When social security benefits are paid to a representative payee on behalf of an assistance group member and the representative payee lives in the same household as the assistance group, count social security benefits as income.
When the representative payee does not live in the same household, include social security benefits only to the extent that the representative payee makes them available for the beneficiary’s support. When the representative payee lives outside the household, and the beneficiary states he/she does not receive all social security benefits, contact the representative payee to obtain a statement.