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Q&A
Process and timeline for implementing financial management services
1:12:47
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Council Member Crystal Hudson inquires about the process and timeline for enrolling older adults in financial management services, noting concerns about long wait times. Deputy Commissioner Gili Hershkovich-Kim explains the steps involved and potential delays.
- APS submits applications to become the representative payee to Social Security within 30 days of acceptance
- The Social Security Administration's process can take 3-6 months or longer
- APS follows up regularly with the Social Security Administration on pending applications
- Clients have the right to object to APS being appointed as their representative payee, which can cause additional delays
Crystal Hudson
1:12:47
Okay.
1:12:48
And then regarding financial management, we've also been made aware that after a determination is made that an older adult qualifies for this service, it can take upwards of six months for the actual management of their finances to occur even in situations of financial abuse.
1:13:04
Can you please explain the process for enrolling an older adult in the financial management from initial eligibility determination through the final implementation of their finances being fully managed by APS?
Gili Hershkovich-Kim
1:13:16
Absolutely.
1:13:17
So financial management services.
1:13:19
So I just wanna start and say that if there is financial exploitation, APS will alert any financial institution that the that the client is associated with just to make sure that they are aware if there are any suspicious withdrawals or the client is coming with somebody that is not related to them or any, or the alleged exploiter, which we will alert the financial institution.
1:13:49
As far as financial management services, we will we submit the applications to become the representative payee to social security within thirty days of acceptance.
1:14:05
So however, it does sometimes take social security administration.
1:14:11
It can take between three months, and we have seen even cases that it takes more than six months.
1:14:17
And that's we follow-up regularly with Social Security Administration, but that is once the request is out of our hands, really the process is conducted by the Social Security Administration.
1:14:31
We will advocate and we will follow-up with them on applications that are pending.
1:14:38
In addition to that, the client themselves receive notification from Social Security Administration that they do have the right to object the appointment of HRA as the representative payee, and the client may sometimes take action to prevent us from becoming the representative payee.