Hi, OK so I have a friend who is 20 years old and she is being forced to stay and live at home by her mother. Also, my friend has been receiving a social security check every month due to a disability, but her mother has lied to social security telling them that she is mentally challenged and can't act or think for herself just so she can get the money herself. And whenever my friend tries to move out or get the check to her name (like social security told her mother to do when she reached 18 years of age), her mother threatens to get her put in jail or beat her. What can my friend do?

Contact the Social security administration.
What her mother is doing is fraud and it is a punishable offense.
If in fact your friend is mentally stable.

Put her in jail for what? And if she beats her, she goes to jail herself.

Like Artlady said... contact SS and get the check put in her name. If the mother wants to make it difficult, have her arrested.

Is the mother holding your friend prisoner in the house or is she allowed to go out?

If she is being held a prisoner, you can report this to the police (since she is over 18 its not a family services issue). If she can go out, then she needs to find someplace she can stay temporarily and move in there.

What I would recommend is the following steps:

1) Open a bank account in her name
2) Go to the SSA and have her payments direct deposited into that account
3) Pack her things and move somewhere else

These can be done all in the same day. But she won't be able to find her own place to stay until she can prove income. So she may have to stay with a friend until she can.

I am not aware that you can tell SS ANYTHING that they will believe unless you have medical proof. Your friend's mother was able to convice SS that your friend has some type of mental handicap without any proof?

And, yes, if she's a prisoner, call the Police.

You can also notify SS but, as I said, unless this is a giant fluke they have to have documentation which allows the check to be controlled by the mother.

What State?