Family problems

[ragnarok2040]

My stepfather left our family to go to a mistress he had an affair with earlier (during the marriage) and he got fired from his job in the process. My mother tried to get marriage counseling after the affair which he didn't cooperate with. He was the sole supporter of the family. He took the only car we have, which is registered and titled in my mother's name. Our family lives in Michigan and my stepfather went to Indiana with the car. My mother has juvenile-onset osteoarthritis, asthma, unspecified feminine bleeding (10 months straight now), chronic anemia, and severe muscle spasms (anwhere from 5-25 a day, unknown cause). My mother can't work and can't afford to apply for disability because of lack of insurance/money.

What can we do about this?

*Edit*
He had two children with my mother, one is 3 and the other is 22 months.

 

[Grandma B]

My mother can't work and can't afford to apply for disability because of lack of insurance/money

I'm very sorry for your difficulties.

Has your mother applied for disability through Social Security? She can do that without insurance/money.

 

[ragnarok2040]

Thanks

Thanks for your reply. I thought that you had to pay for the tests that are conducted to be put on disability. I will tell her about what you said .

 

[Grandma B]

She should be able to qualify for medicaid (State paid medical coverage) if she has no income and is unable to work.

 

[ragnarok2040]

Thanks

Thanks for the replies.

Let me explain the situation further.
In order to qualify for medicaid or financial aid, you have to complete a course of Work First. They take you and put you in a class to tell you how to become independent off the state. My mother however can't go to Work First then go get 8 job applications a day because she is too ill. Oh well, even if we did have the means to get her on the list, it would still be too late.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Grandma B]

There has to be a provision for a disabled person to qualify for medicaid without going through all that. Get on the phone in the morning and find out what needs to be done.

 

[scumcoast]

Most state programs have some way of doing disablity claims and or exempting someone who is disabled from work registration, providing your mother has doctors verification that she is totally unable to do any kind of work for an undetermined amount of time. Try again. Good luck

 

[Kelly143]

I also live in Michigan. I am currently receiving Medicaid for my entire family while my husband and I finish school. The medicaid is based on income ONLY, it does not require the Work First program, neither does food stamps for that matter. The Work First program is only required if you are requesting financial assistance, and then they can make exceptions for disability. Talk to your Social Security office as well as the Family Independence Agency. The FIA should also be able to give her advice about support for his 2 children with her. If she applies for AFDC, they will ask her to help them recover some of the money for the state by cooperating with them against the husband. This is of course only if she is not receiving court ordered support. Is the divorce final, and how long has he been in IN? He should have had enough time to get a new job by now. She can get CS, as well as alimony. As for the car... is it titled in JUST your mothers name, or is the step-father on it as well? If it is in just your mothers name, she can report it stolen with the police. Then contact the police in Indiana as well with the location of the car. They should be able to help.

 

[dorenephilpot]

If they're not divorced yet and she became disabled during the marriage, there's a good chance he could be ordered to pay maintenance for three years. This would buy her some time to deal w/the government benefits issues.

She's also eligible for child support on the minor children, I'm sure.

As to the car, if it's in her name, and he took it, she can have someone go down and get it for her. Or she can have the authorities get involved.

From the facts as described, if a petition for dissolution hasn't been filed yet, one will need to be filed, and the state most likely will need to be Indiana, unless there are other facts at play here that I'm not aware of.

Sounds like your mom needs a lot of help to make all this happen, and she's lucky to have you.

Best of luck.....