Welfare Fraud Accusation

My question involves criminal law for the state of: FL

OK the situation is as follows. A friend pays his ex directly every week not a court ordered agreement. Amount varies based on needs. One child involved.
The woman is now being investigates by DCF for fraud. She gets food stamps and medicaid for the child.

Letter says the biological father moved in. This is incorrect. He did spend a few nights a week for about a month back in fall because his son was sick. But does not live there. She could face criminal charges. She wants him to state he does not live there which is true. And also state that he helps but not with cash. I an assuming unless DCF rep is stupid they will want that defined.

Could he get in trouble for purgery.

He does provide weekly support to her in the form if cash. IF he tells DCF no he doesn't give money. Do they have recourse after him. Can they start child support order or make him pay back some of th aid she received?

Thanks.

He isn't the one not reporting it, she is. Unless there is a huge amount of money involved, they will find her and her child ineligible for a time. When/if she does become eligible again, they will deduct a set amount from the food stamps each month until the debt is paid. They will do the same for cash assistance. The child will also be ineligible as long as the child is part of her household.

how is she getting cash assistance without a child support order against him? that is generally a requirement.

He may not be working a legit job. Also, Support Enforcement is so backlogged, a lot of children fall through the cracks. They person applying for and receiving cash assistance has to sign over the child support payments to the state. But, then it is up to the state to so the rest.

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Quoting Mercy&Grace

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He isn't the one not reporting it, she is. Unless there is a huge amount of money involved, they will find her and her child ineligible for a time. When/if she does become eligible again, they will deduct a set amount from the food stamps each month until the debt is paid. They will do the same for cash assistance. The child will also be ineligible as long as the child is part of her household.

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This isn't unemployment insurance -- when you are caught lying to get public assistance, there's a very high chance of a criminal prosecution.

If dad doesn't live in the home, it's going to take more than a denial that he lives there to convince anybody -- where does he get his mail? Where is he paying rent? What address did he use to register his car? What address is on his driver's license?

If dad convinces DCF that he doesn't live in the house and that he's a deadbeat, he can expect that they'll seek a child support order against him.

They have verbal agreement only.

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If he enters into a mediation agreement with the woman and agrees to the amount he has been giving her under the table so to speak. Would that prevent child support order?

No. The State is going to want that money to reimburse the taxpayers.

Dad isn't receiving any assistance, so he has done nothing wrong. The state has to have the child support orders before they can get Dad for not paying. Unfortunately these situation are very common because the absent parent doesn't want to pay a higher amount of court order child support, so they give the non absent parent a little money to keep them quite. They will want more than a verbal or written statement of where he lives. Proof of where he receives his mail and possibley rent and/or utility receipts. Dad will lose nothing, except have the money officially taken out of his pay check if he is officially work. Mom and the child on the other hand will lose benefits for a time frame and the state will want their money back, which will be deducted from future benefits as well as state and federal icnome tax if Mom works. If/when the state takes Dad to court, the amount of child support may be more than what he has been giving Mom.