The ARC serves as representative payee for individuals receiving social security benefits from the SSA.  Dependent on an individual's needs, the ARC works with the individual and his or her circle of support to develop an approach agreeable to all of the parties.  The focus is to establish a budget to meet the individual's monthly needs for food, clothing, and shelter, as well as to look at their hopes, wishes and desires for future expenditures.

Each month, the SSA pays social security benefits into separate accounts for individuals held by the ARC.  For some individuals, based on their budget for food, clothing, or shelter, the ARC pays their respective bills from these accounts.  A monthly statement explaining these expenditures is then provided to either the individual, or his or her identified agent, i.e., agent under a power of attorney, guardian, conservator or interested person.

For individuals working toward financial independence, ARC staff meets with individuals and/or their circles of support to determine their monthly needs, and assists them to use their benefits to pay their bills, balance their checkbooks, and determine appropriate approaches for disposable cash and how and whether to save or spend their "disposable funds".  Monthly statements explaining these expenditures are also available to interested parties as determined by the individual and his or her circle of support.  The ARC is then required to explain, yearly, to the SSA how an individual's needs were met and how his or her funds were expended.

Contact:
Shelly Taras
Phone: (586) 469-1600 ext. 108
staras@arcservices.org