A second family has now spoken of their financial struggles despite winning a huge £191k annual salary in a lottery jackpot just a few years ago.
Winning the lottery is probably a dream scenario for most of us and we've probably all wondered what size swimming pool we're going to have in our 60-acre mansions.
However, there is often a dark side to winning an extortionate sum of money, as one Canadian woman found out when she claimed a £10 million prize, only to be catfished and scammed despite remaining anonymous after her win was confirmed.
In most cases, you'd expect to at least take home your winnings but unfortunately, several families across the US have been left short-changed after the company which supplied their annual winnings filed for bankruptcy.
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Publishers Clearing House (PCH) has been changing people's lives for over 20 years thanks to their $5,000 per week cheques, which were promised to be paid out 'forever'.
However, nothing really lasts forever and now 61-year-old John risks losing his house in Washington after the annual payment didn't arrive without any warning, having lived off his lottery winnings since 2012.
Although ARB interactive has now acquired PCH, they've made it clear that any past winners won't receive their funds, but John isn't blaming them.
He said: "They've promised that they will guarantee any future winners that they will get the money.
“But they're not going to go back and pay the $20 to $25million that the prior winners hold. That isn't their responsibility.”
And sadly, John isn't the only one struggling, as a family in Oregon have been left heartbroken after the prize they won in 2021 was suddenly taken away from them.
Tamar Veatch, who thought she was set for life, said: "We were fine before but it definitely opened a lot of doors for us. Fun things to do with the kids, we were able to travel.
"We're not drowning, but it is real tight. It's cruel. You change people lives and know you've messed it up. It's worse to say you'll get this thing and your life is changed forever but then sorry, no it's not."
Now, Tamar and her husband Matthew, who is also a disabled army veteran, are struggling to pay off their mortgage with other bills continuing to rise, with three kids to care for.
A law professor has said the chances of the previous winners receiving their prize money are almost as slim as the chance of winning the lottery in the first place.
A spokesperson for ARB said: “At ARB Interactive, we are committed to restoring and preserving the trust that has defined the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) brand for decades.
“Our vision is to rebuild PCH as a brand synonymous with trust, excitement, and long-term integrity, and to ensure that every future winner can have full confidence their prizes will be paid in full, no matter what.”
James Moorhouse