child support, state assistance and newly married

[jenjen]

State of Florida


is it legal for a custodial parent who recieves child support and is newly married to get state assistance...such as reduced housing, food stamps etc...?

[HelpingHands]

The person needs to qualify based on income and family size. So yes, if the married couple has an income that still falls within the requirements, they can qualify for housing assistance, medical assistance and foodstamps based on family size and income.

//www.hud.gov <----------links to different state housing agency

//www.myflorida.com  <------- great wealth of information

http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/   <------ public assistance

[jenjen]

Thanks for the links-
Do u know if and how information can be obtained as to what assitance was given, how much, and during what time periods

[HelpingHands]

I will tell you this: If your name is not on the case they will not give you ANY information. They can not, by law, disclose information not pertaining to you. HIPPA laws, I believe.

Here's a scenerio: BM had primary physical, she received food stamps and medicaid. She refused to give me the medicaid information(I wanted to clear the hospital bill, when she got hurt while on a visitation). I called the social services office. They can not give me ANY INFORMATION re: OUR daughter, even though I had joint legal custody. The case wasn't in my daughter's name, it was in the mother's name and with that came the confidentiality. They said I had to get it from the mother. So, in the end, I never received the medicaid information.

If you are the father and the mother has recieved benefits for your child you may be liable for the repayment. Ask me how that's fair and I will tell you I don't think it is, especially when the woman can go get services, never tell the man and then he has to repay it. That just happened to a friend of mine. $1600 to be repaid or he goes to jail.

[jenjen]

How do I get proof that the assistance was ever given to the NOW former custodial parent?

 the new custodial parent is trying to determine what part of the money the state is requesting for past due support is actual past due support, and what part is for repayment of assistance the former custodial parent alledgedly recieved?... for how long and in what form?

the new custodial parent just wants an accounting of what was actually given to the former custodial parent in assistance?

nobody just pays a bill just because someone says so.

the state may have been defrauded and the new custodial parent should not be responsible for re payment of that

[HelpingHands]

If you are being ordered to repay a debt (their receipt of public assistance) and you are obligated to do so(court order), I would ask for an accounting statement detailing the dates and amounts of payments. (I doubt they would give you the type (housing, foodstamps, etc) If they refuse to give you the amounts (which sounds like what they are trying to do) then I would take the issue to court to dispute the amounts, ask for clarification of amounts owed for which period, etc.

Will the DCSE(child support office) not give you a detailed payment history? With that history, it should detail the amounts owed MONTHLY and the amounts recieved MONTHLY, it should also break down and show arrearages with the interest rates added in MONTHLY. From that you should be able to determine what the public aid amount was.


You are going to have to have an attorney to get this mess straightened out. You are digging yourself into a bigger hole by trying to get this done yourself. It is obvious they are not going to discuss anything with you. Until they are forced to produce the information(court order), they will continue to take you for their ride.

If you are talking $15k or more isn't it worth the assistance of an attorney($2500-5000) to get it straightened out?