Unemployed father of eight wins £3.75m in gambling website, continues to take government handouts
After winning £3.75m, the man continued to take monthly child care handouts from the government.
While gambling on an online site, Thomas Roche hit the jackpot. After winning the non-taxed £3.75m, the family bought multiple cars and a six-bedroom home. Friends of the couple are agitated by the fact that they are still claiming non-means tested benefits like child benefit, child tax credits, and disability living allowance.
Thomas and wife, Shelly Roche, were betting on Bet365's Reel King Slot website. The couple claims that on their first attempt at the website, fortune favoured them and they won the jackpot. Thomas says that he had informed the authorities about their win. The couple was worried that since they were on benefits, they would get into trouble.
They were informed that since the reward was tax-free money, they would not be devoid of the benefits. The couple did lose out on their income support, but they were informed that all the child care support would remain claimable. Their £58 stake not only won them millions, but it also allowed them to become "millionaires on benefit" as one friend stated.
The Sun reported that Thomas refused to reveal how much money he was receiving as a handout. The couple has three children on Disability Living Allowance, which totals £600. Their eldest son, 12, had been diagnosed with ADHD. Their ten-year-old daughter is on the autism spectrum and their eight-year-old son has been diagnosed with a hyperactive disorder.
Apart from the Disability Living Allowance, the family of ten is estimated to be receiving around £2,000 in child tax credit. Additionally, they would be receiving £505 in child benefit. The total amount of benefits would be close to £3,000 each month.
The couple, who had been living in a council home, now have a six-bedroom house of their own. Thomas claims that he is planning on buying more properties to "rent them to the council." With the money, the couple bought a total of five cars. Not all of the cars were kept by the couple, Thomas bought some of the vehicles for their family members.
Friends did not seem happy with the family on benefits, who bought a quad-bike with their prize money.
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