Desperate Man Who Spent £80K Lottery Win Seeks Aid

Most people dream of winning a jackpot from the lottery or while gambling at a casino. But while that’s a dream for many, only a few get to experience it. However, sometimes winning a jackpot can have unintended consequences. This is precisely the case for one UK lottery winner who scored a jackpot but spent all the money in a few months and now lives in poverty.

The peculiar case involves a disabled grandfather with the initials D.M., who won £80,000 ($100,200) from the lottery back in September 2017. Soon after the win, the man was cut from government benefits, leaving him without any support. As announced by the Mirror, the man’s wife, who is 63, looks after him as a full-time carer. She receives only £62 ($78) a week, while her husband is entitled only to £350 ($438) per month in independence payment and a pension of £1.08 ($1.35) per week.

Shortly after the man won the hefty jackpot, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stopped all of his benefits and payments. The agency explained that the man was no longer eligible for housing benefits, income tax and council tax reductions, or any other handouts. This left the man in poverty as it wasn’t long after the win when he spent all of the money away.

Lottery Win Turns into Nightmare

The lottery winner spent the £80,000 ($100,200) he won on a couple on cruises that lasted for several weeks. He went on holiday with his family and completed renovations to his house. Additionally, the man gave money to family members, friends and neighbors. When he realized that his benefits were stopped, the man said he “didn’t know” he had to declare his winnings.

The disabled man’s wife spoke about their situation, explaining that the two were “being punished for having a bit of luck.” She explained: “The DWP have said we aren’t entitled to any money. They say that we have deprived ourselves of capital and don’t qualify for the benefits. We just don’t know what we will do.”

The man sounded similarly desperate, explaining that his lottery win turned into a “nightmare.” He pointed out: “I don’t know what I can do and I don’t know where to turn to. I didn’t know I had to tell the Department for Work and Pensions, so I spent it all by giving it to my two sons and my daughter, paid two family holidays, did up my house and bought clothes for me and my wife.”

After the win in September 2017, the man said that he spent the money by November. A month later, in December, he received a request from the DWP which wanted to see him. Once he attended the appointment, the agency notified the disabled grandfather once the money from the lottery win was in his bank account, they stopped his benefits. However, the man argued that by the time he met with the DWP, the money was gone.