Lottery Winners Pay $5 Million in Owed Child Support, Welfare

ALBANY, New York -- As reported by the Associated Press: " The state announced Tuesday that it's taken nearly $5 million from thousands of lottery jackpots before they were released to winners and applied the money to owed child-support payments or to recover a portion of welfare given to winners over the last decade.

" The move is part of the state's Lottery Intercept Program that has diverted nearly $10 million in winnings to child support, and more than $25 million in winnings toward public assistance since it was adopted in 1995 by the Pataki administration.

"...Last year, one winner from New York City won $175,000 in a lottery game and the state took out $31,000. That's how much the winner had collected over the previous decade in social service benefits, said Michael Hayes of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance..."