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Things within the USA are truly out of hand. This is a prime example of someone who just does not get it, and should probably stop doing drugs.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/michigan-woman-still-collecting-food-stamps-winning-1-201751693.html

Seriously, what the hell, this woman has no shame, she even seems to expect expect sympathy.

Shadowseer_Kim wrote:Things within the USA are truly out of hand.

Not really. There are people doing goofy things like this all over the world. One person being unpleasant doesn't really reflect the state of all things. For example, in hobby gaming we would refer to this person as "That Guy". It doesn't mean most gamers aren't decent people. Trolling has existed in the real world far longer than it has on the interwebs.

Ahtman wrote:

Shadowseer_Kim wrote:Things within the USA are truly out of hand.

Not really. There are people doing goofy things like this all over the world. One person being unpleasant doesn't really reflect the state of all things. For example, in hobby gaming we would refer to this person as "That Guy". It doesn't mean most gamers aren't decent people. Trolling has existed in the real world far longer than it has on the interwebs.

yeah, that's true, but, I kinda wish that "that guy" wouldn't be "that guy". "that guy" kinda ruins it for everyone in the gaming group.

remilia_scarlet wrote:

Ahtman wrote:

Shadowseer_Kim wrote:Things within the USA are truly out of hand.

Not really. There are people doing goofy things like this all over the world. One person being unpleasant doesn't really reflect the state of all things. For example, in hobby gaming we would refer to this person as "That Guy". It doesn't mean most gamers aren't decent people. Trolling has existed in the real world far longer than it has on the interwebs.

yeah, that's true, but, I kinda wish that "that guy" wouldn't be "that guy". "that guy" kinda ruins it for everyone in the gaming group.

Oh absolutely, and the person in the story is fairly repellent, but I don't think they are the arbiter of the overall situation.

I agree, of course, but they do contribute to the problem.

You guys don't means-test benefits?

Yeah, that seems odd.

Half of the $1 million went to taxes? Screw that, she's earnt any payment's she gets from the State.

According to the article she isnt breaking the law? thats the fact i find odd.

It may be one of those situations where it was where lottery winnings were never taken into account so they aren't required to claim it when filling out paperwork for assistance. Or it could be that it is based on her pre-lottery information and so she receives it for a set period and unless she refuses it, it will continue until the determined time.

There was another situation like this but that guy was blatant about keeping his food stamps while he has millions in the bank. They had to send off to Washington to get his benifits cut off. I'll have to see if I can find it.

In the UK having savings over a certain amount (iirc £3,000) disqualifies you from benefits...by the sounds of it the US has a similar system so isn't she breaking the law, i.e. committing benefit fraud?

Joey wrote:In the UK having savings over a certain amount (iirc £3,000) disqualifies you from benefits...by the sounds of it the US has a similar system so isn't she breaking the law, i.e. committing benefit fraud?

Only if she denied the savings she had stocked up. Though from the sound of it she may have already spent the lot. 500,000 could easily be lost in paying off two houses and a new car. It may be that property, or at least her home, isn't taken into account.

Joey wrote:In the UK having savings over a certain amount (iirc £3,000) disqualifies you from benefits...by the sounds of it the US has a similar system so isn't she breaking the law, i.e. committing benefit fraud?

£6k I think, £16k more if you are a pensioner (on the basis that you will be using that money to live off and it won't stay £16k for long and need somthing saved up for funeral expenses, and some of it will be in pensions that you can't necessarily get hold of to spend). This may have changed in the past 5 years since I worked in local govenment, but its not a huge amount of money, although allot more than I have (infact I probably owe about that much at the moment).