the eMailer program, follow the instructions below:
Confirm with the representative payee (1) his or her correct email address or cell phone number, and (2) that he or she consents to receiving email or text communication from the Social Security Administration.
Depending on the individual’s communication preference, select “Send Email” or “Send Text”
To send a link to the e552 using the eMailer program, follow the instructions below:
Confirm with the representative payee (1) his or her correct email address or cell phone number, and (2) that he or she consents to receiving email or text communication from the Social Security Administration.
Depending on the individual’s communication preference, select “Send Email” or “Send Text”
Under “Forms/Publications” select SSA-552
Once the confirmation button is checked, hit “Send” in the eMailer program.
Important Information: The completed e552s will be forwarded to the jurisdictional office based on the representative payee’s zip code.
The e552 must be electronically completed, signed, and submitted in a single session. The system will end the session after 60 minutes of inactivity.
D. Completion of the e552
The link provided through the eMailer program will only send a generic (non-personalized) link to the e552‘s landing page. At the landing page, the representative payee must agree to the Privacy Act statement. The representative payee must also provide and confirm by retyping, his or her valid email address to be able to complete the e552 into the online application. He or she will then receive the following on-screen message:
Under “Forms/Publications” select SSA-552
Once the confirmation button is checked, hit “Send” in the eMailer program.
Important Information: The completed e552s will be forwarded to the jurisdictional office based on the representative payee’s zip code.
The e552 must be electronically completed, signed, and submitted in a single session. The system will end the session after 60 minutes of inactivity.
D. Completion of the e552
The link provided through the eMailer program will only send a generic (non-personalized) link to the e552‘s landing page. At the landing page, the representative payee must agree to the Privacy Act statement. The representative payee must also provide and confirm by retyping, his or her valid email address to be able to complete the e552 into the online application. He or she will then receive the following on-screen message:
The representative payee will then receive an email from Adobe Sign with a personalized link to complete a blank e552 form. This is an example of the email received:
The representative payee will then receive an email from Adobe Sign with a personalized link to complete a blank e552 form. This is an example of the email received:
Once the representative payee accesses the form electronically, he or she must complete the form within a single session. After 60 minutes of inactivity, or if the representative payee closes the form before submitting it to SSA, the system will end the representative payee’s session; any previously entered information will be lost and he or she will have to start a new session by clicking the “Review and sign” link in the email from Adobe Sign.
E. Reminders
· Once the representative payee enters and confirms by retyping his or her email address on the form’s landing page online and clicks “Submit,” he or she will have 5 calendar days to complete the e552.
· The representative payee will receive an email reminder daily until the form is completed, signed, and submitted electronically or until the link expires (5 calendar days).
· When a session ends due to inactivity (60 minutes) or the representative payee closes the form before submitting it to SSA, any previously entered information will be lost and the representative payee will have to start a new form using the unexpired “Review and sign” link from the Adobe Sign email.
· If the representative payee is unable to locate the email confirming successful submission of the form, recommend that the individual check their spam folder. If the representative payee still does not receive an email confirming successful submission of the form within a few minutes of submitting the completed e552, the representative payee will need to access the “Review and sign” link from the Adobe Sign email to complete and resubmit the form.
· If the representative payee does not successfully submit the form within 5 calendar days, the “Review and sign” link in the Adobe Sign email will expire, and he or she will have to restart the process by obtaining a new link at the form’s landing page.
F. Successful Submission of the e552
After the representative payee electronically completes and signs the e552, he or she will have the opportunity to download a copy of the completed and signed e552 within the online application.
Note: This is the only time the representative payee will be able to download and retain a completed copy of the form from Adobe Sign.
Once the representative payee accesses the form electronically, he or she must complete the form within a single session. After 60 minutes of inactivity, or if the representative payee closes the form before submitting it to SSA, the system will end the representative payee’s session; any previously entered information will be lost and he or she will have to start a new session by clicking the “Review and sign” link in the email from Adobe Sign.
E. Reminders
· Once the representative payee enters and confirms by retyping his or her email address on the form’s landing page online and clicks “Submit,” he or she will have 5 calendar days to complete the e552.
· The representative payee will receive an email reminder daily until the form is completed, signed, and submitted electronically or until the link expires (5 calendar days).
· When a session ends due to inactivity (60 minutes) or the representative payee closes the form before submitting it to SSA, any previously entered information will be lost and the representative payee will have to start a new form using the unexpired “Review and sign” link from the Adobe Sign email.
· If the representative payee is unable to locate the email confirming successful submission of the form, recommend that the individual check their spam folder. If the representative payee still does not receive an email confirming successful submission of the form within a few minutes of submitting the completed e552, the representative payee will need to access the “Review and sign” link from the Adobe Sign email to complete and resubmit the form.
· If the representative payee does not successfully submit the form within 5 calendar days, the “Review and sign” link in the Adobe Sign email will expire, and he or she will have to restart the process by obtaining a new link at the form’s landing page.
F. Successful Submission of the e552
After the representative payee electronically completes and signs the e552, he or she will have the opportunity to download a copy of the completed and signed e552 within the online application.
Note: This is the only time the representative payee will be able to download and retain a completed copy of the form from Adobe Sign.
He or she will then receive the following confirmation email:
He or she will then receive the following confirmation email:
G. Receipt of Completed e552
The submitted e552 will be electronically routed to the jurisdictional Field Office (FO) in Worktrack based on the representative payee’s zip code.
H. Documenting the Electronic Delivery of the e552
After texting/emailing the electronic link to the landing page for the e552 to the representative payee through the eMailer program, the technician should document the development worksheet (DW01) in MSSICS/MCS to adjust the issue date of the e552 to allow the representative payee to have the 5 days to complete the online form, and then put in remarks “online form”.
I. References
GN 00602.140 Permitted Expenditures from Dedicated Accounts
SI 02101.010 Past-Due Benefits Payable - Individual Alive Under Age 18 with Representative Payee - Dedicated Account Required
SI 02305.011 Dedicated Account Monitoring RZs and LIs
SI 02220.060 Misapplication of Funds in a Dedicated Account