Should We Feel Sorry For Him?

[Islay]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5663567/daniel-millar-lottery-winner-poverty-disabled-benefits/

He spent 80 grand and in less than 2 months and expects the taxpayer to go back to keeping him?
Am I being to hard on him?

[EDDIE51]

If he was intelligent or had sought financial advice he would have opened a bank account with a Channel Islands branch of his bank and put the cash in it. That way the DWP would not have been able to see that the cash was in his bank account. He could have kept on claiming and no one would be any the wiser.

[andy-hughes]

I can only repeat my view - this man didn't think ahead to the consequences of his actions, he simply saw a chance to spend some money he would not otherwise have had, and he did so in a profligate manner - and is now playing the price for his ignorance and folly.

Would most of us have done the same? Probably not, but you can never assume that everyone thinks the same way.

[gness]

Andy...if, in his ignorance, he thought......lovely, I have some cushion money to help with my benefits.....I'd agree, maybe.....

He spent it too quickly......so I'm sticking with my first thought....x

[andy-hughes]

gness - //Andy...if, in his ignorance, he thought......lovely, I have some cushion money to help with my benefits.....I'd agree, maybe.....

He spent it too quickly......so I'm sticking with my first thought....x //

Fair enough, I am happy to agree to differ - but I can't help but think that some people, especially those with little if any spare cash, would be inclined to be over-generous with family and friends when a windfall arrived.

Only the gentleman himself knows, and I doubt he will be telling anyone - unless a tabloid offers him four figures for his story - and hopefuly he has learned his lesson!

[ToraToraTora]

I'm split on this and having read all the other posts, I'm still split on this but I'm coming down on the side of plonker, primarily because he should have done what eddie suggested and hid the dosh.

[gness]

You could be right, Andy.....and so could I.....we will never know for sure.....
But needless to say....I'm pretty sure I am...... :-))....xxx

[Islay]

Eddie you’re incorrect about the offshore account HMRC now have an agreement and are aware of the type of account

[Tilly2]

No, I don't feel sorry for him. He has committed benefit fraud and must now live with the consequences.

I can't believe that people are saying that he should have stashed the money away.

[-Talbot-]

Islay
He is an adult of some considerable age and one would imagine intelligence.


He either hasn't much intelligence or doesn't trust his family. If I were in his shoes, I would have given the ticket to my daughter to collect.

[Prudie]

I can't believe ignorance had anything to do with the way he spent the money. And yes as soon as you deposit a large amount in a bank they are on to you peddling their investment advice.

[hellywelly4]

I don't feel sorry for him at all, and agree with gness's comments.

[andy-hughes]

Prudie - // And yes as soon as you deposit a large amount in a bank they are on to you peddling their investment advice. //

My bank must be lagging behind then - in the last year I have deposited my severance settlement from my employment, and my share of my mother's estate, and no-one has been on to me about investing the money.

[cassa333]

I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his wife. She will likely have to do a couple of extra shifts to keep the wolf at bay.

I would view it as benefit fraud if I were to be in charge. He didn't declare it at all. He just spent the lot within a couple of months keeping his mouth shut.

A couple of cruises, where he doesn't seem to have his crutches!!, some home improvements and the rest blown on family and friends in less than a couple of months doesn't seem like someone simply not used to money. It seems like someone who thought they could get away with not declaring it.

Perhaps all the family and friends he helped out will now help him out.

Has anyone any idea how long £80k would realistically last in this situation if benefits were cut according to how much he had etc? Without splurging and just living normally?

[Sqad]

80grand is nothing NOTHING and at 65 he could live another 20 years which would add only another 4,000 a year which is NOTHING.
I would do exactly as Daniel has done and live off the state:
Remember," it will look after you from cradle to the grave"

Good on yer Daniel.

[Islay]

Depends on rent, council tax etc but I worked it out at him getting approx. £1000 a month in help so approx. 6 and half years.

[ummmm]

Sqad, I don't think that included benefits., Just the nhs

[237SJ]

I don't feel sorry for him but I`m on the fence as to what I think his intentions were. Some people who win the lottery can blow millions and end up bankrupt. They have never been used to having money and just go mad and spend it when they get a windfall. We don't know what kind of state his health is in and he might have just thought "I`m going to spend the lot because I might not be around a lot longer and you can't take it with you"

[Guilbert53]

Interesting that the first photo shows this rather sad looking man sitting on a chair with crutches alongside him.

The next photo shows a man on a cruise with not a crutch in sight and a big smile on his face.

Methinks he may have been "living" on the state for many years by making out his injuries / disability is worse than it is.

But then he would not be the first (or the last).

[Sqad]

ummmm...I don't think it is just health.......the Welfare State from cradle to grave" pledges to look after health, financial problems and benefits.