My neighbors wife/mother has been in the hospital since January. They have been collecting her SSI as well as the fathers (he lives in the house). He is too old and sick to do anything about anything. The son and his girlfriend and her three babies live there as well. The girlfriend spends all the SSI mostly on food and herself after utilities. They refuse to work. She is really lazy and she will not let him go and work even for one day. They keep saying the mother is coming home. Now they say the hospital is letting her come home to die because they can't help her any more. That was suppose to be a few days ago. Is it fraud for them to keep collecting since she has been in the hospital all this time (10 months) and might never come home?

I don't know if it's fraud but it's illegal for them to spend money that is coming to the house if it's hers and not their's, that's for sure.

It could be called fraud. The monies are not going to the woman in the hospital, but to her lazy family who spend it on their needs. It should have been saved. Social Security would investigate this and I think it is worth the call. I can see some monies for reasonable expenses such as a portion of the rent but not to be spent by the worthless son and equally worthless girlfriend. Make the call - costs you nothing to report this.

No, she is still due her payment even if she is in the hospital, it will stop when she dies. Unless they have the POA or guardianship to actually cash or access the money that is most liekly theft from the wife/mother, unless she has allowed them to use the money.

I am really surprised that the hosptial is not taking her check. I have never heard of this not happening. My neighbors wife was hospitalized and was then sent to the nursing home and they took all of her check. Same thing with my aunts husband plus she has to give them additional monies, as his checks do not cover all of his care.

Btw my son used to receive SSI and when he was in the hospital I did not report it... I did not know I had to but he was only in there for a month at a time. But once a year they did call me for a report of what I spent it on.

Thank you all. I could see if it was for the up keep of the house but over 2/3rds is wasted by the girlfriend.
They are taking it out of her account without any formal permission.
I have been thinking of reporting it. I think it is time cause they are soooooo
Irresponsible AND wasteful. She buys ALL junk food like soda, chips and Little Debbies and it kills her to buy meat and NEVER vegetables other than potatoes. The son and girlfriend share one medium sized bedroom with the 8 year old daughter, 4 year old son and new born.
Child protective services and Board of health have been to their house at least a couple times each and I don't know how they overlooked the filth and all.

Definitely report it and talk to someone then, won't harm you or cost you anything.

I hate people who mooch and leech off others. :(

When my Dad was in the nursing home, his Social Security was to go to the nursing home. Between the social worker (who was very new to the job, her first job out of school, so there was some understandable error) and my step-mother, the social security check went to my step mother. Which she spent and never reported to the nursing home. After Dad had been in that home for about a month I asked the social worker about the S.S. She told me it was not coming to the home. I was furious. I told the social worker I would give her two weeks to get it straightened out but then I would report this as fraud (my step-mother) and for her, I would report it to the Social Work board. She must not have believed me, as nothing happened.

Something like that, I just do not mess around. The end of the story was that my step mother had to pay back the monies - I did report her to Social Security. Also the social worker received a reprimand. People in those health care places, whether it is a hospital or a nursing home should be monitoring those things. Hospitals have social workers, often a team of them.

I hope this gets straightened out for your neighbor's wife. What that woman will come home to is unthinkable. Good she has you for a neighbor!