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Divorce for tax and government benefits

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RPMom

Junior Member
Missouri
Is it legal for a man and woman who have five children between them to get a divorce, yet still live together as man and wife, for the sole purpose of getting tax breaks for them and more welfare-type government help for her?
 


Silverplum

Senior Member
Missouri
Is it legal for a man and woman who have five children between them to get a divorce, yet still live together as man and wife, for the sole purpose of getting tax breaks for them and more welfare-type government help for her?
Sure. Rude, but legal.
 

commentator

Senior Member
In this day and time, that woman with five kids is going to have a lot of trouble collecting government /welfare type assistance on her kids if dad is anywhere in the same vicinity and not doing anything to support the family. If he's still living in the same household, that's going to be reported, checked and double checked, his income is still going to be imputed in any eligibility calculations for public assistance, and I don't see as how his being married to or not married to the mother of the kids is going to affect her ability to get anything.
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
Here's the scenario:

Mom and dad divorce yet live together. Uncle Sam (or representative thereof) supports mom and kids with cash, medical, foodstamps.

Dad gets hauled into court. Is ordered to pay support and then to pay Uncle Sam (or representative thereof) every penny they laid out back.

Go right ahead, make Uncle Sam's day:rolleyes:
 

RPMom

Junior Member
Some interesting responses. Thank you all. To clarify a bit. . . Dad is working two jobs and paying--and is up to date with--child support. Mom doesn't work. In addition to her child support from Dad, she gets child support from another man for the two oldest kids AND receives food stamps, free government health care for all the kids, etc. Somehow this doesn't seem fair to all of us who work hard for what we have. Is this a glitch in our system?
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Some interesting responses. Thank you all. To clarify a bit. . . Dad is working two jobs and paying--and is up to date with--child support. Mom doesn't work. In addition to her child support from Dad, she gets child support from another man for the two oldest kids AND receives food stamps, free government health care for all the kids, etc. Somehow this doesn't seem fair to all of us who work hard for what we have. Is this a glitch in our system?
There is no illegallity as far as taxes are concerned.

However, there could be (not necessarily is) some welfare fraud going on.
 

commentator

Senior Member
Oh ho, so we have someone thinking someone somewhere is getting something she doesn't think they deserve. Okay. If there is a total calculation of income and resources for this household, and the administering officials find that the household income is still low enough, the household resources are not great enough to keep this group from being eligibile, yes, they can still get assistance, particularly with health care for children.

As far as the mother not working, after a certain point, with a certain number of children in the family, the cost of child care is going to be almost greater than anything she could earn, so it may make good financial sense for her not to work.

The income and means for public assistance recipients are checked very regularly. If you feel there is fraud going on in their receiving assistance, or think they have other sources of income they are not reporting, you are welcome to call and report it, and the case will be re-verified. But just because you do not feel that these people do not deserve something is not an indication they are not entitled to it.
 

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