Gee, never saw this one coming:

The mother of 14 is getting $2,000 a month from the State of California. The money is deposited directly into a special debit card account. The card can ONLY be used for food -- and it's closely monitored by the State to make sure the cardholder isn't making illegal purchases -- i.e., buying a bike at Costco.

It's a cruel twist, for a woman who vowed in 2010 -- a year after giving birth to octuplets -- she would NEVER go on welfare, saying she refused to become "a self-fulfilling prophecy" by accepting government assistance.

Octo qualified for the card because her income is less than $119,000 a year ... and a family of 15 that makes less than that amount is entitled to welfare benefits.