Aussie Lotto winner’s serious warning to pensioners: ‘So much for being lucky’
Aussie pensioner Frank Kemmler said he quickly faced a 'rude awakening'.
When Aussie pensioner Frank Kemmler checked his lotto numbers and discovered that he’d won a whopping $60,000, he thought that his luck was finally turning around.
But jubilation quickly turned into a "rude awakening" when he discovered the rules and regulations surrounding the win meant that his pension would be taken away. Now, the widower is warning other pensioners to play the lottery with caution.
"I'm just trying to stop other people falling into the same trap," he told A Current Affair. "If I'd known then what I know now, I would've given the win to my daughter and kept the pension for myself … So much for being lucky."
Frank’s initial 'nice feeling' at win
When Frank first discovered his lotto win, he told the family to pack their bags for a nice holiday. "It was certainly a nice feeling when I checked my numbers," he said.
Frank learned that he would receive the windfall in $5,000 monthly instalments. But that meant his win would be considered an income by Centrelink - and would therefore lose his pension and other benefits.
He must now pay full price for necessities like GP appointments and medication, which were previously part of his pension benefits. "You think you win on the one end, but they take it away with the other hand," he said.
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Common misconception
Frank said that he thought his win would involve no strings attached. "That’s what everybody thinks," he said. He told A Current Affair that a lump sum wasn’t offered. “They won't they won't give you a lump sum. That's the problem,” he explained.
Frank says his winnings have now dried up, but Centrelink has told him it could take up to six months for his pension reapplication to be approved. "These people that are buying these [lottery] tickets, there's no warning anywhere ... to say that you're going to lose your pension. "
Frank's winnings have now dried up, but Centrelink has told him it could take up to six months for his pension reapplication to be approved. "These people that are buying these [lottery] tickets, there's no warning anywhere ... to say that you're going to lose your pension. "
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