§ 849.401 Responsibilities of a representative payee.

(a) A representative payee shall, subject to review by the agency and subject to such requirements as it may periodically prescribe, apply the payments made on behalf of the annuitant only for the use and benefit of such annuitant, and in a manner or purpose that is in the best interest of the annuitant. (b) A representative payee shall notify the agency of any event that will affect the amount of benefits the annuitant receives or the right of the annuitant to receive benefits. (c) A representative payee shall notify the agency of any change in circumstances that would affect performance of the payee's responsibilities. (d) A representative payee shall keep the annuity paid to him or her on behalf of the annuitant separate from his or her own money in an account that shows that the annuitant is still the owner of the funds. The applicant must show proof of this account when applying to be the representative payee and use this account for direct deposit. Exceptions to this paragraph (d) are joint accounts for spouses, when one spouse applies to be representative payee for the other spouse and they already have an existing joint account. (e) Any interest earned on the annuity will be the annuitant's property. (f) A representative payee shall respond to requests, regarding the use of annuity payments, from OPM within a specified period of time.