Lottery winner on food stamps: ?I thought maybe it was okay because I?m not working?

[RayBonga]

http://news.yahoo.com/lottery-winner...161650898.html

Lottery winner on food stamps: ?I thought maybe it was okay because I?m not working?

While most people have played the ?if I had a million dollars I would ____ ? thought game, few fill that blank in with ?stay on public assistance.?

Amanda Clayton, a 24-year-old from Lincoln Park, Michigan, is one of the few who does, and she is getting away with it. Clayton won $1 million from the Michigan State Lottery this fall, but she is still collecting and using $200 a month in food assistance from the taxpayers with her Michigan Bridge Card.

?I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn?t, I thought maybe it was okay because I?m not working,? the lottery winner who just purchased a new house and car told Local 4 in Detroit. The station even filmed her shamelessly purchasing goods.

When Local 4 asked if she felt she had a right to the money, Clayton responded, ?I mean I kinda do.?

Clayton justified the sentiment by explaining that after taking her winnings in a lump sum and having to pay taxes, the total amount was just over half of the initial winnings.

?I feel that it?s okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay,? she said. ?I have two houses.?

God bless America

[PR_Glen]

why buy two houses if you can't afford.... NEVERMIND!!! haha

[Tom_PM]

Really scumbag personality to think that way. And of COURSE a lump sum is going to be only a little over half. Anyone really not know that? And her excuse that well I have bills because I have 2 houses is just boo hoo, stupid rag.

[xNetworx]

LULZ

[L-Pink]

She was on assistance before she won, she's on assistance now after she won, she'll be on assistance when she blows the winnings. We have a class of citizens that will forever be on assistance ... and it's growing.

.

[nextri]

she'll soon be broke again. Spending the money on things that will cost a lot to maintain is the worst she could have done.

[Sly]

She just spent all of her money.

Who is going to pay the property taxes on her two houses?

[spazlabz]

just.... mind... boggling

[DaddyHalbucks]

There, in a nutshell, is why our country is broke. Virtually all government social programs are fraudulent, or induce massive fraud.

[Fletch XXX]

“I feel that it’s okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay,” she said. “I have two houses.”

wow

[rowan]

Reminds me of when the first home owners grant was offered in Australia. It wasn't means tested, so some people were getting in excess of $20k worth of federal and state grants... even millionaires who could afford to buy the house with cash.

[Rochard]

This where the system is stupid. It's based on her income, not what she has in the bank.

My father died when I was nine months old. My mother re-married, but collected social security on me until the day I was eighteen. You know, it helped to my expenses - at the vacation house in Canada.

[ottopottomouse]

?I feel that it?s okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay,? she said. ?I have two houses.?

[Tom_PM]

I will add to my comment about her specific circumstances that I think the bill proposed by the state politician is a little silly. Sure, when people win 1 million in the lottery you should look into cancelling their state aid. But he wants to cut it for anyone who wins $1000 or more.

$1000 bucks isn't going to pay your bills except maybe once. Cancelling someones foodstamps forever because they won $1000 once is a bit much. He should try setting it at 10 grand and above to avoid the person coming in exactly 1 month later and requalifying. Apply some brains to the proposal so it doesn't get trashed in the process.

[SteveHardeman]

That certainly is outrageous. But it's $200/month. meh.

What I found more outrageous is that she made some money working(yes, I know, she could have got it from public assistance but for the sake of argument, go with me on this). She paid taxes on the money she made working. She used the money to buy a lottery ticket. She won. Half of everything spent on the lottery went to education or something public-related. Then with her half she had to pay taxes again. And people still buy millions of dollars in lottery tickets every day. That is outrageous to me. Mind-boggling.

[seeandsee]

I will go to america and apply for food stamps

[brassmonkey]

guess what? when she collected the winnings she paid a ton of taxes. $200 a month aint shit.

[brassmonkey]

Originally Posted by SteveHardeman

That certainly is outrageous. But it's $200/month. meh.

What I found more outrageous is that she made some money working(yes, I know, she could have got it from public assistance but for the sake of argument, go with me on this). She paid taxes on the money she made working. She used the money to buy a lottery ticket. She won. Half of everything spent on the lottery went to education or something public-related. Then with her half she had to pay taxes again. And people still buy millions of dollars in lottery tickets every day. That is outrageous to me. Mind-boggling.

when you collect welfare the government does not own you. its so you can get on your feet. it's a grant meaning you dont pay it back

[SuckOnThis]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

There, in a nutshell, is why our country is broke. Virtually all government social programs are fraudulent, or induce massive fraud.

No, our country is broke because the people YOU keep voting for starts wars, wants to put a military base in every country, want corporations and millionaires to pay no taxes, and wants more prisons than schools. And you think its about some lady collecting $200 a month in food stamps.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by Rochard

This where the system is stupid. It's based on her income, not what she has in the bank.

I agree there should be some limits, and if you base it on money in the bank, then all other property should be included too. But the main problem is Spending too much, not saving, and this kind of system would favor blowing all your money. There are people who live in a millon dollar house but may be broke otherwise.

And after paying 500k of taxes(which takes 208 years to get back as 200$/month), new house + car + other stuff, she won't have that much left in the bank.

[OverdueNudes]

Here in Michigan they will give almost anyone $200 a month in food assistance. If you have a child, are in school, or just don't have a good job - they will give you assistance. I really can't blame her and would do the same thing in her situation. If they can't figure out that she has $1 million dollars then why stop accepting the $200 a month? It's not going to go anywhere beneficial, only back into the food stamps fund for next year. It's a very poorly run system, but trust me there is no one who truly needsfood stamps here that is missing out because of this woman or people like her.

But yes, other goverment assisted programs such as EDUCATION are missing out. Not because of the people committing fraud, but the way the system nearly encourages it.

[brassmonkey]

i want some food stamps

[PornoMonster]

In the video, they kept saying $200 a week. $200 a week is what the people I know get, they just get it in a lump sum once a month here. Still $800 a month isnt much compared to Gov waste every Minute.

BUT,
Min wage is around what $15K a Year, so she did take home about 33 years of income.
Well lets just do $20 an hour, is like $39K so, she was paid in cash just over 12 YEARS of $20 an hour. Most states unless she has 5 or more kids, $20 an hour is to much to qualify.

On the bright side, SOMEONE is buying these Houses, LOL.

[bronco67]

This is the average intelligence level of a lottery ticket buyer. I wish I could buy a paper in the morning without a group of these desperate retards buying lottery and scratch tickets.

[kristin]

This is why most lottery winners go bankrupt, they have no financial planning skills.

[brassmonkey]

Originally Posted by kristin

This is why most lottery winners go bankrupt, they have no financial planning skills.

sure they do! they plan to spend it fast

[Failed]

The one outrageous story a month the media works feverishly to find about a person abusing the public assistance programs in our country is definitely what's wrong with our country and why we're in financial collapse. It's not the stories about bank fraud, government spending, and corporate tax loopholes that we rarely hear about from the media funded and in bed with politicians and corporations. Nope, it's definitely the small percentage of people taking a few hundred bucks a month from social programs.

[Markul]

in some parts of europe, people with no education will make more on wellfare than they would working.

[Tom_PM]

Whats sad is that there are people who want to work, but have no choice but to get on section 8 housing assistance, food stamps and/or other genuine assistance they qualify for until someone hires them.

While a person like her who had a windfall take home of around 600k see's nothing wrong with still taking the handout designed for others who are in need, ACTUAL need, of assistance.

But person 1 will still have to deal with people who think anyone on public assistance is someone who wants a handout. It's sad that the default attitude is one of disdain rather than compassion.

[PornoMonster]

Originally Posted by Markul

in some parts of europe, people with no education will make more on wellfare than they would working.

They do here in the USA.

My friend who after 2 years got a job paying $12 an hour, has now been fired for missing to much work. She said she was going to quit, because she was taking home less, and having to work 40+ hours a week, now she can be home with her kids.. HA

[Spunky]

That's just morally wrong .It's almost when these multi millionaire winners continue to work at their shitty jobs,they should give up their shitty jobs so somebody else can survive

[tony286]

Originally Posted by SuckOnThis

No, our country is broke because the people YOU keep voting for starts wars, wants to put a military base in every country, want corporations and millionaires to pay no taxes, and wants more prisons than schools. And you think its about some lady collecting $200 a month in food stamps.

Well said.

[V_RocKs]

Originally Posted by Rochard

This where the system is stupid. It's based on her income, not what she has in the bank.

My father died when I was nine months old. My mother re-married, but collected social security on me until the day I was eighteen. You know, it helped to my expenses - at the vacation house in Canada.