School Lunch Fraud- Venting?

man! The nerve!
I applied, and truthfully answered the income. We were $400ish over and got denied. Which I GUESS is good? Means we are not as broke as we have been.
Would I report her? I don't know. What are you hoping to gain by doing so? What is the end result that you want?

Huh..im surprised people are saying not to report it. I think at our school it isn't the principal but a manager of the cafeteria that you could go to. Other than this woman's bragging I'm not sure if you could actually prove it...could be she is lying and actually does qualify but is embarrassed that she does. Maybe you could inquire into how the school proves someone qualifies and go about it that way. By just asking in general first. Fraud is fraud and I hope she does get caught.

I personally, would let it go. I had a co-worker who fudged everything, would buy stuff at Walmart like DVD player for trip, then return it and complain (fake) to get her money back afterwards. It used to make my skin crawl - but I stayed out of it.

Could you tell her in future you don't want to hear about this stuff? That's what I would do. Just say "You know, that's pretty dishonest - and it's our school lunch system. I'm not really ok with it, so I'd rather not know you do that."

If people shamed her by reacting to it, I think that would be more helpful if you want her to change.

Otherwise - if you feel strongly, you could talk to the principal. Be prepared for it to get back to her. I have no idea if they actually check this stuff.

ETA: B makes a good point. I hadn't thought of it that way, because other the person I knew who did it - did it to large chains and I'm sure it affects pricing (they must have to charge that back to the consumer somehow..) - I haven't known anyone who has lied to schools or child related programs to get a break.

Do they not have to show proof of some kind? We had a daycare that would charge less if you made under a certain amount - and we've had sports funding available for the same - you had to bring in documentation of your income.

I agree - stealing is stealing. I totally understand why you would feel outraged about this, I would, too! I think of all the honest people who probably missed by pennies and are really struggling to feed their kids :( It isn't just the lunches, either. Here, if you qualify for free lunches, you automatically qualify for free breakfast, field trips are paid for, your family gets a free box of food at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with dinner and all the trimmings for your family, and I think there are some other benefits, too, that automatically happen.

Personally, I think I would say something. Sometimes, by not outing wrong doers, we are doing wrong ourselves . . . If everyone just stood by for every wrong act, what would our world come to?

Good luck!

Oh this annoys me. Stuff like this from people who are not in need can make it harder for those who do to get help. More crackdowns, more hoops to jump, etc. Fraud crackdown is a common political theme.

Lunch applications can be verified against IRS records. It can take awhile though and the year just started, but if your school verifies then she'll get booted from the program.

That said, some schools/districts choose not to bother with verification because they have more liberal acceptance. Some even automatically include everyone regardless of means.

Knowing your local policy would be useful in making a decision.

I would report her, many kids really need reduce priced lunch and fraud risks the program for everyone.

I would get over it. I mean really, $4K over the income limit to qualify for reduced lunches is still pretty poor. Maybe just be glad you're not her and move on. It's none of your business.

I agree it's possible she does qualify and is embarrassed so she's lying about being 4,000 over the limit.

But just in case she isn't lying i agree it's fraud and she should be reported to the school. Since she is talking to so many people about it, I bet she won't know who turned her in. It could have been any of the people she bragged to. I would anonymously report it to the principal. After that, it's up to them.

I get what everybody is saying about it being small potatoes and i also get how it's not fair and it can add up.
I hate she's doing that because I was less than $4k over when I was a single mom and i knew they didn't verify income but i just didn't feel right doing it. I always made just too much to qualify for free or reduced healthcare, free or reduced childcare, food stamps, housing, etc, but still just enough to make it ... It would've been freaking nice to have help with lunch, but we made it. No prob. So this is irritating to me because of my personal experience and my overall opinion of "users" like this.
I wouldn't report though because not that crucial and God sees. Still shitty of her because i could've definitely used it back in the day!

Ugh, yes it's annoying, but really? In the big picture it's kind of like writing a letter to the manager of your local 7-11 because you saw someone take pennies from the take-a-penny tray and put them in their wallet rather than use them for their purchase.
Focus your energy on bigger budget items like the billions of dollars we give to corporations in the form of tax breaks.

Frankly, I think many, many people in the school system look the other way with this stuff. The reality is that schools get more Title 1 funding from the Federal government if they have lots of kids on the lunch program. If they lose that funding, it negatively impacts the entire school. They want kids on the lunch program and they typically do not verify income. I get calls, emails and letters every year to apply despite obviously not qualifying.

To Mommy of 5. Why should all kids get free lunch. As a parent it is your responsibility to feed them, clothe them, provide a home etc. For those that cannot due to extenuating circumstances, it should be available at a reduced rate.

I think it's a shame that all schools don't offer free lunch to all students.I know where i'm from ,Baltimore,md,all baltimore city schools give free lunch too all children .I do understand why you feel that the person has a nice income and should pay for her child's lunch everyday ,so i would say if it's something you really need to do by reporting that then you should probably reach out to the principal about the situation and i'm pretty sure the principal can point you in the right direction on who he/she feel needs to be notified .