Is it a "real" lie?

I have a bf who has a history of not fully telling the truth about his money issues. Since he wants to live with me and possibly, marry, his truthfulness of this issue is critical. We've been together several years and he knows that until I'm satisfied he is fully transparent, I can't move forward with him.

He had been using is elderly mother's credit card for certain items last year when he was unemployed and told me she knew about it. She is essentially destitute and ready to go on Medicaid and has Alzeimer's. The card in question is almost at its max and he pays it with her funds (I think) nominal amounts just to keep the card open for emergencies.

He was re-employed 6 months ago and apparently paying his own bills but I learned a magazine subscription he must have ordered last Fall when he was unemployed and used her card, was renewed 1 month ago. I know he sees her bills and makes the modest payments so I assume he saw the charge on the May statement.

My question is: I am not aware of whose money the nominal payments on the account came from, but i am almost 99% sure it is his mother's money, isn't this a lie when he has promised not to use it? Even if it is his money that he used to pay his mother's card, wouldn't it be more responsible for him to have called the vendor and changed the card used once he presumably saw her credit card statement?

I don’t get this whole money issue

If people take money from other people without asking it’s stealing

And it’s hardly better if they emotionally blackmail people to give em money.