Payee...What ?!

Well, I thought I would just call Social Security with mother
 next to me and get things taken care of.
 But what happened was completely unexpected.
Things were going fine, the woman was asking mother
questions and mom was answering as I held up
 the answers written on paper...
Then I got on the phone and was asked if mother was capable
 of paying her own bills and finances.
I answered no, I do them.
Suddenly the game changed like a shot.
The woman said she was making a note of this and mother's
 checks would be suspended until I was elected as her payee.
 I was to go to the city office and get this done immediately.
WHAT???!!!!
Anxiety spiked. I could not let on anything was going on infront of mother who by now was agitated and angry about the questions she had been asked- I had to remain calm, but I had to get out of there!
I paced for a bit on my own and then grabbed my briefcase and headed to the office.
Fighting anxiety, by the time I got through the mile long lines and seated my heart was flittering.
Now for the reason they did this--
S.S. does NOT want their checks being sent to someone who is incapable of handling money.
So what they want you to do is set up a 'payee' and a 'payee' bank account
for the checks to go directly into.
SS does not recognize POA, so this is like a POA for SS.
They faxed my mothers Dr. and will approve it after that is returned.
I have to go open a Payee bank account and provide the routing number once I receive the letter of approval.
Mother was still stressed out when I got back so I created a lie about what was going on.
A simple tale that we are just getting an address change.
She felt better after this, and a walk.
All I wanted was to lay down.
Today I feel like I have been through a battle.
 But this was something that had to be done
one day- it just happened all of a sudden !