Local 4 News, Detroit
The state of Michigan has figured out that winning the lottery is not like being unemployed. The Department of Human Services has cut off welfare to Amanda Clayton, a 24-year-old woman who hit a $1 million lottery jackpot last fall yet continued to collect $200 a month in food aid. Her case has also been referred to state anti-fraud officials to investigate. Clayton, who has two children, defended her decision to the Detroit news crew that tracked her down. “I feel that it’s OK because, I mean, I have no income, and I have bills to pay. I have two houses.” She bought a second house, along with a car, when she won the lottery. After it was discovered that another Michigan resident continued to get public assistance after winning a $2 million jackpot in 2010, a Republican lawmaker sponsored a bill that would trigger a state notification whenever someone wins more than $1,000 in the lottery.