My father just passed away a year ago, leaving my grandmother with custody of his 5 children, me included. My grandmother is being harassed on a daily basis by 4 of them. She is struggling with bills as my 19 year old sister will not get a job to help. I'm 17 and looking for a job to help. My mother is supposed to be paying child support but she gets advances on her checks so that when the checks go out, child support only gets about $10. That's not nearly enough to pay bills or buy food. My grandmother is 56 and has no help raising us. Can I report elder abuse or is there anything I can do to either get them out or get some kind of help?
Definitely reach out to social security....you are 17, but you sound like you are mature enough. Go to your ss office with grandma, bring your dad's death certificate and anything that shows granny has legal custody. Tell them you are there to look into benefits for yourself and the other children (all under 21).
These government workers are people too, when they see a young girl take the reigns and try to help granny with the kids, I bet they will help guide you through the system.
Beware of giving too much info, do NOT use the word abuse.....you will open the door to investigations and potential outcomes you do not want. The word abuse has legal consequences....use it if someone is being hurt physically, or stolen from, etc.. Teenage rebellion and uncooperativeness may not meet the level of abuse.
No one is more worthy of entitlement programs than a grandma suddenly raising 5 kids, look into food stamps, Obama Phones and any other local programs. You can become pretty well versed in these on the Internet.
Accept a helping hand today if you need one, I am sure you will grow up to be a highly contributing member of society, who will pay it forward tomorrow.
May God strengthen and Bless you and granny and guide your siblings to be their best.
In the meantime, honor your gram by getting good grades in school.
Have your Grandmother get an attorney to have your Mother's wages garnished.... meaning the child support will automatically be taken from her pay and sent to the court, which in turn will forward said funds to your Grandmother.
How are your siblings harassing your grandmother? Are you all living with her now? It's hard to know how to answer without specifics. It may be better for some of the kids to go to another foster home (selected by Child Services) if it's not working out with your grandmother for reasons other than money.