Reporting Possible Fraud?

[PitterPatter]

I know when u suspect issues with children we are to report it and some issues have even been debated if they are reportable. So now I have a question about a type of welfare fraud. Should we report when clients are selling food stamps or buying for that matter? I don't think we are required to but I have learned other new things here so I thought I would ask.

I had clients tell me in the past that they borrow friends food stamp cards or they buy food stamps etc. BUT today the same client that can't pay me for 3 weeks past due daycare services stood here and basically said her DH sells their food stamps. I have been thinking about this since yesterday morning. Let me give u the layout on this family and u will see why I am a little more upset with them and thinking about reporting them.

It's amazing how much these state clients get handed to them!
Free car, they were allowed to go pic out a used car and the welfare dept paid for it!
Free car repairs, they had something wrong with it and again welfare paid for it.
Free gas card reloaded every month to fill the car.
Free cell phones.
Free minutes recharged every month to the cell.
Free food stamps.
Free daycare
Free WIC and pediasure to boot.
Free rent HUD
AND a disability check for DCD because the hubby can't work. Yet he has offered to build cabinets for me and do the cement work I want to have done as well as landscaping. He has asked a few times to do work around here even haul junk. He admits he does these side jobs and gets paid under the table yet collects disability and is unable to work due to numbness in his hands. Isn't that illegal collecting from disability and actually being able to work? Oh AND she works!! How can they still get all of this free assistance and have an income too? Just why does the govt hand this out? I worked all my life and when I had to take some time off a while back due to possible heart issues I wasn't able to collect unemployment because I am a business owner. YET I paid all my life into these taxes for people to live on welfare.

Back to the main question. They get all of this and can't pay me $50 for thier copay for a months service when I have even taken the kids before they had a certificate and I have taken them as favors on Saturdays. So I admit I am mad when DCM stood here and complained that she couldn't buy her usual 10 cases of pop yet because her DH has the card and is making his "financial trades"!!

I am sick of seeing these food stamp cards being used for cases and cases of pop and chips etc. I think the gov't should disallow junk food or place a limit on it at least! Pop and chips are NOT a NEED! Ok venting sorry about that but what would u do here? The way I look at it I am paying her with my taxes and she still can't pay me! Would u make a report on any of this illegal activity?

[sharlan]

Yeah, I would. The only way the abuse will stop is if people do something about it. But, I firmly believe that it won't because somebody else is standing in line to rip off the system.

[Unregistered]

I've reported people for lying to the state about their living situation (lying about living with people) just so they can collect more in food stamps!

I've reported someone else to the state for medical fraud! She had a tubal (coils put in) 4 years ago and now has a new bf and wants to have a baby with him. She has gone to the ER time and has the doctors convinced that they need to remove the coils! I really hope the state considered that complaint!

Report these people! The state that I live in has an 800 number that you can call anonymous.

I would also issue a letter of intent to this family! They need to pay you $12.50 a week to meet their $50 a month copay and if they don't pay the past due within a certain period of time, their services will be suspended until payment is made in full. I would also contact their childcare services worker and let them know you aren't being compensated.

[DaisyMamma]

Wow first off I would start demanding they pay! I do like the idea of having the dad work off the $ though! It's nice to have your lawn nice, etc.

I do agree that the states are way too lenient on what people do with their food stamps. It should be more regulated like WIC. And require ID to purchase.

Long answer short, I would report it.

[PolarCare]

ALWAYS report fraud of any kind

I never let anyone fudge or slide when it comes to getting any kind of public assistance. In fact, anyone who knows me knows my veiws on the whole situation, and probably just shouldn't mention it if they're scamming the system.

Those resources are for people with genuine problems, intended as a stop gap emergency measure to SURVIVE only until a person can get back on their feet. WIC and food stamps aren't intended to supply all of a family's nutritional needs. Daycare assistance isn't intended to cover all of a family's daycare costs. Welfare isn't supposed to provide a decent quality of life until a family decides to get it together. These measures are supposed to be extremely temporary, and a person receiving these benefits should be doing EVERYTHING in their grasp to get off the system as quickly as possible. Not camping out on the system because it's easier.

Now because so many people have been defrauding the system for so long, this country is in major financial turmoil. Unfortunately that puts great programs at risk of not being available for people who desperately need them and would use the programs to get back on their feet, the way it was intended.

[Crazy8]

YES, absolutely report them. Weren't there even commercials for a while asking to report things like insurance fraud?? Not exactly the same thing, but close.

I had ONE state aid family in my 10 year career - I only took it because they were my first family when I was getting started AND the mom didn't tell me they were on it till AFTER I signed them up. But I began to wonder why they got it - both parents worked fairly decent jobs, had a house w/a pool, etc. daughter was in dance, etc. Turns out mom claimed they were separated - so it was only her income they were basing daycare for 3 kids off of. I reported it and they told me all they could do was send her a form asking her to check off her marital status and GUESS WHAT??? She checked off separated again. DUH. Great system we have here.

I STILL see this family at the kids sports and mom and dad are still married and living together 10 years later.

So, yeah, I'd report them but I wouldn't be too confident that something will be done about it.

[PitterPatter]

Wow first off I would start demanding they pay! I do like the idea of having the dad work off the $ though! It's nice to have your lawn nice, etc.

I do agree that the states are way too lenient on what people do with their food stamps. It should be more regulated like WIC. And require ID to purchase.

Long answer short, I would report it.

Ohhh no he wasn't going to work off the money he wanted ME to pay HIM! He even gave me quotes!! IF he had said I will do this in trade for so much off then yeah I may have taken it because I do sometimes hire help for my lawn. No way was I paying him when he owes me ::

Yes putting the pic on the card like a licence would work to an extent but I know a person who gets a list and goes and buys it and it paid in cash. (past client) Another good idea is random drug testing. If u are busted u lose ALL benefits for a period of time. People talk about the cost of drug testing to the govt but if they did that think of the foodstamps they would save!

[PitterPatter]

I never let anyone fudge or slide when it comes to getting any kind of public assistance. In fact, anyone who knows me knows my veiws on the whole situation, and probably just shouldn't mention it if they're scamming the system.

Those resources are for people with genuine problems, intended as a stop gap emergency measure to SURVIVE only until a person can get back on their feet. WIC and food stamps aren't intended to supply all of a family's nutritional needs. Daycare assistance isn't intended to cover all of a family's daycare costs. Welfare isn't supposed to provide a decent quality of life until a family decides to get it together. These measures are supposed to be extremely temporary, and a person receiving these benefits should be doing EVERYTHING in their grasp to get off the system as quickly as possible. Not camping out on the system because it's easier.

Now because so many people have been defrauding the system for so long, this country is in major financial turmoil. Unfortunately that puts great programs at risk of not being available for people who desperately need them and would use the programs to get back on their feet, the way it was intended.

I thought there was a set amount of time a person could use welfare assistance. Like u could get it for 5 yrs and then be done wether it be all 5 at once or spit up in periods of time when it was needed like a few months here and a yr there...? What happened to that or was it never set? I know a few families that have been living on straight assistance for YEARS. I just dont get how it's posible.

[Blackcat31]

I thought there was a set amount of time a person could use welfare assistance. Like u could get it for 5 yrs and then be done wether it be all 5 at once or spit up in periods of time when it was needed like a few months here and a yr there...? What happened to that or was it never set? I know a few families that have been living on straight assistance for YEARS. I just dont get how it's posible.

loop holes and "special" situations.....

[Kaddidle Care]

He will eventually get caught. They do spot checks on those on Disability and I know of 2 people that got caught doing other jobs on Disability and that was the end of that.

You could report him but eventually he will get caught.

[countrymom]

report them, I have done it. I used my cell phone (it comes up private name and number) here in canada those on welface make more than dh and I in a month plus all the benefits, makes me mad.

[PeanutsGalore]

Anyone who is misusing the system to this extent should be reported. It actually has nothing to do with owing you money; they're separate issues. If she were paid up in full from her end, wouldn't you still want to report her?

Curious: why haven't you terminated the contract? You haven't actually done anything "wrong", but the income you get from the state are funds that are tapped into illegally. If all providers who knew their state clients were getting welfare aid illegally refused to take the clients on, it wouldn't be quite so easy to game the system.

[PitterPatter]

Anyone who is misusing the system to this extent should be reported. It actually has nothing to do with owing you money; they're separate issues. If she were paid up in full from her end, wouldn't you still want to report her?

Curious: why haven't you terminated the contract? You haven't actually done anything "wrong", but the income you get from the state are funds that are tapped into illegally. If all providers who knew their state clients were getting welfare aid illegally refused to take the clients on, it wouldn't be quite so easy to game the system.

I would still report that's why I am asking. I just mean it makes me even MORE upset because they get all of the help and STILL can't pay me $50.

The child care portion of assistance is legit I guess because I know she reported the disability and new job to daycare (CCRR does the approving for childcare benefits). Thats 2 of the forms we have been waiting for them to get in so she could get the certificate approved and her fee went up by .75c. I have been in contact with the office manager every week for a month now trying to get things settled.

My question is since he CAN work with his hands bulding, landscaping, hauling junk etc. And that is what he claims for disability then wouldn't that be fraud since he CAN use his hands? How do u fake numbness in hands and get paid for it. OR maybe he's not faking but how does he do all that work. AND since he can work then why does he need a disability check. I don't get it.

I don't know if she reported her income to welfare or not but she gets all that assistance so I wonder why they would continue to help so much. I bet all in all they make more than I do! If she didn't report it all to welfare its just a matter of time for them because they have submitted all paperwork to CCRR.

[PeanutsGalore]

I would still report that's why I am asking. I just mean it makes me even MORE upset because they get all of the help and STILL can't pay me $50.

The child care portion of assistance is legit I guess because I know she reported the disability and new job to daycare (CCRR does the approving for childcare benefits). Thats 2 of the forms we have been waiting for them to get in so she could get the certificate approved and her fee went up by .75c. I have been in contact with the office manager every week for a month now trying to get things settled.

My question is since he CAN work with his hands bulding, landscaping, hauling junk etc. And that is what he claims for disability then wouldn't that be fraud since he CAN use his hands? How do u fake numbness in hands and get paid for it. OR maybe he's not faking but how does he do all that work. AND since he can work then why does he need a disability check. I don't get it.

I don't know if she reported her income to welfare or not but she gets all that assistance so I wonder why they would continue to help so much. I bet all in all they make more than I do! If she didn't report it all to welfare its just a matter of time for them because they have submitted all paperwork to CCRR.

Ah, I see. I'm not so sure I necessarily follow the logic though, because welfare benefits all tend to feed into each other, so if you lie to get one, you're probably lying to get the others as well, OR the lie you told to get one benefit automatically qualified you for another. Same difference.

Selling food stamps is a crime. That said, there are reasons that people will do it, and the only reasons that can mitigate the crime at all, IMO, is that they're truly destitute and feel they have no other option. Is she selling her FS because they basically live off of soda at home, and they can only afford to get it en masse at a place that doesn't accept fs? Soda is not food, no, but I've known a lot of people who live off of soda and junk food. It's cheap, and it's addictive, and when you try to take it away, people tend to get mad.

Disability is a similar sort of thing. If he's claiming that he can't work with his hands at all, then ya, that's probably fraud. But I don't know the rules--is his injury something that prevents him from working at all, or is it something that just prevents him from making a full-time living using his hands in these particular lines of work, but part time is ok? Again, I've known people on disability, and from the outside, they look just fine and seem like they could work. But I knew them before the injury. Trust me, they couldn't work anymore, not in their chosen line of work or any other.

Anyway, I don't know what you'll decide to do, but you know these people and certainly have reason to report them. They're not paying you, which could cost them their daycare benefits, and they're selling food stamps which is a crime. At the very least, I'd call today to report that she's not paying you her copay and let her know that she's got to catch up immediately in full or risk losing her benefits.

[familyschoolcare]

You should def. report all fraud in the the system makes it harder for people that truly needed it to get it.

By the way they might maybe selling the food stamps to get cash to pay other bills. When I was on food stamps I got more of them then I could spend in a month. So I bought non-perishables because I knew that the day would come when I no longer qualified for food stamps and when that day came I had a storage of food to help with the transition time. However, at the same time I was having problems paying PG&E so it would have been tempting to sell my food stamps but I did not know how to do that.