- Hundreds of Florida residents say they are being denied their lottery winnings
- They have been told they owe money to the state due to unemployment overpayment.
- The problem appears to stem from the state Department of Commerce.
A young Florida mother is distraught after the state prevented her from claiming her lottery winnings.
“It was hard for me during that time,” Brittany Wilson said. ABC Action News.
“I was in financial difficulties… something told me to go to the store and test my earnings.”
Wilson won $5,000 that day, but was soon disheartened to discover that the Lottery District Office would keep his much-needed winnings because “he might be in state debt.”
Brittany Wilson (pictured) won $5,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket only to find out that the Florida Lottery District Office would keep her much-needed winnings because she “might be in state debt.”
“I was thinking about all the bills I’ve delayed, about paying them,” she said, adding that she was also looking forward to spending some money on her two children, who mean “everything” to her.
Once the Florida Lottery District Office thwarted Wilson’s ability to easily collect his winnings, he was told to check with the state Department of Economic Opportunity, now called the Department of Commerce.
He had been told he could owe money to the state after previously receiving unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile, Wilson doubted the legitimacy of the state’s claim.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, now called the Department of Commerce, has been cautious about revealing the reason why so many Floridians are being told they owe money to the state because of overpaid unemployment.
She told ABC she had never received a letter, email, phone call or any other form of communication from the state telling her she owed them money.
Plus, he didn’t have the same problem when he 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,” only to encounter wait times of two or three hours to speak with someone who may or may not be willing or able. to provide you with valuable help.
‘If you (the state) can find out if I’m working or not working to check if I qualify for unemployment, you should be able to find some way to contact me. My email on that site is still the same,’ she said.
‘We have to do something. This can’t keep happening, in these times when (the price of) everything is going up: rent is going up, food is going up. Let me have this money,’ he added.
Following ABC’s investigation, Wilson was finally able to collect his winnings. His alleged debt was also erased from the system, but the reason why this is still happening to so many other people is still unclear.
ABC reporting revealed that Wilson is one of thousands of Floridians who have been given similar messages when they come to collect their lottery winnings, namely that they are being held back due to overpaid unemployment compensation in the past.
Although some have fought the claims and won, the phenomenon does not appear to be going away.
The network reported that Kylie McGivern said she had had difficulty contacting anyone at the Department of Commerce who could tell her why this is happening to hundreds of people.
Following ABC’s investigation, Wilson was finally able to collect his winnings. His alleged debt was also erased from the system, but the reason why this is still happening to so many other people is still unclear.