Abusing the system

poppy · #1 01/12/14, 08:34 PM

Why can't government work to get fraud and waste out of the system? My wife's friend and hairdresser is an older lady with a daughter than is pretty worthless, along with her husband. They had 2 kids who have grown and left home. They were getting $503 dollars a month in food stamps for themselves and the kids. After the kids left, they didn't notify the state and continued to get the $503 per month. Then they both got busted on drug charges. He got a year in prison and she got 9 months. While they were in prison being fed at taxpayer expense, the $503 continued to accumulate on their EBT card. When she got released, they had over $4500 in food stamps. No wonder we're broke.

Melissa · #2 01/12/14, 08:40 PM

Seems like it would be easy enough for the system to know the birthdates of the children and reevaluate the case when they turned 18. Sounds completely incompetent...

Yvonne's hubby · #3 01/12/14, 08:45 PM

They dont want to lose a good "customer" is why they dont check on things closer. Unless the caseworker shows that there is need in the community, their own jobs are at stake. This same mentality runs all the way to the top.... congress critters get needed votes from the poor. If they actually started reducing freebies, votes would be lost, and their own jobs would be in jeopardy. Obamacare was passed for a reason.... and it had nothing to do with helping people.... it had everything to do with re-election.

poppy · #4 01/12/14, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melissa

Seems like it would be easy enough for the system to know the birthdates of the children and reevaluate the case when they turned 18. Sounds completely incompetent...

That's what i think also. I would also think they had the computer flag an account that wasn't being used that long. It's obvious anyone who could let their food stamps accumulate that much does not really need them for some reason. When my wife told me, I told her the woman must be mistaken because i thought the balance on the card would reset every month but I do understand why someone could have a small carryover on occasion. I was wrong. Finally looked it up and they do accumulate but once your balance hits $5000, they will contact you to see if you're have problems accessing your benefits. If you do not use the card for one year, they delete all your benefits.

Zapthycat · #5 01/12/14, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvonne's hubby

Obamacare was passed for a reason.... and it had nothing to do with helping people.... it had everything to do with re-election.

Obamacare wasn't passed to help people (and it won't), and it wasn't passed for re-election either, since even when it was passed it was unpopular. Don't you remember Pelosi saying that it was the duty of every democratic congressman to pass it even if you don't get re-elected because of it?

Back to the subject though:
Corruption is corruption. The system is rife with it. It breeds its own voters. Sooner or later it'll come crashing down. Since we don't have a populace that's willing to pay for it, we have to create magic money out of thin air. Hyperinflation will get us sooner or later.

where I want to · #6 01/12/14, 09:35 PM

Because some minds are horrified over the idea of having to get up each morning and having to do what you don't want to do. You can tell this mindset by the speed in which excuses are given for not doing what most others have done all their lives.

Wendy · #7 01/12/14, 11:35 PM

Kind of like my neighbor. He drives a barnd new pick-up & is on food stamps. If you can afford a new truck, you could afford food. He also has said he has to watch how much he works so he doesn't lose his benefits. Most of it said while sitting in the local bar drinking $3 beers!

arabian knight · #8 01/13/14, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wendy

Kind of like my neighbor. He drives a barnd new pick-up & is on food stamps. If you can afford a new truck, you could afford food. He also has said he has to watch how much he works so he doesn't lose his benefits. Most of it said while sitting in the local bar drinking $3 beers!

Well that is because food stamps are based on your income and family size, not assets.

Darren · #9 01/13/14, 09:24 AM

It's all about the budget. If you don't spend this year's money, how much do you think you'll get next year? There's no incentive for some government agencies to pursue fraud. If the IRS can't figure out somethings wrong when they send 655 refund checks to a single address in Lithuania and 343 refund checks to a single address in Shanghai, what's that tell you about government?

This is another reason why those who think giving the government more power will solve problems are missing the boat. We introduce more inefficiency and fraud into society while sapping the wherewithal of individuals and companies that could do more that benefits society.

unregistered358967 · #10 01/13/14, 09:50 AM

While I don't like being a tattletale and fearing retribution, is there some sort of way a person could be a whistleblower on these people?

Darren · #11 01/13/14, 09:56 AM

There are tip lines. There's also the possibility of a qui tam lawsuit if you'd like a chunk of the proceeds and there's big money involved. If DOJ adopts your law suit you could be getting a check.

unregistered358967 · #12 01/13/14, 10:11 AM

Good to know. While I haven't seen this happen personally, it's good info. Thanks.

JillyG · #13 01/13/14, 10:29 AM

I would like to give you a different side to stories like these.
I have been on food stamps when my then husband left me with 2 small children and zero money in the bank.
My youngest was only 6 months so I had a hard time finding a job.

My social worker actually told me how the system, at least here in NY , worked.
They needed to have, say 1 worker for each 10 recipients(I am using arbitrary numbers here).
If too many recipients went off benefits one worker would lose his or her job. They did not want recipients to leave the system. They overlooked many things, I took in some sewing and such to make some extra money, easy at home work. When I told my worker this she said" Do not show me that paper. If you do I will have to report it as income and you might lose your benefits." I showed her the paper and I did get a reduction in my food stamps. It was OK with me. It was not long befroe I had a nice sewing business going and it all worked out fine.

So before we lay all the blame on the recipients of those benefits, they might be getting told not to look for work or report their children moving out.

Becka03 · #14 01/13/14, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melissa

Seems like it would be easy enough for the system to know the birthdates of the children and reevaluate the case when they turned 18. Sounds completely incompetent...

I agree-
a different type of story- but still irritating~when they instituted the kids stay on insurance until 25 at our workplace, we were sure to call and tell them our daughter who was 22 at the time and on our family plan that they could remove her- she had found employment with insurance-
our employer had no way to know this unless we told them- which we did- and they seemed flippant- and told us to wait until the next re-enrollment opening - which happens every November- I was appalled since it was June at the time- think of how much money our employer was wasting!

Raymond James · #15 01/13/14, 10:42 AM

My question would be did you call and report it? Criminals only flourish when we allow them to.

I do not think someone is a criminal for using food stamps or other public assistance. Almost everyone needs help at some time in their life. Even a rich kid who never took any public assistance got help from his parents as they paid for college, lots of nice clothes to wear going to job interviews and a car to drive himself there.

To take benefits that you know you are not entitled to is wrong/criminal.

As citizens we should report criminals /illegal activity when we are aware of it.

pax6 · #16 01/13/14, 10:49 AM

What really bothers me is how many full time employees still qualify for SNAP benefits. Walmart's employee handbook even includes location info for local social services because they pay poverty level wages. And if every large retailer adopted Walmart's employee pay rates it would cost taxpayers $400 million annually in increased healthcare and welfare costs. In California alone. The way I see it, Walmart's low prices are taxpayer subsidies.

http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf"]http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf[/URL]

Darren · #17 01/13/14, 10:51 AM

You're asking government employees to cut their own throats. There will always be some amount of fraud. The question is how to keep the safety net for the ones that life throws a curve and how to get those off that view it as an entitlement for generations.

As always, the devil is in the details. This is a problem, I don't think government can handle.

thesedays · #18 01/13/14, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less-is-more

While I don't like being a tattletale and fearing retribution, is there some sort of way a person could be a whistleblower on these people?

Yes, there is. Not sure how to do it, but in some cases, they give cash rewards for people who turn in fraudsters.

emdeengee · #19 01/13/14, 12:54 PM

I am always amazed at the number of people who absolutely, for sure, positively know that there is fraud going on and yet they do nothing. If you know (and you need proof not just gossip) that there is a mistake - or deliberate fraud - occurring then take the responsibility of reporting it.

gimpy · #20 01/13/14, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thesedays

Yes, there is. Not sure how to do it, but in some cases, they give cash rewards for people who turn in fraudsters.

To be fair, there's a lot of people who only have part of a story and have made up their mind about the rest. That said, someone going to prison should have an automatic review of their case as well as people moving out of a residence.