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    $1 million winner won't get off food stamps

    'I thought maybe it was OK because I'm not working'

    March 7, 2012

    A young Michigan woman who recently won $1 million in the state lottery is causing national outrage today as she refuses to stop using her electronic food-stamp card.

    Amanda Clayton, 24, of Detroit was interviewed by WDIV-TV after the NBC affiliate was tipped off by an upset taxpayer that the jackpot winner was still receiving taxpayer assistance for food.

    “People are about to lose their unemployment and these welfare recipients are spending our tax dollars foolishly,” the viewer wrote the station. “Please do a story on lottery winners on welfare.”

    The station tracked Clayton down as she was moving to a new house which she had just purchased in cash with her winnings.

    When confronted, the woman said she didn’t think she was doing anything wrong.
    “I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn’t, I thought maybe it was OK because I’m not working,” Clayton said.

    She told the station that she actually didn’t receive the full million dollars, since she accepted a one-time lump sum of $700,000, and after paying taxes, her winnings were just over half a million.

    Nevertheless, Clayton believes she still has a right to receive $200 a month from taxpayers.

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

    “It’s just hard, you know. I’m struggling,” she added.

    WDIV contacted state Rep. Dale Zorn, R-Ida Township, who is pushing a bill designed to stop lottery winners from using public money for food assistance.

    “Public assistance should be given to those in need of public assistance, not those that have found riches,” Zorn said. “We need to have the lottery commission notify the state so that state can cross check those who are on assistance.”

    That bill has already passed the Michigan House, and is pending in the Senate.
    Meanwhile, the case is sparking outrage across the nation.

    Jenn Sanders complains, “I actually live about 30 miles from where she does and saw this story on the news. Go figure, I have MS (multiple sclerosis) and two kids, can’t walk or drive and can’t get any kind of help because my husband ‘makes too much.’”

    Rose Dominguez of California said: “You know why I’m angry, ’cause there is 6 in my family and ever since I became unemployed, my husband was the only one bringing in income, and so began our problems living check to check. So I go apply for food stamps and I only get $136 for a family of 6 because of what he earned and what I have saved for when things do get really bad, and it’s not a lot: $2,000. Sometimes my husband doesn’t even work a full 40 hours. This lady must be thrown in jail, she is ruining it for people who really need it but they get the wrong label because of people like this lady. Oh and I live in California where everything is more expensive especially food and gas. A gallon of milk is $4 and a gallon of gas is $4.25. Thank the Lord for public transportation.”

    "To go bravely forward is to invite a miracle."

    "Worry is the darkroom where negatives are formed."

    #2
    Yeah, I thought this was un friggin believable and that's all I can say about this one!
    Filed 11/17/11 Chapter 13, 341 meeting 12/21/11. Plan confirmed 1/19/12 - DISCHARGED 12/16/15

    Comment


      #3
      Michigan woman who won $1M lottery but kept using food stamps loses benefits

      March 8, 2012

      A Michigan woman won a $1 million lottery and continued to collect $200 a month in food stamps -- until she boasted about her situation to a local TV station and officials swooped in.

      Amanda Clayton hit the jackpot in the "Make Me Rich!" lottery game show in October and, after electing to take a lump sum of $700,000 and allowing for taxes, was left with about $500,000, she told WDIV-TV.

      The 24-year-old, who is unemployed, said she continued to receive public assistance.

      "I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn't, I thought, maybe, it was OK because I'm not working," Clayton said. "It's hard. I am struggling."

      She added, "I feel that it's okay because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay. I have two houses."

      But the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) said Wednesday that the woman was no longer receiving benefits and warned that people who continued to receive handouts in such circumstances may face criminal investigation and be required to pay back those benefits.

      "Under DHS policy, a recipient of food assistance benefits must notify the state within 10 days of any asset or income change. DHS relies on clients being forthcoming about their actual financial status," DHS director Maura Corrigan said.

      "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."

      A bill to stop lottery winners from continuing to cash in on food assistance has passed the state House and lawmakers are pushing for the Senate to approve it as well.

      A Michigan woman won a $1 million lottery and continued to collect $200 a month in food stamps -- until she boasted about her situation to a local TV station and officials swooped in.
      "To go bravely forward is to invite a miracle."

      "Worry is the darkroom where negatives are formed."

      Comment


        #4
        This woman was supposed to advise the agency if there was a change in her financial status/assets over $1,000 I believe, which there was. Also the state did not have anything in place to catch something like this if someone was receiving state aid/benefits and hit the lottery. That will all be changed after this incident. What I think gets most people upset about this is that the woman indicated she thought she was entitled to continue to receive the benefits because (a) she kept receiving them, and (b) she was not working and thought she was entitled to receive them, even though she just paid cash for a new house. Many of us could come up with a few words to describe all of this but I am sure she will have to pay back funds she received for benefits since the date of receipt of her lottery check.
        _________________________________________
        Filed 5 Year Chapter 13: April 2002
        Early Buy-Out: April 2006
        Discharge: August 2006

        "A credit card is a snake in your pocket"

        Comment


          #5
          As a Metro Detroiter I hang my head in shame, the fact it went national even more shame.

          Flamingo is correct the burden is on the recipients of the benefits to inform the agency of changes in income not the state; which runs the lottery. She has since been cut off, thankfully it was only 6 months of benefits paid out.
          Filed Pro Se: 11.12.2010 ~ 341: 1.12.2011 ~ Discharged: 3.9.2011 ~ Officially an Asset Case: 3.30.2011 ~ Last Day to File Asset Claim: 6.28.2011 ~ Trustee Final Report: 8.1.2011 ~ Asset Distribution: 8.31.2011 ~ Case Close: 11.15.2011

          Comment


            #6
            Half of her lottery winnings went to taxes. Nearly half a million. Hey, but is okay to pay farmers tens of thousands in cash for agriculture subsidies. You all are getting mad at the wrong folks.

            Originally posted by AngelinaCat View Post
            'I thought maybe it was OK because I'm not working'

            March 7, 2012

            A young Michigan woman who recently won $1 million in the state lottery is causing national outrage today as she refuses to stop using her electronic food-stamp card.

            Amanda Clayton, 24, of Detroit was interviewed by WDIV-TV after the NBC affiliate was tipped off by an upset taxpayer that the jackpot winner was still receiving taxpayer assistance for food.

            “People are about to lose their unemployment and these welfare recipients are spending our tax dollars foolishly,” the viewer wrote the station. “Please do a story on lottery winners on welfare.”

            The station tracked Clayton down as she was moving to a new house which she had just purchased in cash with her winnings.

            When confronted, the woman said she didn’t think she was doing anything wrong.
            “I thought that they would cut me off, but since they didn’t, I thought maybe it was OK because I’m not working,” Clayton said.

            She told the station that she actually didn’t receive the full million dollars, since she accepted a one-time lump sum of $700,000, and after paying taxes, her winnings were just over half a million.

            Nevertheless, Clayton believes she still has a right to receive $200 a month from taxpayers.

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

            “It’s just hard, you know. I’m struggling,” she added.

            WDIV contacted state Rep. Dale Zorn, R-Ida Township, who is pushing a bill designed to stop lottery winners from using public money for food assistance.

            “Public assistance should be given to those in need of public assistance, not those that have found riches,” Zorn said. “We need to have the lottery commission notify the state so that state can cross check those who are on assistance.”

            That bill has already passed the Michigan House, and is pending in the Senate.
            Meanwhile, the case is sparking outrage across the nation.

            Jenn Sanders complains, “I actually live about 30 miles from where she does and saw this story on the news. Go figure, I have MS (multiple sclerosis) and two kids, can’t walk or drive and can’t get any kind of help because my husband ‘makes too much.’”

            Rose Dominguez of California said: “You know why I’m angry, ’cause there is 6 in my family and ever since I became unemployed, my husband was the only one bringing in income, and so began our problems living check to check. So I go apply for food stamps and I only get $136 for a family of 6 because of what he earned and what I have saved for when things do get really bad, and it’s not a lot: $2,000. Sometimes my husband doesn’t even work a full 40 hours. This lady must be thrown in jail, she is ruining it for people who really need it but they get the wrong label because of people like this lady. Oh and I live in California where everything is more expensive especially food and gas. A gallon of milk is $4 and a gallon of gas is $4.25. Thank the Lord for public transportation.”

            http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/1-million...f-food-stamps/

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by jacko View Post
              Half of her lottery winnings went to taxes. Nearly half a million. Hey, but is okay to pay farmers tens of thousands in cash for agriculture subsidies. You all are getting mad at the wrong folks.
              She's a moron-she could have taken the annuity and hired a decent tax attorney. Not only could she have kept more of it, she could have set herself up to have a nice little income for years. Instead she did what most idiots who win the lottery do-she took it all in one lump sum and apparently blew it all by buying two houses. I agree ag subsidies are BS in a lot of cases, but its apples to oranges. Also-it says she was LEFT with half a million after taxes-she got $700K because she opted to take the lump sum (I don't know what the lottery rules are but apparently they skim off the top if you take it all at once-that's not taxes though) and it looks like she paid $200K after that to the feds and the state, again, because she was too stupid to plan well ahead of time. I really hate watching the grinning idiots who win the lottery stand there with their big checks (which she also did)-what kind of fool does such a thing? If I won a million bucks the last thing I'd do is announce it on TV!!! I'd claim it anonymously and find the best investment adviser, tax attorney, and accountant I could afford, and very quietly go about my business.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Diesel73L View Post
                She's a moron-she could have taken the annuity and hired a decent tax attorney. Not only could she have kept more of it, she could have set herself up to have a nice little income for years. Instead she did what most idiots who win the lottery do-she took it all in one lump sum and apparently blew it all by buying two houses. I agree ag subsidies are BS in a lot of cases, but its apples to oranges. Also-it says she was LEFT with half a million after taxes-she got $700K because she opted to take the lump sum (I don't know what the lottery rules are but apparently they skim off the top if you take it all at once-that's not taxes though) and it looks like she paid $200K after that to the feds and the state, again, because she was too stupid to plan well ahead of time. I really hate watching the grinning idiots who win the lottery stand there with their big checks (which she also did)-what kind of fool does such a thing? If I won a million bucks the last thing I'd do is announce it on TV!!! I'd claim it anonymously and find the best investment adviser, tx attorney, and accountant I could afford, and very quietly go about my business.
                If she put it into a Charitable Remainder Unitrust CRUT She would have paid NO TAX and gotten a tax write off on her IRS. She would have to take 5% minimum of the total funds until she died. The named charity would then get the Trust in whole.

                What irks me is Farmers being paid to grow corn for ethenol. Ethenol will ruin your engine, is not a real saver in gas millage is a boon doggle that does not work, and deprives us of food stuffs made of corn and fed to beef. A total loss. Better to make corn oil, much more efficient and diesel trucks could use it efficiently. It is a government pay out that does nothing for us. 'Hub
                If I knew it all, would I be here?? Hang in there = Retained attorney 8-06, Filed 12-28-07, Discharge 8-13-08, Finally CLOSED 11-3-09, 3-31-10 AP Dismissed, Informed by incompetent lawyer of CLOSED status, October 14, 2010.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by AngelinaCatHub View Post
                  What irks me is Farmers being paid to grow corn for ethenol. Ethenol will ruin your engine, is not a real saver in gas millage is a boon doggle that does not work, and deprives us of food stuffs made of corn and fed to beef. A total loss. Better to make corn oil, much more efficient and diesel trucks could use it efficiently. It is a government pay out that does nothing for us. 'Hub

                  I don't want to go off the original topic. The only thing I wanted to say about the ethanol thing is it's stupid! Not only for the reasons Hub mentions but because it's a huge waste when you measure the net energy.

                  You use petroleum to plant the corn, harvest the corn, deliver the corn to the processing plant and to bring the ethanol to the gas station.

                  You are using a lot of oil to create ethanol, so there's no real benefit to it.

                  It's politics as usual nothing more.

                  As for the idiot lottery winner what a loser!!!

                  Amanda Clayton still getting food stamps in MI after winning lottery last fall. From WDIV.


                  I cannot believe the law allows this.
                  The essence of freedom is the proper limitation of Government

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Isn't there already a limit in place on how much cash you can have to be on assistance? In NJ I don't believe you can have more than 2000 of any kind of liquid asset.

                    Keep On Smilin'

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Lottery winner who kept taking food stamps found dead

                      Amanda Clayton, who caused a stir by continuing to take food stamps after winning the state lottery's $1 million Make Me Rich! game show, has died of a possible drug overdose, police said Saturday.

                      Clayton was found dead by police at about 9 a.m. at a home in Ecorse, Ecorse police Sgt. Cornelius Herring said.

                      No further details were released by police.

                      Clayton was propelled into the spotlight after a local news outlet learned she had won the game show in September 2011 but continued to take welfare benefits. At the time, she said she was entitled to the payments because she still needed help.

                      She was charged by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette with felony welfare fraud and was sentenced to nine months of probation in late July. She was also ordered to repay the roughly $5,500 in food and medical assistance she received after winning the windfall.

                      State law requires that anyone with income changes on assistance programs report those changes within 10 days. Clayton was on food assistance from 2010 to 2012, and despite having a job for four months in 2011, she did not report the change to the state, even though it is unclear if that would have affected her eligibility for benefits.

                      Filed BK 7 Pro Se: August 2010 341 Meeting: September 2010
                      November 2010
                      Closed: January 2011!!!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Karma.

                        One thing we have learned due to our BK, Money does not buy happiness. The lack of it also does not cause unhappiness. Happiness is a state of mind. You decide daily how your life goes. Choose happiness daily and your strength will come.

                        There are only two types of worry: One that you can do something about, handle it. The second is a situation you cannot do anything about. So why worry about it, time will fix it. 'Hub
                        If I knew it all, would I be here?? Hang in there = Retained attorney 8-06, Filed 12-28-07, Discharge 8-13-08, Finally CLOSED 11-3-09, 3-31-10 AP Dismissed, Informed by incompetent lawyer of CLOSED status, October 14, 2010.

                        Comment

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