A lawyer should be able to keep you from losing whatever program.
I've heard a # of times, that a pile of cash counts as income for 1 month.
So of course you get nothing that month, but if it's all gone, then you're back to normal.
(don't quote me on all this !!)
$15,000 ... I'd go get a 3 to 5 year old small Honda or Toyota.
That'd get you car ownership expenses below $1000 a year,
and at the point where it would turn into a clunker,
it's already paid off, which is $0 in ownership costs.
Opens that money up to repairs.
You come out ahead for another 5 years, barring a major repair.
(look I know some of it's going to hookers and d&d books, still ... )