Thousands of poor disabled men and women could lose their only source of income because of a change in government policy that will allow states to seize every penny of federal benefits from people who owe back child support.  An estimated 275,000 people could be left destitute as a result of this change.  The Treasury Department decided to pay all benefits electronically starting next year, including Social Security, disability and veteran's benefits.  Another Treasury Department rule in place gives states the power to freeze the bank accounts of people who collect federal benefits and owe child support.  The new policy allowing collection of every penny of federal benefits could cause thousands of poor and disabled to lose their only income.  Johnson Tyler, a lawyer who represents poor and disabled people who collect federal benefits said, "It's going to be a nightmare here in about a year unless something changes," reported WashingtonPost.com. 

A lot of child support arrears add up when people lose their jobs, become disabled, or possibly incarcerated at an earlier time period.  Back child support often accrues in extenuating circumstances, not in every case, but in many cases, and much of the balance later includes interest, which varies from state to state.  When large lump sums are owed, often the children are grown and the monies collected go to the county because welfare benefits were expended for the children.  Whatever happened in the past, it is of no consequence to the federal government - they will collect.  Previously in California, child support agencies could collect 50% of these benefits, which was often devastating at that.  Now that the government intends to collect 100% of federal benefits from the disabled and poor, you are going to see catastrophic economic effects in the lives of these people.  No doubt, many will end up on food stamps and in tents or in shelters.  This collection effort is really self defeating and actually very stupid, in that while the federal government has provided a way to recoup some welfare benefits expended in the past, a whole new group of people are going to end up on food stamps and other government programs on account of this new policy. 

Assuming people can't be that dumb (we'll try to give them some benefit of the doubt), this appears to be more like a strategy to bring about a "welfare state" on purpose.  Socialist governments create economic situations which actually push the population into welfare dependency, which is exactly what you see here. 

****  If you owe child support and collect Social Security, disability or veteran's benefits, do not have your benefits deposited electronically into a bank account.  Request your benefits by paper check and spend the extra money to cash it at a check-cashing vendor, and keep your money out of the bank.  It is inconvenient, but far better than having your bank account frozen, having all of your income seized and ending up destitute.  ****

"He (God) delivers the poor in his affliction and he opens their ears in oppression" Job 36:15.  "The wicked in his pride, persecutes the poor; let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined."  Psalm 10:2.