Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

No. Free housing means you have $0 housing expense. It is not treated as income.

No. Housing is a different program—Section 8.

Not sure what type of benefits OP’s relative is getting. To get TANF you need to show low income and that you’re a head of household or have a kid. I’m not positive but I’m pretty sure parental support (including free housing) is included in the calculation.

Yes if they report money given by their parent, that is treated as income.
If their parent gives them a place to stay, i.e. free housing, having a no-cost place to stay is not treated as income. It is just treated as having $0 rent expense when they determine your eligibility.

At any rate, the OP’s cousin probably qualifies for the programs.

I don’t believe this is right. If she’s part of someone else’s household (living with her parents and eating their food), that household’s income is what’s relevant. Maybe her parents are letting her file taxes independently. The government doesn’t just say “show us some paystubs and/or a tax return and we’ll give you $,” they ask a lot of questions.

Anonymous wrote:A cousin of my mine (who is a single parent) lives with their parents in their $2M home rent-free. Cousin works once a week at a restaurant where they get paid mostly in cash tips.

I know for a fact that and their parents have conspired for cousin first to get WIC and then EBT, Medicaid and daycare vouchers. I know this because cousin openly talks about in extended family group chats, my parents mention it repeatedly and cousin has told me when I’ve been at their parents house. Cousin has almost no reported income.

I almost never think such benefits are being abused, but in this case, I am almost certain they are. Is there anywhere to report this? I’m infuriated.

How do you vote? If your not ok with this you need to start voting republican. Also you should report this.

OP report it.

Anonymous wrote:
If the cousin has no reported income, they are not abusing the system. They are using it, legally. Please keep in mind that people like this often have disabilities (usually psychiatric).

My kids are on Medicare right now, legally, due to our current low income. Yet our rundown old home is now worth more than 1M, because it's in a nice part of Bethesda.

You can report, but it will get nowhere, because it's highly likely everything is above board.

How do you pay your bills?

Nothing happens when you report it. Most of my extended family is abusing the system. I'm NOT ok with this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

No. Free housing means you have $0 housing expense. It is not treated as income.

No. Housing is a different program—Section 8.

Not sure what type of benefits OP’s relative is getting. To get TANF you need to show low income and that you’re a head of household or have a kid. I’m not positive but I’m pretty sure parental support (including free housing) is included in the calculation.

Yes if they report money given by their parent, that is treated as income.
If their parent gives them a place to stay, i.e. free housing, having a no-cost place to stay is not treated as income. It is just treated as having $0 rent expense when they determine your eligibility.

At any rate, the OP’s cousin probably qualifies for the programs.

If it makes you feel better report it. It will likely not get looked into. Eventually your cousin has to go in and recertify stuff and it's really up to the person reviewing to ask and investigate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

No. Free housing means you have $0 housing expense. It is not treated as income.

No. Housing is a different program—Section 8.

Not sure what type of benefits OP’s relative is getting. To get TANF you need to show low income and that you’re a head of household or have a kid. I’m not positive but I’m pretty sure parental support (including free housing) is included in the calculation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

No. Free housing means you have $0 housing expense. It is not treated as income.

Income shmincom. It is a benefit. Don't split hairs. If you are living in a house free of charge then it should be taken into consideration for calculating what your overall NEEDS are. There is a difference between someone with a place to live versus those who have NOTHING and nowhere to go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

No. Free housing means you have $0 housing expense. It is not treated as income.

Anonymous wrote:What? How is this welfare abuse OP? It sounds like your cousin is not a dependent, they have minor children, and they have very limited income. What is it that you want? For them to be homeless, too?

You suck, OP.

DP. You need to explain your housing situation when you apply for welfare. Free rent (in a $2m house or not) is a form of income/benefits.

It may be legal in this instance but the bigger question is "Is it GOOD policy/law?" If not, then the law needs to be changed.

I can see both sides of this issue. However, I think there is a difference between the truly poor with zero safety net, and those who are living with relatives who are providing housing and other benefits. An individual who can work AND has childcare vouchers (but only works one day per week) should be scrutinized, IMO.

Keep in mind each state has a limited amount of money to go around. This pot of money also includes supporting the ELDERLY poor. In our county there are no housing vouchers for the elderly poor. None. This is because the priority is for any parent/household with minor children, and there is not enough money to go around.

The only state-funded elder housing facility here was shut down due to unlivable conditions to include leaking roof, black mold and insect infestation including bedbugs. There is NOWHERE for the elderly poor to go and there are NO housing vouchers for them.

I have tried to get an elderly relative a housing voucher for years. When we first went to do so the waiting room was filled with (seemingly) physically healthy young people with small children. Including couples. Yet when it came our turn, we have been told over and over there is NO HELP for elderly housing here. When asked what an older person should do (living on less than $1,000 per month in Social Security) we were told to go ask at a homeless shelter.

A person works their entire life and this is what they can look forward to for "assistance" when they get old and can't make ends meet anymore. This is what may await all of us unless we start looking at a more comprehensive national policy for taking care of the poor elderly.

If you think this is rare, it is not. Next time take a closer look at some of the homeless you see. Have you noticed their age? Many walk by them thinking, "Oh that's just a mentally ill old woman/man." Perhaps you need to reframe your thinking to, "Oh, that's an elderly person who is out on the streets because they have nowhere else to go and are NOW suffering from mental and physical illnesses."

So OP resents paying taxes to support someone who doesn’t work enough in s paying job. And she didn’t say how old the kids are, if she’s looking after young kids.

I had an uncle with profound mental health issues who worked a few hours a day as a janitor in a bar. He mostly lived off government aid. I’m so grateful I’m not him for many reasons, including that l can support myself. It sounds like your cousin might have a tough life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are they abusing the system? You said they have little income. They can live wherever they want. She’s a single mom. She very well could need these benefits. What am I missing?

She barely works, has no expenses and is 100% dependent on parents. How is this legal?

Why should parents pay for an adult child? This is what taxes are for. Don’t like it? Vote R.

Sweetie, we aren’t “voting R.” We’re intelligent. Your posts prove you aren’t, and thus you vote R.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are they abusing the system? You said they have little income. They can live wherever they want. She’s a single mom. She very well could need these benefits. What am I missing?

She barely works, has no expenses and is 100% dependent on parents. How is this legal?

None of those things are illegal or disqualifying.

Seriously, get a life.