My what a long nose you have

I got an application back in April which was completed by the applicant and stated her husband is self employed and she is pregnant. Now under the new medical only app process I don't speak to her I only send a notice asking for more info or proof of what she has reported. I got back a note written on one of those cutesy kitchen note pads saying " I don't why you are asking for self employment or proof of pregnancy; I'm not pregnant and my husband works" I denied her because she didn't provide what I asked for.

In June she turned in a copy of the same app she has already given us with the same answers as before. Again I asked for proof of self employment and proof of pregnancy and EDD(estimated date of delivery). This time she didn't turn anything in. I denied again. August rolls around and I see yet again the same damn app on my desk! I call the home number, it goes to voice mail. I call the "work" number, it doesn't work. I finally call the guy who has been writing some very questionable statements for them. Who is he? The accountant for the business the husband runs! That would be self employment folks. He gives me this big song and dance about how the business is closing. I finally get the husband on the phone and start asking questions. I want to know how he has been paying his bills if he no money coming in. I mean there are employees to be paid, rent and electric, and ingredients for the smoothies; he has to be paying all this somehow.

He tells me he has no money and everything is overdue. His statement is that he hasn't paid any bills or employees because there is no money coming in and hasn't been since about 4/08. No biggie but I need to know how he plans on settling over due wages and bills when the business goes under. His next statement is that all his wages are up to date and he will sell the business goods to pay back all bills. Wait a minute, how are your employee wages up to date if you have no money. Well every night he just counts out cash from the register and pays them. Where did the money in the register come from? From people buying smoothies. So there was money coming in? Only when people bought smoothies.

If I ask you ten thousand times if ANY money in any way was coming in and you continually say no then turn around and tell me there is money in the cash register from people buying smoothies you are now a liar. We do not like liars. Had he just been honest in the beginning and told me he had a little money coming in but now enough to support himself or the business everything would have been fine but no, as most of my clients do, he says there is absolutely no money anywhere and they are about to starve on the streets.

The funniest thing is, most people lie about the things we don't care about and/or things that would make them qualify for more benefits. Honestly, we know you're lying and we're laughing at you. If you are so hard up that you need to lie about who you are, I pity you.

The most amusing part is catching them in the lie. A co-worker had a case where the mom just had no info whatsoever on her babies' daddy. Oh no, I don't where he is. Oh no, he doesn't pay me any child support. Oh no, I have no clue about where he is at all. Well about 4 days later guess who she interviews? That's right babies' daddy. On the back page of the application he listed her name and number as a contact person and labeled her "children's mother". Wow,what a shock!

The absolute best thing is when the client themselves exposes the lie. For instance, we ask them to bring a letter from their previous employer saying they no longer work there and are not paid but they turn in a letter saying they still work there and get paid X amount. Then when we work the case with income they call and pitch a fit because they keep saying they have no income. Or they turn in a letter from a neighbor listing the kid's father as living in the home when at the interview they swore up and down they had no clue where he was.