Family 'squatted in house of dead woman, stole her benefits'

A US family has allegedly been found squatting in the house of a dead woman who was left rotting upstairs and stealing her benefits.

Todd La Duke and Nicole Scalise were arrested after officials went to check on wheel-chair bound Tiffany Kain, who has not contacted the Department of Children and Families for months, the Independent reported.

Kain's body was found upstairs in a bedroom in advanced stages of decay, with medical examiners estimating the 33-year-old had been dead for at least two weeks.

La Duke and Scalise were found in another room with one of their children, who was four.

Their other children, 6 and 11, were attending school when authorities were at the house.

The house had been left in a "deplorable" condition, with animal feces, drug-related items and dirt scattered around and carpets were soaked in urine.

The couple were charged with child neglect, unlawful disturbance of a body and drug possession.

There was no suggestion that La Duke or Scalise were responsible for Kain's death, believed to be of natural causes. The couple, however, admitted taking the disability payments of the dead woman, who suffered from spinal bifida.

Holly Hill Police Chief Mark Barker said it was "perhaps the worst case of child endangerment I've seen in my 30 years in law enforcement. Disgusting".

“We are fortunate that these children have been removed, are in a safe place today and that these individuals have been brought to justice,” Mr Barker added.