Fraud and Government Hand-outs

[gemini3]

Kids came this weekend, and there was a not in SD2's agenda from mom to teacher asking for a free lunch application.  My husband and I have serious issues with this because the ex has a history of applying for government programs and lying on the application.  She was on food-stamps last year, had the kids on free lunch, and took a box of food from the schools food drive.  All this on a HH income of over $50K per year.  Not to mention they live in a gated apartment community and the rent is $1200 per month, she drives a $35K van, etc.  

I looked up the guidelines, and she doesn't qualify.  I'm assuming she qualified for food stamps last year by not reporting her husbands income before they were married.  Now they are, so she can't get away with that, but the school lunch program requires no income verification.  (How's that for a 7 BILLIION dollar government program - no verification... but I digress.)

We have issues with the government fraud in general, and the fact that she's teaching the children to lie and manipulate the system.  He sent her an e-mail telling her that he thought it was wrong - and she replied that it was none of his business, yada-yada-yada.  So we're contemplating brining this up in counseling so the counselor knows what a lying, cheating, manipulative person he's dealing with.  Also in the hopes that he may report it.  Any suggestions?

(PS... last year we sent a letter to the director of the Nutrition Services Program stating that ex had lied on her application.  They are supposed to ask for income verification if they have reason to believe someone has misrepresented themselves.  Nothing was done.)

[Kitty C.]

And if you get no satisfaction from the program director, go above his or her head.  Go all the way to the state Dept. of Education if you have to.  What she's doing is fraud and you and the rest of the taxpayers of your state have to foot the bill for it.

[janM]

Kitty...sorry to hijack...

If an NCP applies for government benefits saying they have custody of their kids and they don't (one was actually adopted by a relative), I know it's fraud...and I was told it would have to be the state that does any prosecuting...but is there anything the parents can do? Or would the ncp have to have received benefits (they were denied for lack of documents)?

[gemini3]

We brought the matter up in counseling, and the counselor told her in no uncertain terms that what she was doing was wrong, and that she was teaching the children to do things that were "morally and ethically questionable".  He also told her that my husband would be "well within his rights" to report her, AND to sit the kids down and explain why it was wrong.

Of course she burst into tears and started apologizing and saying that she realizes now that what she was doing was wrong, and that she didn't realize the affect it was having on the children.  That's her usual M.O. when she realizes she's caught and is about to get in trouble.  She switches instantaneously from indignant and defensive, to being a pitiful victim of circumstance.

At least the counselor saw her true colors.  He was NOT pleased.

Jan - unless they've actually received benefits there really isn't anything you can do.

[Kitty C.]

............or she doesn't rescind the current application, report her a$$.  It pi$$es me off when people like her pull this kind of crap and WE have to pay for it!