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September 29, 2021 at 03:03 PM
What You Need to Know
- About 1.3 million U.S. adults are under guardianships or conservatorships.
- Social Security has declined to honor state court orders related to guardians.
- In some cases, Social Security lets guardians removed for fraud by state courts continue to administer benefits for a former ward.
A witness told members of Congress Tuesday that they should update the federal laws governing guardianships, to help state courts stop Social Security from sending benefits checks to bad guardians.
David Slayton, a Bellevue, Texas-based court consultant, said at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Constitution subcommittee that the Social Security Administration now declines to respect state court orders seeking information about guardianships.
In some cases, Slayton testified, the SSA’s refusal to share information means that it continues to pay benefits to a beneficiary’s “representative payee.” This happens even though a state has removed the representative payee from being the beneficiary’s guardian due to allegations of fraud or dereliction of responsibilities.
Slayton said Congress also should pass a law that will help states deal with bad guardians who cross state lines to keep hold of wards’ estates.
Guardianships are known as conservatorships in some states.
Cause Celebre?
The Senate Judiciary subcommittee organized the hearing in response to press reports about Britney Spears’ conflict with her father over his role as her conservator.
