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A retiree pushes for a major lottery to change the rules and can file a formal appeal after his $60,000 earnings cut his disability benefits by more than half.
Craig Hill, 61, won The Lott’s Set for Life in the second division last month, meaning he will receive $5,000 a month over the next year.
However, Mr Hill was shocked to learn that his and his wife’s Centrelink benefits have been cut by about $2,000 a month due to the profit.
Craig Hill, 61, (pictured) won The Lott’s Set for Life in the second division last month, meaning he’ll be getting $5,000 a month for the next year
Mr Hill was shocked to find that his $821.20 per two weeks of disability pension would be reduced to approximately $328.20 because Centrelink now considered him a ‘professional gambler’ (pictured, his Centrelink online account shows the amount he will now be paid)
The former prison warden said the bickering with Centrelink and the lottery company “has diminished the luster” of his success on October 14.
Mr Hill said he was far from a professional gambler, only playing Powerball when the jackpot got high and buying Set For Life regularly since 2015
Mr Hill was shocked to learn that his $821.20 per two weeks of disability pension would be reduced to approximately $328.20 because Centrelink now considered him a ‘professional gambler’.
He claimed that after asking for a review, Centrelink agents also reduced his wife’s health care allowance by roughly the same amount as his pension.
If he had received a lump sum his pension would not have been affected, but because the profits are provided as a monthly payment, he is classified as a professional bettor.
“I did the right thing and contacted Centrelink and they told me that because it was paid monthly it counted as gambling income,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“So I asked if I could deduct all my gambling losses from the past 20 years and they said no, you don’t become a professional gambler until the day you win.
“Had I won $600,000 on the Powerball it wouldn’t affect my pension, but because it’s paid monthly, I’m a professional gambler, that’s ridiculous.”
Mr Hill said he was far from a professional gambler, only playing Powerball when the jackpot got high and buying Set For Life regularly since 2015.
He also asked The Lott to ask if the winnings could be cashed out in one lump sum to avoid the issue, but he claims the company said its case did not meet the criteria for an “exceptional circumstance”
“I don’t bet on the horses or go to the casino, maybe the poker machines bother me from time to time,” he said.
He also asked The Lott if the winnings could be cashed out in one lump sum to avoid the issue, but he claims the company said his case did not meet the criteria for an “exceptional circumstance.”
He now hopes that the rules about payouts will be changed.
“Everyone has the capacity to solve the problem, but nobody wants that,” he said.
Mr. Hill also plans to appeal to the Administrative Tribunal over the reduction of his benefit.
He was diagnosed with PTSD and schizophrenia 18 years ago after suffering severe psychological damage from his work as a prison guard.
And since he was held hostage by eight inmates who threatened to kill him in a Townsville prison, he suffers from severe anxiety and can barely leave his Brisbane home.
“It’s probably every Australian’s dream to win. It took me 40 years to win a lottery prize and at 61 I don’t really have to wait another 40 years to win another one,” he said. A current matter on Thursday.
The Ministry of Social Services said that, unless specifically exempted by law, few income amounts were excluded from social calculations.
The Ministry of Social Services said that unless specifically exempted by law, few income amounts were excluded from welfare calculations
“Lottery winnings received periodically, for example on an indefinite monthly basis, are assessed as income for the period to which they relate,” it told the Daily Mail Australia.
“This is consistent with the principle of targeting aid to those who need it most. Winning a lottery periodically is a continuous source of income that can be used for a person’s own livelihood.’
De Lott said it encourages all winners to contact a relevant government agency to see if Social Security benefits are affected by their win.
“Our lottery licenses oblige us to hold lottery draws and pay out prizes in accordance with rules and regulations. The Set for Life rules of the game state that prizes for division one and two will be paid in installments – $20,000 per month for 20 years for division one and $5,000 per month for 12 months for division two,” it said.