Should People On Benefits Do The Lottery?

[sunny-dave]

An interesting/depressing (choose your own adjective) story here

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1467233.html

leads me to a more general question :

Why should anyone on benefits bother with the lottery?

Presumably very small wins (perhaps up to £100?) would be ignored, but after that it appears that your benefits would be reduced/stopped until your winnings are deemed to be used up? Then you'd have the pain of making a new claim and starting again.

Note that I said 'deemed to be' - blowing the lot very quickly would seem not to be an option.

As Ellipsis said on the other thread - "They had a nice life, supported by benefits. Then they were unlucky enough to win the lottery. As a result, it's all gone pear-shaped for them - they would have been better off not winning!"

So should they be told "don't bother playing"?

[ perhaps we can stick to general points here - the specific case is still being discussed on the thread linked above ]

[gness]

Me too.....many years ago I found myself suddenly having to claim benefits until I rearranged my life and found employment....

I'm sorry I didn't have to wear an armband just to buck myself up even more......x

[Gavmacp]

I had a friend whose mother brought up 4 children using the benefit system. 2 of the 4 ended up using the benefit system. My friend died of alcoholism, he had more talent in his little finger than I had in my whole self. So I don't think the benefit system is great but constantly attacking these people I find intolerant. Funny thing they were very, very poor, I on the other hand was very, very rich was I happy NO I WASN'T!

[Svejk]

A bit OT but in the US when people try to cash winning lottery tickets, the state has first 'dibs'. Eg outstanding fines, child maintenance and such like.
Judge Judy(my heroine) has had a couple of cases where people have given their winning ticket for others to cash so they could avoid paying the state what they owed. (and maybe carry on claiming benefits?) Unfortunately, for them, the people they gave the ticket to owed even more money to the state leading them to sue for their winnings back.
Needless to say, Judge Judy slung them out potless and with a flea in their ear.

[Ellipsis]

> Why should anyone on benefits bother with the lottery?

Because they want to win the jackpot.

Or, ideally, because they don't plan on living a life on benefits ...