SSA Rep Payee Changes - The SSA now allows Social Security recipients to designate someone to manage their benefits if they become incapacitated (or if their current representative payee can no longer serve or is unresponsive). You can designate up to three people in advance to take over the representative payee role in that case.
You can name the advance designee when you first enroll for benefits or at any other time. You can also change the designee at any time. The designation or change can be made through their portal, via regular mail using their form, in person at a field office or by phone. The form and contact info can be found here: https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-10039
The advance designation does not grant the named party a power of attorney regarding your benefits nor does it appoint them as a successor representative payee automatically, but it does at least give them a person to consider serving as your representative payee instead of leaving it up to chance. The SSA will evaluate the person you’ve named as your advance designee to ensure they are suitable to serve. This is similar to what happens when you name a guardian for a child in your will. The court will still evaluate the person you’ve named to ensure they are an appropriate guardian. If the person you’ve named, for example, is now in jail or has been convicted of a financial crime then that would likely be a case where the SSA would elect not to honor your choice.