Consider yourself lucky if you've won the lottery in Michigan and you're on welfare.
Consider yourself not so lucky if the state finds out.
The Detroit News reports that the Michigan's Department of Human Services found 3,544 lottery winners on the state's welfare rolls or living with someone receiving public assistance in 2012. The average win came to $6,800. The News reports that a new law requires the state to cross-check the Michigan Lottery's list of winners of $1,000 or more with public assistance recipients.
As a result of the law, the News reports, the state kicked off more than 500 people off welfare rolls. Maura Corrigan, head of the state Department of Human Services, wants tougher laws to kick more lottery recipients off welfare roles.
Specifically, the Department of Human Services found 19 welfare recipients won more than $100,000 and five others were living in a household with someone on public assistance
Chad Livengood of the News writes:
A DHS report released Monday laid out scenarios in which lottery winners continued to receive taxpayer assistance.
In one, a pregnant woman who won $300,000 remained on Medicaid until after the child was born.In another, a man living with his two adult children lost his food assistance after winning $125,000 in the lottery but both of his children continued to collect $400 each month in food stamps.
