GREENSBORO, N.C. — The NCDHHS held its first COVID-19 lottery drawing on Wednesday. The winners have 48 hours to collect their prizes.
Here are three things you should know about the lottery.
#1 The winners of the vaccine lottery will be called and emailed. Scammers will try and take advantage of this.
NCDHHS will never ask you for personal information over the phone.
Any info will be handed over in person at the lottery offices in Raleigh.
NCDHHS will never ask you to pay a fee to get your winnings.
#2 Veterans who got their vaccine at the VA are entered into the vaccine lottery.
It was questionable if the information from the VA was going to be shared, but as of June 18, Dr. Mandy Cohen released a statement saying, ‘Thanks to our partners across the state, we are now able to include veterans vaccinated through the VA.'
#3 Folks on Social Security, SSDI or SSI are all allowed to be entered into the vaccine lottery and can win.
A viewer emailed 2WTK asking if it was against the law because they get government funds and if so, did that make them ineligible to win the vaccine lottery?
Nope, they can win.
But it may affect benefits. For example, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a needs-based program. If you win, you no longer need supplemental income and your benefits will be affected.
Social Security Retirement and Disability benefits are benefits you paid into, those benefits are not needs-based. Although you will have to claim the lottery winnings as income, not wages, but income for taxes.
WHEN ARE THE DRAWINGS?
- Wednesday, June 23, 2021
- Wednesday, July 7, 2021
- Wednesday, July 21, 2021
- Wednesday, August 4, 2021
HOW DO I ENTER?
If you've already been vaccinated and your information is in North Carolina's COVID Vaccine Management System, you automatically get one entry per drawing. Those who got vaccinated on or after June 10 (when the lottery was announced) will receive two entries. A record of at least one dose of the vaccine must be documented by a vaccine provider by midnight on the Sunday prior to the drawing.