Who Can Be Referred?
At this time, our program is limited to non-conserved people served by a California Regional Center. Here is a list of Regional Centers where we are currently accepting referrals:
- Kern Regional Center
- Harbor Regional Center
- North Bay Regional Center
- Golden Gate Regional Center
- Inland Regional Center
- San Diego Regional Center
- Westside Regional Center* (Independent Living Clients Only)
Important note about conservatorship: Social Security may automatically reject payee change applications for individuals who are conserved. During the payee change process, it is important that the conservator demonstrate to Social Security why conservatorship is ending or why the conservator cannot be the payee. Conservators of Estate must be the representative payee, according to the California Courts system.
We are considered a payee of last resort, so please only refer a client if they have no other potential payee available to them.
Where do I Submit the Referral?
Only a service coordinator for a regional center we work with can submit a referral for a new client through our online portal. Please see below for a link to our portal:
From that link, you will need to sign into your account with us. If you are new and do not have account credentials, please contact us to get set up. We will need your name, email address, phone number, and caseload ID to create your account.
Once logged in, you can start a referral by clicking on the Start Referral button in the Client Referrals tab shown below. We ask that you disable your pop-up blocker during this process, as it can disrupt submission and potentially cause issues.
From there, you will be asked to complete an online form. Please note that there are multiple tabs on this form, and we ask that all are reviewed and filled out as needed.
Once you have completed and submitted the online form, it will be reviewed by our intake staff, where they will either accept or reject the referral. If rejected, you will be informed as to what changes will need to be made or why it is not possible for us to offer our services for that individual. If accepted, our staff will prepare and send an application to Social Security.
What is Required to Submit a Referral?
The only document the client must sign is the SSA-4164 form, as well as our direct deposit form if they require direct deposit into an existing account. These forms can be found on the Resources page if needed.
The online questionnaire will ask for other documents if applicable as well, including conservatorship paperwork, rental/admission agreements, and other benefit/resource documentation. A statement of lay evidence can be generated by the portal if needed. It is possible that additional documents will be requested after the referral is submitted, but it depends on each individual case.
Typical Waiting Period
Unfortunately, it may take Social Security anywhere from 2-12 months to approve a payee change request. Social Security’s rules have been updated to require a thorough investigation and interviews of each party involved for why the change is needed, which extends the processing period.