The Money Management Program is a bill paying service that assists low-income elders, 60 years and older, who need assistance in managing their checkbook and in paying their bills to ensure their basic expenses are met.
THE PROGRAM HAS TWO DISTINCT COMPONENTS:
Bill Payer Services: This is a free service.
A trained volunteer assists an elder with one or more of the following services:
- writing checks,
- balancing a checkbook,
- sorting through mail,
- developing a budget,
- monitoring income & expenses
- organizing paperwork
The elder maintains control of their finances and retains check-signing capacity at all times.
Representative Payee Services:
Similar to the Bill Payer Service, Coastline Elderly Services, Inc. is appointed by the Social Security Administration to manage Social Security (and/or SSI) benefits for a client who is not able to manage his/her own finances. The volunteer assigned to the elder is directly responsible for paying all bills, with the authority to write and sign checks.
WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM? The program is designed to assist people 60 years and older who are having difficulty writing checks or managing their basic living expenses due to any number of reasons, such as arthritis, poor eyesight, confusion, memory loss, anxiety, an illness, or loss of prior bill payer.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
The service is available to elders who reside within Acushnet, Attleboro, Berkley, Dartmouth, Dighton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Gosnold, Mansfield, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Rochester, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, and Westport.
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
- An elder, or someone on behalf of an elder, calls the Money Management Program to request assistance.
- A staff person then arranges to meet with the elder to assess the elder’s needs.
- If the person qualifies for the program, he/she will be matched with a trained volunteer who will provide money management services on a monthly basis.
- The services are tailored to meet the specific needs of the elder.
WHAT DO THE TRAINED VOLUNTEERS DO?
The trained volunteer can help set up a household budget, sort bills, prepare checks, balance the checkbook, reconcile bank statements, keep track of income and expenses.
ARE THERE ANY PROGRAM SAFEGUARDS?
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Volunteers submit monthly reports.
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Third party monitoring of participant’s funds is conducted quarterly.
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Audits by the State/AARP are conducted annually.
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AARP provides insurance against any loss, mistake, or misuse of funds.
THE MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS:
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Funded in whole or in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
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Private donations.
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Operated locally by Coastline Elderly Services, Inc.
For additional information about the Money Management Program or if you are interested in being a Bill Payer volunteer, please contact us at (508)999-6400 or email us at information@coastlineelderly.org.
