Is it okay to divorce so that a spouse can receive government aid?

[StMichael88]

A friend of mine has a father that lost his job, and with that, lost the insurance policy they had. Well my friend’s mother has a disease that requires a lot of expensive medication. My friend’s father and mother both have tried to get a insurance policy somewhere else, and have been denied or the monthly payment is too much for their income to handle.

My question is, is it okay for the two of them to get a divorce so that his mother can get on a government policy such as Medicare or something of that nature? They would both still live together, share the same house, share the finances; however, in the eyes of the law be divorced. Is this okay?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

No. It is moral fraud, and may perhaps be legal fraud depending on the laws of their state and of the federal government.

As difficult as this situation undoubtedly is, it cannot be morally justifiable to try and solve it by resorting to divorce. While civil divorce can be permissible in the eyes of the Church if there is an unlivable condition in the home (e.g., abuse, adultery, addiction, abandonment), it is not something the Church ever recommends and the Church cannot tolerate otherwise loving spouses using it as a means to an end.

Your friend’s parents must do the best that they can to obtain the medications his mother needs in a morally just manner. I suggest that they approach their diocese for a referral to charitable resources in their area. It is possible that they might qualify for charitable assistance from local religious and secular non-profit organizations.