Would you "drop a dime" on someone defrauding the state assistance program?

In My Humble Opinion
41

Tell that to Indiana Family and Social Services Administration - for several months they were mailing my dead husband statements regarding his medical treatment, termination of benefits, and so forth. And I know they knew he was dead both because I informed them, sent them a copy of the death certificate, and many of the letters started “Please accept our condolences for the loss of your loved one…”. It was just easier for them to send stuff regarding my husband to his last known address.

I suppose if he died and there had been no one to open his mail and it had been returned to them it all would have landed in a file somewhere and they’d stop mailing things, but I assure you they did, indeed, continue to send stuff to him after he was deceased.

But hey, I’m only someone who has had to deal with this sort of thing this year, right? What would I know about it?

42

^ This.

43

Absolutely I would advise Social Services. I used to work with them. Fraud may or may not be occurring but if it is, then it needs to be stopped.

44

My answer to the title of this thread is “I sure would.” As a taxpayer any identifiable fraud I encounter gets reported.

In the case explained in the OP the fraud is not clearly identifiable so my action is to do nothing.

45

I’m loth to drop a dime on a Doper for rule-breaking so the answer is no, I probably wouldn’t.

46

An acquaintance of mine who was receiving substantial state benefits (here in the UK) for her disability was left a large sum of money (£100,000+) by her aunt. Her bank volunteered to place the money in a separate account so that she could continue getting her benefits. Another acquaintance of mine, also receiving state benefits, inherited a large sum from her father … her bank also arranged for this money to be placed in a “secret” account.

47

First, you don’t know IF fraud is occurring. If it is, you don’t know WHY it is occurring.

Hypothetically, if I were to take advantage of the free time I have (Still just a bit too messed up to hold a job. Looking to get a job this year), and visit my mameh in Florida for thirty days, this would require my case to be examined, and my benefit adjusted. Then, when I got home to Philly, my case would have to be examined and my benefits adjusted back. It would be a hassle for all concerned. Easier to just not tell them I’ll be at mameh’s house.

There are other good reasons. It’s a ‘starving man stealing a loaf of bread for his family’ thing.

But you don’t even know that this woman is getting benefits. The correspondence could be ‘we have closed your mother’s case’ repeated in triplicate.