Florida mother furious after state snatched her lottery winnings when she went to collect her prize – and she is not alone
- Hundreds of Florida residents say they are being denied their lottery winnings
- They have been told they owe the state money because of overpaid unemployment
- The issue appears to stem from the state’s Department of Commerce
A young mother in Florida is distraught after the state stopped her from claiming her lottery winnings.
“It was hard for me at that time,” Brittany Wilson said ABC Action News.
“I was struggling financially…something told me to go to the store and try my winnings.”
Wilson won $5,000 that day, but was quickly disheartened to discover that the Lottery District Office would hold her much-needed winnings because she “may owe public debt.”
Brittany Wilson (pictured) won $5,000 on a scratch-off ticket, only to discover the Florida Lottery District Office would hold her much-needed winnings because she “may have government debt.”
“I was thinking about all the bills I’ve been holding up and just paying them off,” she said, adding that she was also looking forward to spending some money on her two children who mean “the world” to her.
When the Florida Lottery District Office hindered Wilson’s ability to easily collect her winnings, she was told to consult the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, now called the Department of Commerce.
She was told she might owe money from the state after previously receiving unemployment benefits.
All the while, Wilson doubted the legitimacy of the state’s claim.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity – now called the Department of Commerce – is reluctant to reveal why so many Floridians are being told they owe the state money due to unemployment overpayments.
She told ABC she never received a letter, email, phone call or any other form of communication from the state saying she owed them money.
Plus, she didn’t encounter the same problem when she won $1,000 on a scratch card last year.
She told the news station that she called the Florida Unemployment Assistance Program “almost every day,” but faced wait times of two to three hours to speak to someone who may or may not be willing or able to provide her with valuable assistance.
‘If you [the state] If you can find out if I’m working or not, to verify if I qualify for unemployment, you should be able to find a way to reach me. My email address on that site is still the same,” she said.
‘Something has to happen. This can’t keep happening – with the times now, true [the price of] everything goes up: the rent goes up, the food goes up. Give me this money,” she added.
After ABC’s investigation, Wilson was ultimately able to collect her winnings. Her alleged debts were also erased from the system – but the reason why this continues to happen to so many others remains unclear
ABC’s reporting revealed that Wilson is one of thousands of Florida residents who have received similar messages when they arrive to collect their lottery winnings — that is, they are being withheld because of past unemployment benefits overpayments.
Although some have fought the claims and won, the phenomenon shows no sign of going away.
The network reported that Kylie McGivern said she was having an acute difficulty getting in touch with anyone at the Department of Commerce who could tell her why this is happening to hundreds of people.
After ABC’s investigation, Wilson was ultimately able to collect her winnings. Her alleged debts were also erased from the system – but the reason why this continues to happen to so many others remains unclear.