Don't you need an SSN to apply for welfare or food stamps? How did "Jose Illegal" get one of those?
We can assign temporary SS numbers to people who are illegals...I'm not up on the where and how of it, our bi-linqual workers do it.
The way it works with families of illegals...we count the income made by the illegal members of the family, but unless they're pregnant or victims of domestic violence, they cannot be included in the "need" group, which means they don't get an allotment of fs, TANF, or medical.
I have a wonderful family...dad is legal, mom isn't. She's a wonderful charming woman, has a lot of kids who do well in school. He's a hard working guy with a serious language barrier (her English is beautiful) and they're buying a house.
She stays home with the kids, he works or when he's not working, gets UC (as he is entitled to). The kids all have medical, and we count everyone in the HH for foodstamps except mom. They still get around $700 a month in fs, which is plenty, particularly since I suspect she's a frugal cook (most latinas are) and good with money...or they wouldn't be buying a house. Because he doesn't rake in the bucks, believe me.
They're a lovely family, I have no problem with them getting the benefits they get. She's VERY honest. I don't know why she hasn't applied for citizenship...it's a convoluted process or maybe she's just so afraid of being deported away from her family she's scared to initiate it.