Social Security Representative Payee Services in Florida and Georgia
SSA-recognized. Annual reporting filed. Every dollar tracked, every year.
Phone: (888) 253-6148 — Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services
Elizabeth Williams Winfield, Esq. — Professional Representative Payee
Elizabeth Williams Winfield serves as a professional representative payee for Social Security and SSI beneficiaries who cannot manage their own benefit payments. She is a member of the National Guardianship Association and has established working relationships with the Social Security Administration in both Florida and Georgia.
As a representative payee, Elizabeth is accountable to the Social Security Administration — not to the family, not to the firm. The SSA requires annual accounting reports documenting how every benefit dollar was used, and retains authority to monitor, audit, and remove a representative payee for cause. That accountability structure is how this service protects the beneficiary. It is built into the program by design.
This service covers beneficiaries in both Florida — serving St. Lucie County and the Treasure Coast from our Port St. Lucie office — and Georgia — serving Fayette County and surrounding counties from our Fayetteville office.
What This Service Is and What It Is Not
A representative payee receives Social Security or SSI benefit payments on behalf of a beneficiary who has been determined by the SSA to need assistance managing their own benefits. The payee manages and budgets those funds in the beneficiary's best interest, pays for the beneficiary's living expenses and personal needs, saves unused funds on the beneficiary's behalf, and files annual reports with the SSA accounting for every dollar received and spent.
This service is not Social Security appeals representation. It is not disability claims filing. It is not assistance applying for Social Security or SSI benefits. Those services are discontinued firm-wide. If a beneficiary or family member contacts Peachtree Fiduciary about a new claim or an appeals matter, we will let you know that is outside our scope and point you toward appropriate resources.
If the SSA has determined that your family member needs a representative payee, or if a social worker or case manager has recommended professional payee placement, this is the service you are looking for.
How the Representative Payee Process Works
Step 1:
SSA determines the beneficiary needs a representative payee
The Social Security Administration initiates the representative payee process when it determines that a beneficiary cannot manage or direct the management of their own benefits due to a mental or physical condition. This determination may follow a medical review, a report from a family member or treating provider, or an SSA field evaluation.
Step 2:
SSA approves a representative payee
The SSA must approve the representative payee before benefit payments are redirected. Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services has established relationships with the SSA in both Florida and Georgia and has completed the SSA's approval process for professional organizational payees.
Step 3:
SSA directs benefit payments to the payee
Once approved, the SSA sends the beneficiary's monthly Social Security or SSI payments directly to the representative payee rather than to the beneficiary. The payee receives and holds those funds on the beneficiary's behalf.
Step 4:
Payee manages and budgets funds for the beneficiary's needs
The representative payee uses the benefit funds to pay for the beneficiary's current needs — housing, food, medical care, personal expenses — and saves any remaining funds for the beneficiary's future needs. All expenditures must be in the beneficiary's best interest and consistent with SSA guidelines.
Step 5:
Annual accounting report to the SSA
Each year, the representative payee files a Representative Payee Report with the SSA documenting every dollar received, every dollar spent, and any funds saved on the beneficiary's behalf. The SSA reviews these reports and uses them to monitor payee conduct.
Who This Service Is For
Families of Social Security and SSI recipients — if the SSA has notified you that your family member needs a representative payee, or if a treating provider or social worker has recommended professional payee placement, Peachtree Fiduciary can step in. Elizabeth Williams Winfield has completed the SSA's approval process and has active payee relationships in both Florida and Georgia. Your family member does not need to be transferred to an unfamiliar service provider.
Social workers and referring professionals — if you are a social worker, hospital discharge planner, elder care coordinator, or SSA field representative who needs to refer a beneficiary to a professional representative payee in Florida or Georgia, Peachtree Fiduciary is SSA-recognized and active in both states. Annual reports are filed on schedule. Referrals are handled with the documentation the SSA requires.
Phone: (888) 253-6148 — Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services
Common Questions About Representative Payee Services
What does a Social Security representative payee do?
A representative payee receives Social Security or SSI benefit payments on behalf of a beneficiary who cannot manage their own finances, manages and budgets those funds for the beneficiary's current and future needs, and files an annual accounting report with the SSA documenting how the funds were used. The payee's authority is limited to managing the benefit payments directed to them by the SSA — it does not extend to medical decisions, legal decisions, or other aspects of the beneficiary's life.
How is a representative payee different from a power of attorney?
A power of attorney is a legal document that the beneficiary creates voluntarily while they have the capacity to do so, authorizing a trusted person to manage a range of financial and legal matters on their behalf. A representative payee is appointed by the Social Security Administration — not by the beneficiary — specifically to manage SSA benefit payments. The SSA does not recognize powers of attorney for the purpose of managing benefit payments. If the SSA has determined a beneficiary needs a payee, a power of attorney already in place does not substitute for the payee appointment.
Can a professional organization serve as a representative payee?
Yes. The SSA allows organizations to serve as representative payees when no suitable individual — a family member, friend, or other trusted person — is available or appropriate. Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services LLC is an organizational representative payee recognized by the SSA in Florida and Georgia. Organizational payees are subject to the same annual reporting requirements and SSA oversight as individual payees.
Does the SSA monitor what the representative payee does with the funds?
Yes. The SSA requires all representative payees to file an annual Representative Payee Report documenting every benefit dollar received, every dollar spent on the beneficiary's behalf, and any funds saved. The SSA reviews these reports, conducts periodic audits, and investigates reports of payee misuse. A representative payee who misuses funds can be removed, required to repay the misused amounts, and referred for criminal prosecution. This oversight structure is the primary accountability mechanism that protects beneficiaries.
Does Peachtree Fiduciary serve SSA beneficiaries in both Florida and Georgia?
Yes. Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services provides representative payee services for Social Security and SSI beneficiaries in both states. Our Florida office serves St. Lucie County and the Treasure Coast. Our Georgia office serves Fayette County and surrounding counties. For referrals or inquiries in either state, call (888) 253-6148.
Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services LLC provides professional representative payee services for Social Security and SSI recipients in Florida and Georgia. Elizabeth Williams Winfield is an SSA-recognized representative payee and member of the National Guardianship Association. Peachtree Fiduciary receives and manages existing benefit payments on behalf of beneficiaries — it does not provide Social Security claims filing or appeals services. Annual reports are filed with the SSA as required. For referrals and inquiries, call (888) 253-6148 or visit the
Peachtree Fiduciary Services page.