UGH. It is really ridiculous.

"Our" BM has collected benefits fraudulently through the state for YEARS. She has lied and used her parents' address as her address, says she isn't married, etc.

She even got benefits on SS for a few years until DH got a letter from the state demanding he pay them back. It was messy and DH had to get an attorney to get it straightened out. Basically BM had been lying, saying she had full custody and didn't know where DH was. (Keep in mind--they'd been sharing joint custody since SS was 1!) Anyway, it backfired on her b/c now the minimal amount of c/s DH pays goes about half to the state. I think BM gets about $100/month! LOL.

Anyway, she was pregnant w/her DD in 2007 so then she was exempt from working. Then I think she was also exempt for the first 6 months. Then she lied some more and half-heartedly looked for a job, all the while getting cash assistance, food stamps, health insurance, etc. All while she drives her Lexus and sits on her arse all day!

And now she is preggo again---so I am sure she is getting more WIC, food-stamps, etc.

Honestly--the state/system just doesn't care. They have bigger fish to fry. DH has brought it up and everyone just kind of shrugs.

Your BM's situation is REALLY BAD though. She doesn't have those kids AT ALL and she is telling the state she does, and collecting benefits on them. It is out and out fraud, no matter how you look at it.

I would keep reporting this woman to the state. It is not right and if you are a squeaky wheel, maybe eventually something will happen!

It sure would be nice if the states spent a bit more time cleaning up welfare fraud.

From some sources, I hears it's just a tiny percentage of cases -- and I'd really like to believe that.
But then you hear about another outrageous abuse, and it zaps all the compassion right outta ya!
Those abuses really take a toll on public generosity.

We called, sent in documents, and I even went to the state websites for our state and hers. Both had a link for annonomously (I cant spell right now!) reporting welfare fraud. I gave all her info and the kids info and info on the situation.

Maybe the online system is slow and has not taken her case off there? But there is really no way for us to check and see what happened.

Almost makes me regret turning down free tuition and lunches for the kids. Would have saved us $300 per kid for tuition and $2.75 per day in hot lunches. We pack lunches, but that still gets costly for 4 kids.

Geez if the state does nothing we might have to apply next year for free lunches and tuition! LOL

Wonder what would happen if you did apply?
Wonder if that would trigger some 'WTF?'
(Is there any penalty for applying if you don't qualify?)

Well we can not apply again this school year because we turned down assistance for the skids when we found out why they qualified. We had to sign some form saying we declined benefits for this school year since they were automatically approved. And based on our income we did not qualify for assistance for any of the kids.

But perhaps next year we will apply again.....though it would be pretty darn sad if she was still collecting benefits by then!

The whole welfare system just makes me mad sometimes. People are allowed to be lazy and have everything paid for when they don't need it. Used to tick me off when these kids I worked with were on the free lunch program and came to school in name brand clothes and coach purses and had expensive cell phones! Then you would see their moms with their hair done, fake nails, and driving SUV's! I even hear that now cell phones are being handed out with 70 minutes a month on them!! This is what our tax money is going to? People don't have to pay their regular bills because we do it....so instead they walk around with high end stuff?? Hardly seems fair.

Sweeby, it is more than a tiny percentage of welfare fraud. I had 300-350 cases and most of them had some level of fraud... from not reporting an employed boyfriend/roommate to outright lies that kids live there when they don't. The biggest one I can remember is a case where a lady allowed her best friend to use her medicaid card to deliver her baby because she didn't have her own card... and she would have easily qualified because she was a pregnant woman. She used the card but since it had the friend's name on it, she had to put the friend's name on the birth certificate. Then, she applied for welfare benefits and received money for the child for several years and it got past the prior caseworkers and I caught it... she had listed herself as an aunt to this child and I went to verify relationship and finally admitted that the child is hers but had her friend listed as mother... and thought she could justify the relationship by saying her friend was her sister.. because they were LIKE sisters. I really don't know what happened to that case but it's doubtful that it even got prosecuted... very few cases are. But, there are many more that slip through. When each caseworker has 200-400 cases (which is standard), how deep can you look into EACH case?

However, with calls from someone that has the child... you'd think they'd have her in jail. Unfortunately, only the squeeky wheels get noticed in the system.

You did the right thing in reporting Mom2, but it may take a while before the state gets to your report and a bit more than while any investigation goes on.

200-400 cases sounds large I'm sure to you and me, but sad fact is in my state right now caseworkers are working up 2 and 3 times that each currently, an impossible workload. On top of that furloughs are being asked of some employees, lay-offs are being implemented on frontline, and with the recession more and more citizens apply for assistance.

I certainly can't say what's happening where you are or with your indidivual report, but in my state I know thousands and thousands reports of fraud/suspected fraud are reported and investigated each year by the OIG (office of inspector general).

It's crazy, I know. I know a young family in my area that got a $64,000 workers comp settlement and within 3 months were getting food stamps and the whole while the mom and child were on medicaid. How many families make $64,000 a year for a family of 3 and get food stamps? And yes, the jerk that got the settlement ran right out and bought a big ol' SUV and paid cash.

The thing that kills me is that my Brother in law and his wife do not work, go to college, and full fledge live on welfare. Big nice apartment paid for, medical paid for, fodd paid for, everything. Then, here are my husband and I, both working, make just over the limit to qualify. We do without and pay taxes to support them.
If you need it, take it, but don't just live on it. I have no problem with people who need it being on welfare, I know I have been, and am right now on food stamps. But don't just sit on your backside and let everyone else support you! AAARRRGGGHHH!