What would you do/welfare fraud

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-10-2007, 11:33 AM

If you knew of someone that was blatently abusing the system in many ways? Including working under the table for a good sum of money and at the same time collecting WIC, foodstamps, a hefty amount of child support, medicade and had a boyfriend living with them but not reported (claiming he lives elsewhere so as not to cut her benefits).

Would you report it to the local agencies or would you let it slide and why?

kj

**fernykins** · 08-10-2007, 11:44 AM

I think I would report her. Welfare is there to help people who really need help. You ask a tax payer are paying her. I can understand if the person really needed the help. I know her in San Berardino county fraud investagators come out and ask to go thru your closets looking for clothing of the other sex. You don't coroperate and they can stop you from getting aid.
Fern

**kittykatstrong** · 08-10-2007, 11:51 AM

I would report it. It is okay to use those services if you need them but Not because they don't want to work hard.

Katy

**Jaded** · 08-10-2007, 11:54 AM

You can report her, but the person she's working for is probably going to deny it. You need proof first. If she isn't depositing the money into a bank account (most of them don't), then it's hard to prove. I can tell you that you can actually make a good amount of money and still get WIC. It's not about income, it's about seeing that the children get what they need, because a lot of people will spend the money on themselves, and not care for their kids. WIC only allows you to purchase certain things, things like milk, eggs, beans, juice, formula, etc.

It would be good if you could get her talking on a hidden tape recorder and turn that in to them.

The investigators aren't dumb, though. If she has her kids dressed in designer clothes, or she has high priced stuff in her closet, they will catch it in a minute. They are trained well to sniff out the cheaters. Also, I would call the IRS if she isn't paying taxes. Now THEY will come down on her like gangbusters!

Just keep in mind that if she is found guilty, and sent to jail, what happens to the kids?

**leezza** · 08-10-2007, 12:05 PM

Report them:

Reason why: they are taking advantage of us all......Mostly the boyfriend being there would piss me off, if he was a MAN he would be helping her not taking advantage of something she is getting for her children......and kids are not stupid they see what is going on and it will affect them in their life.

JMHO,
leezza

**annymoll** · 08-10-2007, 12:16 PM

I would report her. It's a common scam to have one in the household drawing maximum welfare benefits while shacking up with an employeed person. It is done because benefits are distributed based on household income.I am sure you know this already. WIC is probably the least of the fraud potential. Between housing, cash allotments, food stamps and medicaid, it's often much better pay than a job. Taxpayers foot this bill. It is unfair to those who could use a hand up and are often turned away because they report income and try to be honest.I doubt the welfare bandit will wind up in jail or losing her kids. She may have to get a job.Or claim the income, and get the honest benefit.Or let lover get their own place- then draw the full honest benefit. Lots of options. Call and report thru the state office, not the county office.Will get the quickest response.

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-10-2007, 12:20 PM

Thanks so far everyone, and don't mind me if I ramble a bit here, I think I also need to "type" it out to convince myself.

This is a situation that I REALLY need to know that I'm doing it for the right reason, not just to get "even" with her. For a long time hubby and I befriended her and tried to help her out, she has 3 kids and another on the way. The kids are (amazingly) all in all GOOD kids but if someone doesn't step in things are going to go really bad without supervision which is lacking with the most recent boyfriend.

We do know where she is working, she's "supposed" to be an independant contractor but know she's not reporting the income, in fact is gleefully telling others about it. Talking to her is not an option, she burned that bridge when the most recent boyfriend moved in, he's a close friend of mines HUSBAND!

This woman truly does not know how she uses people and hurts people, we believe she's sociopathic and on a collision course in many ways and are TIRED of watching her hurt people.

The stupid boyfriend is so dumb he has no clue what she's doing to him, she'll chew him up and spit him out like the others and his marriage is over, friend does NOT want him back.

Her kids are her "friends" and not diciplined, and now the 13 year old is out wandering at all hours of the night.

And to top it off she still owes for her share of the cost of the driveway work here and just went and got brand new kitchen cabinets and has a new vehicle.

We just recently found out about the food stamps and medicaid, and I don't begrudge that poor child she's carrying the WIC, poor thing is going to need all the help it can get. Oh, and she's not sure who the father is.

I know this sounds like a soap opera, and it's only the tip of the whole thing, but I REALLY would like to see the kids out of this situation and think if the system DID crack down on her their dad could get full custody which he WOULD like.

And yes, I fully believe that the gov't benefits are for those who NEED them and want to better themselves!

Thanks for letting me ramble, confusing day here.

kj

**annymoll** · 08-10-2007, 12:28 PM

What a mess. Good luck whatever you do.Yes, the IRS will nail her. I feel sorry for the children in these families. They seem to have no role models, no security or stability.I feel for you.

**GMA21** · 08-10-2007, 12:33 PM

I would report her because people like her don't "need" the benefits if she is abusing them. Aparently she can do some kind of work so then she should be working & let someone else who really needs the benefits that she's getting use them.

**frugalfarmwife** · 08-10-2007, 12:36 PM

Thanks again guys, and with her kids it just breaks my heart, we were really close to them but are afraid to be around them at all now, they're learning to lie/be destructive to get attention and it scares us, I'm sorry but I wouldn't put it past her 11 year old daughter to say someone did something innapropriate to get attention and we're honestly afraid to get into something like that so we had to ban the kids from our farm. I'm also concerned for my animals with the 13 year old boy, he's the kind that does things without thinking about the consequences, at least when he hung around us we could keep an eye on him.

And I've even talked to her FATHER who is a old family friend, he got tears in her eyes and said "she's really screwing up isn't she?" But won't do anything because she's his daughter.

kj

**tbs727** · 08-10-2007, 12:37 PM

Report her. She is teaching her kids to abuse the system and they will learn to be swindlers, too. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.

**lwlynch** · 08-10-2007, 03:30 PM

Although I hate to say things like this but I would distance myself from them and forget them. You can't change the world. And If she is doing it now she will find another way to do it. I am not saying a blind eye. I just truly believe that eventually everyone gets their due. I always seem to get involved in others stuff and then I end up shorting myself one way or the other. Good luck though it is a difficult decision to do the right thing. But then that is just an illusion sometimes.

**tink** · 08-10-2007, 09:51 PM

I would mind my own business. It could make it harder for the children to just get by. Maybe without this job, she really can't make ends meet. I sure wouldn't want to be responsible for kids going to bed hungry, or perhaps worse. The only way I would call is if I thought the kids were being harmed. Then it becomes my business.

**Jaded** · 08-10-2007, 11:26 PM

Definitely report her to social services. They are required in cases like this to make a "surprise" visit, and will do so when the BF is home, so they can see that he lives there. They will tell her that he has to leave, or she will lose her benefits, and if they can prove how long he has been there, she will have to repay whatever she has gotten while he was there. Unless, of course, he's working under the table too, and can claim he's unemployed, but that won't fool them. They'll check that out too.

Those kids need out of that situation. They're learning to be dishonest, and that is never good. If you can get their father involved, that would be great. Tell them when you report it that their father would love to have them.

**sdrjeolsen** · 08-11-2007, 01:19 AM

I would report them. What they are doing is cheating taxpayers like you & me, and cheating those who really need the help. They are taking what does not rightfully belong to them. Too bad the kids are in the middle of it to see all the fraud and deceit. It is a crime, literally, and If I knew a crime was being commited, I would tell someone who had the authority to stop it. Good luck with it all.