Boomer couple divide Aussies with simple financial question after winning $1million in the lottery
An elderly couple who won a $1 million lottery prize have infuriated younger Australians by asking how they can continue to receive their government-funded pension
The couple, aged 73 and 67, asked the ‘legitimate’ question to the Sydney Morning Herald’s money columnist Noel Whittaker on Wednesday.
They indicated that they both received the full old age pension, but that this amount has now been withdrawn after they won a huge sum of money.
“(We) put that money in a basic interest savings account at our bank,” they wrote.
“We plan to use that money to buy a new house and sell our current house, but we may also just renovate it.
‘Because of that windfall, our pension will be completely at a standstill until we have spent the money. That’s all well and good, but could we have prevented the pension loss in any way?’
Mr Whittaker said the couple should call themselves “extremely fortunate” and enjoy the money, as the profits allow them to live a more luxurious life than a pension.
But he urged them not to simply spend money to get their assets below the $1.031 million threshold and get their pensions back, because they still wouldn’t qualify.
An elderly couple who won a $1 million lottery prize have infuriated younger Australians by asking how they can continue to receive their government-funded pension (stock image)
The couple were told to consider themselves “extremely fortunate” and enjoy the money (stock image)
The couple’s request was met with anger from younger Australians struggling with the country’s cost of living crisis.
“I would bet my million dollar lottery winnings that this couple at some point complained about spoiled welfare recipients,” wrote one person on X.
Another noted: ‘Some people are never satisfied. If they want to keep their pension so badly, maybe they could give the money to a homeless charity.’
“Imagine winning the generation lottery and then winning the real lottery and then thinking about it,” added a third.
Other users said the couple shouldn’t be judged too harshly.
“They worked their whole lives for those pensions, there shouldn’t be a question whether they’ll keep them,” one user wrote.
“If they’ve worked hard and paid taxes all their lives, they deserve their pension. What’s wrong with that?” asked another.
They added that those criticising the couple were not talking about “fraudsters who claim they are not entitled to Centrelink benefits … because they are too lazy to work”.