Benefits Withheld Pending the Selection of a Representative Payee

Date Issued

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Submitting OIG

Social Security Administration OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Social Security Administration

Report Number

052405

Report Type

Audit

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

$10,916,080

Report updated under NDAA 5274

External Link

Open Recommendations

This report has 4 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	No	$0	$185,267
Take appropriate action to pay the underpayments to the 42 beneficiaries identified in our audit.
2	Yes	$0	$10,730,813
Take appropriate action to pay the underpayments for the remaining population of beneficiaries identified by our audit.
3	No	$0	$0
Revise its semi-annual alerts to include beneficiaries whose benefits SSA withheld due to the representative payees’ deaths.
4	Yes	$0	$0
To prevent future errors, establish controls to ensure employees properly pay benefits that the Agency withheld pending the selection of representative payees.