MI Lottery winner cut off from benefits

by Quietman ~PWCM~JLA Posted 2012/03/09 21:48:39

Related Topics: Senate, Republican, Bridge, Winner, Food, Food Stamps, Welfare, Financial, Lottery

Read all 42 opinions

The Michigan woman who won the lottery but stayed on public food assistance will no longer be dining off the taxpayers’ dime.

Amanda Clayton, the 24-year old Lincoln Park resident who won $1 million in the state lottery but continued to use $200 a month in food stamps, has had her benefits revoked by the Michigan Department of Human Services.

According to Michigan DHS, those receiving food benefits must notify the state of a change in income or assets within 10 days.

“DHS relies on clients being forthcoming about their actual financial status. If they are not, and continue to accept benefits, they may face criminal investigation and be required to pay back those benefits,” DHS issued in a statement and published by Local 4.

“Michigan DHS does not currently have the ability to verify a person’s lottery winnings in determining benefit eligibility, but bills pending in the state legislature would require the Michigan Lottery to notify DHS of lottery winners. We fully support this proposed change. Our Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously pursue any and all abuse and fraud in the welfare system,” the statement concluded.

A bill requiring the state to cross-check the names of lottery winners prizes over $1,000 with names of individuals on public assistance, sponsored by state Republican Rep. Dale Zorn, has passed the state House. There is a companion bill in the state Senate.

Clayton’s food stamp chicanery was first reported by Local 4, who filmed Clayton using food stamps and approached her about it

Chef Bunyan 2012/03/09 23:05:04

+11
GOOD! I had to live on food stamps for 2 years while I fought tooth and nail for my Social Security Disability Benefits. It's bad enough when you HAVE to use them, but this chick should be jailed for fraud!
>> See Replies

More polls by Quietman ~PWCM~JLA

Monty 2012/08/21 16:38:11

+1
idk why she didn't tell social services about that,then she plays dumb,i bet she blows all that money in no time and tries to go back on assistance and i hope the deny her.

reply
sglmom 2012/03/18 08:10:22

+3
First step .. cut off the benefits .. (Good that it was done)
NOW I'd like to see her PROSECUTED for Public Aid FRAUD ..

reply
princess 2012/03/11 10:57:08

+4
It's about time....it was fortunate she was exposed by the news report, otherwise this would have gone on indefinitely.

reply
baboula 2012/03/10 19:25:50

+3
so she should

reply
Seonag 2012/03/10 18:12:48

+2
Good!

reply
Ramon 2012/03/10 12:58:38

+4
Thanks to Fox News, who broke that story. If it was up to the mainstream press she would still be getting food stamps.

reply
Cal 2012/03/10 02:51:23

+4
This is the most retarded thing ever. She should the government back, double, for just abusing the system so bad.

reply
Bob S 2012/03/10 00:19:16

+7
I wonder why it took so long. Typical dem wanting something for nothing. She really went from the 99%ers to the 1%ers and still wanted more.

reply
DebraJMSmith 2012/03/09 23:42:08

+6
Shame on her, that she didn't remove herself.

reply
Chef Bunyan 2012/03/09 23:05:04

+11
GOOD! I had to live on food stamps for 2 years while I fought tooth and nail for my Social Security Disability Benefits. It's bad enough when you HAVE to use them, but this chick should be jailed for fraud!

reply
MsTlynne 2012/03/09 22:56:25

+8
She should be made to pay back every cent.That is beyond greedy!

reply
Striker 2012/03/09 22:42:13

+5
Somewhere around half of that million probably was taken as "income taxes". As I gathered from elsewhere, she bought another house, but still doesn't have a job (income) so what is really "right" here? Myself, I'd not have taken any more food stamps.

reply
Bob S to Striker 2012/03/10 00:20:34

+6
Obama will bail her out later when she spends all of her money and defaults on 2 house payments.

reply
Striker to Bob S 2012/03/10 00:22:32

+3
LOL, for sure. Are you gonna pay your "share" for that?

reply
Hula girl - Friends not Fol... 2012/03/09 22:41:30

+5
Ahhhhh, what is she going to do now?

reply
WhereIsAmerica? ~PWCM~JLA 2012/03/09 22:37:55

+6
She should pay back every penny too.

reply
TheTruth1313 2012/03/09 22:25:09

+7
Wait, the government did something that made sense?!? Is hell freezing over? Now, they just need to make her pay back what she received after she won and fine her for being such a greedy bitch.

reply
FPSRules 2012/03/09 22:21:15

+7
How unfair.......how about reimbursing the amounts she received after winning?

reply
belle 2012/03/09 22:07:16

+5
At least the system finally worked right in this instance.

reply
TheTrut... to belle 2012/03/09 22:23:20

+2
Well, they should get the money she received after winning back to. But, this is a start(lol)

reply
GANGA~Patriotic Revolution ... 2012/03/09 22:06:30

+6
She should pay it back. She knew what the rules were!

reply
Sport_Geoff 2012/03/09 22:02:13

+7
But wait, didnt they hear her say she has 2 houses, a new car to insure, no job, and bills to pay?......Whats she gonna do now? Must be those evil republicans up to their hateful tricks again...........I hope they prosecute her for fraud now just because of her attitude of entitlement.

reply
tommyg - POTL- PWCM-JLA 2012/03/09 22:00:21

+3
As it should be. Too bad it took so long...or that we even have to worry about situations like this....integrity in America is so hard to find.

reply
Emily 2012/03/09 21:59:54

+5
It's the natural way of things; food stamps are for when you can't afford food. Low and behold, she can afford food. Shock, horror, benefit revoked.

reply
Glenn Mitchell 2012/03/09 21:52:14

+4
And this would be a hard choice how?

reply
RJ~PWCM~JLA 2012/03/09 21:51:58 (edited)

+8
Now that she's picked up her cool million, she should pay back ALL the food stamp money she's received.

reply
Emily to RJ~PWCM... 2012/03/09 21:58:42

+2
Oh yeah that's fair. Does that mean that if a person who got disability benefit as a child gets money they should pay back all benefit they got? Honestly, I would understand paying back a loan, but this isn't a loan. She needed it then; doesn't now. So the benefit is no longer paid. Done.

reply
belle to Emily 2012/03/09 22:06:25

+6
but she continued to receive the benefits and used them after receiving the winnings, she has purchased 2 homes.. That is what she should pay back what she got after picking up her winning, not before she won..

reply
Emily to belle 2012/03/10 17:57:15

Oh... then that's fair, I'll grant you that. But when you say "ALL the food stamp money she's received" that indicates, I dunno ALL the food stamp money.

reply
belle to Emily 2012/03/10 18:18:14 (edited)

+3
I didn't use the word ALL, but use some common sense all in this case indicates what she is not entitled to.
Also maybe when they check her out it may end up being every penny she has seen since the first time, that is possible

reply
Emily to belle 2012/03/10 18:32:07

Sorry, thought you posted the original comment. Obviously not on inspection.

reply
belle to Emily 2012/03/10 20:39:44

+1
thank you

reply
Emily to belle 2012/03/11 12:00:26

+1
You're welcome

reply
WhereIs... to Emily 2012/03/09 22:39:30

+5
She should pay back all she received fraudulently (since she won the lottery and didn't report it) and she should be prosecuted for fraud too.

reply
Emily to WhereIs... 2012/03/10 18:02:48

I agree- halfway. Maybe (although it may seem obvious to you and me) she didn't understand that she had to tell them about lottery winnings, or meant to, or something like that. And what does prosecution do?

reply
RJ~PWCM... to Emily 2012/03/10 13:18:27

+2
What's unfair about asking someone who's received monetary benefits from the government to pay it back, ***when they're in a position to do so***, as this young woman is?

Article says she was getting $200 / month. That's $2400 / year. She's 24 - assuming she started collecting at 18, that's 6 x $2400, or $14,400.

What's unfair about asking someone who just collected $500,000 (after taxes) to pay back $14,400?

reply
Emily to RJ~PWCM... 2012/03/10 18:07:41

That she got that when she needed it? Give with one hand and take with the other. Yeah, have money to live off, we'll help you. Oh, you got some money? Yeah, now give it back. ALL of it. Nice.

reply
RJ~PWCM... to Emily 2012/03/10 20:35:54

+2
You still haven't indicated what makes it unfair.

What's "unfair" about treating these benefits as loans, payable only if and when the recipient is in a financial position to do so?

reply
Emily to RJ~PWCM... 2012/03/11 12:14:25

It's unfair because it's essentially saying "have the money now, but if you ever succeed, we'll take it all back". You're right, on the surface it looks like what you're saying is fair, but benefits are freely given aid. And treating it as a loan means that you put the poorer under pressure. Any loan is a huge pressure if you don't have the money to pay it back, even under the circumstances. It's not so much that she couldn't pay it back, but your making poorer families feel guilty that they can't. It's like if a friend takes others out to dinner, and everyone else can pay them back, but not you. Makes you feel guilty, even if the others tell you not to pay if you can't, because everyone else has. Nice.

reply
RJ~PWCM... to Emily 2012/03/13 17:44:10

+1
I see what you're saying. But I don't agree that making someone feel "guilty" is necessarily unfair. Sometimes, guilt can be a motivator.

I believe an argument could be made that it's the "guilt free" attitude towards social benefits that's part of the reason why the cost is getting so out of hand.

reply