Job SISA, designer vagina and . . . horse.
No, that’s not the start of a bad joke, it’s a list of ‘luxuries’ mum-of-eight Marie Buchan has treated herself to over the past decade, despite spending most of her adult life on benefits.
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Marie Buchan, mother of eight, spent most of her adult life on benefits Credit: Stewart Williams
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Marie caused public outrage when she decided to buy a horse with her perks Credits: Submitted
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Marie, dubbed the Welfare Queen, says ‘I worry about the example I set for my children’Credit: BPM
Dubbed the Welfare Queen, Marie, 42, has been in the system for 23 years and has received around £500,000 in government grants.
‘Scrounger’, ‘benefits gam’ and ‘dosser’ are insults she is used to hearing.
But in comments guaranteed to make hard-working Brits’ blood boil, the defiant mum says living off the state has allowed her to live a life of almost unbelievable extravagance.
“Being on benefits never stopped me from doing anything,” says Marie. “I had a lot of luxuries.”
The single mother, who lives in a four-bed house in Selly Oak, Birmingham, is one of the millions affected by Britain’s growing unemployment crisis.
More than 20 percent of the working age population, approximately 9.4 million people, are currently out of work according to the Office for National Statistics.
Around 2.8 million of them have been written off due to long-term illness, and according to figures published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies last week, one in ten working-age people are now receiving disability benefits.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Labor would “do everything we can to tackle unemployment”, including cracking down on benefits fraudsters.
While there is no doubt that many who receive benefits are barely making ends meet, for Marie, living on the state does not mean going without it.
In 2018, she caused widespread outrage after traveling to Turkey to get a £1,500 breast job, going from a 34A cup to a 34D.
Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to hundreds of thousands of pensioners missing out on ‘superpower’ benefits worth £3,900 a year
Public outrage
Although she insists she paid for her treatment with money raised from boot sales, it is likely that the goods she sold would have been bought with taxpayers’ money.
She hit the headlines again the following year when it was revealed she had gone abroad for laser treatment to achieve a ‘designer vagina’ – again insisting she paid for it with car boot loot.
“I flew abroad to have the surgery, but that’s something I regretted,” she admits.
“It was all a big mistake and it’s a shame for my children.”
Marie once again caused public outrage when she decided to use her benefits to buy a horse.
“I just wanted to buy myself something nice and I was saving my money. It has always been my dream to have one,” she admits.
It is very easy to sit in the system for the rest of your life
“I paid £600 upfront for the horse and then had to pay an extra £100 a month to keep him in the yard. Food was about £25 a month.”
Looking back, Marie says she can understand why people were outraged. “It was a big mistake. I rubbed it in people’s faces and showed off and I really regret it,” she says.
“Now it’s gone because I couldn’t afford to keep it. Maybe if I go back to work I can buy another one.”
Despite her frequent state-sponsored extravagances, Marie did not always lead such a glamorous life.
“When I was growing up, my parents were not rich. My dad was a window cleaner, and my mom is disabled, so she received disability benefits,” he says.
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“We were a big family – my grandmother had 14 children. We didn’t have much, but we managed.”
At the age of 19, Marie welcomed her eldest daughter, Tia, and entered the social welfare system for the first time.
“At that time, I was working and leaving work as a carer. I would cut benefits, I would put another child back on benefits,” she says.
“It was a bit of a whirlwind, so in the end I made the decision to stay on benefits because it gave me time to raise my children.”
Many hardworking parents make the heartbreaking decision not to expand their brood because of financial constraints.
But Marie never cared about more children.
“I always wanted a big family in the hope that they would take care of me when I was old and gray,” she says.
“I never thought about the financial effects of having eight children because it is so easy to get help from the state.
“Even at the hospital they give you a form to claim tax credit for a child. They make it too easy.”
Marie famously came under fire when she appeared on This Morning in 2015 and argued that the proposed £23,000-a-year fee cap would fall short.
“I was £26,000 at the time, which meant I only had £500 a week to live on,” she says.
“Work Queen”
“We are a big family, so half of it would go to our grocery store alone.
“We also had to worry about rent, council tax and bills. The council only paid £45 a week in rent and £16 a week in council tax.”
In 23 years of claiming benefits, Marie’s annual income varied between £26,000 and £37,000.
The government needs to push people like me and stop forgetting them and allowing them to claim only benefits
And while she admits she feels guilty for taking taxpayers’ money, she claims she has no incentive to work.
“I believe we’re better off with benefits because we get help in all areas of our lives, whether it’s rent, child rearing or bills,” she says.
“You can access food banks or fuel vouchers. There is a lot of help.
“I completed six college courses in mechanics and social work, but I’m still sitting here claiming my benefits. I haven’t done anything with them.
“It’s very easy to sit in the system for the rest of your life.”
Marie’s eldest daughter, Tia, who gave birth to a son in September 2022, has followed in her mother’s footsteps and is claiming benefits.
“I worry about the example I set for my children,” says Marie, who is also mother to Leah, 22, La Toye, 19, Joshua, 18, Alisha, 15, Mikayla, 13, Amelia, 11, and Olivier, ten.
“Living on benefits for the rest of your life is no way to live.”
With the older child moving out, Marie’s benefits are cut, and mom insists that the luxury she once boasted is a thing of the past.
She adds: “I had to go to the food bank a few weeks ago. We really struggled a lot. With fuel prices to factor in, I have had to go back to universal credit which only gives me £74 a week.”
Marie, who last worked in 2017 as a part-time carer, says she is ready to step away from the graces that made her famous.
“I want to do something of myself – not just for myself, but for my family,” she says.
“My goal is to return to work. I don’t have a CV, but I have booked an appointment to sort it out.
“I would like to be a health assistant. The government needs to push people like me and stop forgetting them and allowing them to claim only benefits.”
“My mom and dad are very sad that this has happened to my life. But I believe I could turn things around with the right help and guidance.
“I’m ready to be a work queen rather than a welfare queen.”
- To watch Marie’s full interview, visit YouTube.com/@fabulousmag tomorrow at 5pm or scan the QR code to see more life stories.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education