Michigan officials and legislators are moving quickly to change the rules that made it possible for the winner of a $2 million lottery to keep receiving food stamps, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Department of Human Services officials confirmed that they had told Leroy Fick, 59, that he could continue to receive aid because he took his Make Me Rich earnings in a lump sum and still met the income threshold for food assistance.
WNEM-TV in Saginaw broke the story earlier this week after getting a tip from a resident who says Fick was using a food stamp debit card.
Fick, of Auburn, Mich., tells the TV station that he feels justified in using food stamps because the government took more than half of his winnings in taxes.
“If you’re going to … try to make me feel bad, you aren’t going to do it. It ain’t going to happen,” he tells WNEM reporter Bill Walsh.
Republican state Sen. John Moolenaar is now calling for legislation requiring lottery officials to submit the Social Security numbers of jackpot winners to DHS and Medicaid officials within seven days, The Detroit News reports.
The bill would also call for the DHS to remove jackpot winners from all public assistance programs, the News reports.
“It’s just awful,” Democratic lawmaker Charles Brunner says, the Free Press reports. “It’s not just a glitch; it’s a gaping loophole. It’s something we’ve got to fix.”
(Source: USA Today)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
I agree with the guy that he feels justified in using food stamps because the government took more than half of his winnings in taxes. Government will take it what ever they want With Taxes, Inflation(Just print more money).If you legally could take it – go ahead!
They only look at income, not assets, in determining food stamp eligibility. That’s the law.
Pac-Man, that depends where. In the good old days that I was getting food stamps, you were not allowed to have more that a specified amount of money.
That is the most selfish thing I ever heard! He should be made to pay it back.
Thats whats carazy here , hardworking middle class people like me have to save and save if we want something extra cus we get paid on the books. While i know plenty of poeple who have big assets and make big ash and buy the best food and dont have to run around to sales because our lovely governmnet pays for it. G_D you are the true judge. let this injustice end. anyone else in my situation? let me know . my wife and i feel like we are the only ones strugling tho we work hard .
#5 welcome to middle class