CA: Nursing Homes Can't Claim Someone's Stimulus Payment

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert for Floridians with loved ones residing in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Reports of these facilities seizing residents’ stimulus payments are beginning to surface nationwide. According to the Federal Trade Commission, some facility operators are seizing the stimulus payments of residents on Medicaid—justifying the seizure by claiming the facility, not the individual, is entitled to the federal benefit. CARES Act payments are classified as a tax credit, not a federal benefit, and are allocated to individuals not the facilities entrusted to care for them.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This is disgraceful and completely unacceptable. As we have seen throughout this crisis, residents in these facilities are at a higher risk of suffering and dying from COVID-19—they should not have to carry the additional burden of worrying about their stimulus money being taken by those entrusted with their care. The federal government allocated these funds to individuals during these unprecedented times. If these stimulus funds were meant for facility operators, they would have been earmarked as such.

“Please check on your loved ones living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Ask if their stimulus payments have been received. If they haven’t, ask the facility’s management if they are holding the benefits. If they are, contact my office immediately.”

To contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office, call 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visit MyFloridaLegal.com. Complaints can also be filed with the FTC by visiting FTC.Gov/Complaint.

For tips on scams related to stimulus payments, click here.

For tips on general COVID-19 related scams, click here.

Since the COVID-19 emergency declaration, Attorney General Moody has issued 12 Consumer Alerts with information about emerging scams and tips to avoid fraud. To view the latest alerts and to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 related scams, visit the Attorney General’s Consumer Alert webpage by clicking here.

For all the Attorney General’s COVID-19 related releases and additional COVID-19 tips and resources, click here.


The Florida Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division issues Consumer Alerts to inform Floridians of emerging scams, new methods used to commit fraud, increased reports of common scams, or any other deceptive practice. Consumer Alerts are designed to notify Floridians about scams and available refunds in an effort to prevent financial losses or other harm caused by deceptive practices. Anyone encountering a scam should report the incident to the Florida Attorney General's Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com. To view recent Consumer Alerts and for other information about avoiding scams, visit MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert.