Images of an unemployed mother of eight dubbed “Britain’s welfare queen” have resurfaced after she admitted spending taxpayers’ money on a series of “luxury” indulgences.
Marie Buchan, 42, went on to benefit at 19 and has enjoyed a life of extravagance, receiving a total of around half a million pounds to support her children, all fathered by the same man.
Ms Buchan revealed she has indulged in boob jobs, a designer vagina and a horse over the past decade, despite spending most of her adult life on welfare.
It has also had its share of media attention, with images of Ms Buchan showing her posing for a series of professional photos in 2017, while wearing a black satin dress, resurfacing online.
But the mother of eight says she is now “struggling” with the current cost of living crisis and insists the luxuries she once boasted about are a thing of the past.
Images of unemployed mother-of-eight Marie Buchan have resurfaced after she admitted spending taxpayers’ money on a series of “luxury” indulgences.
Former stripper Ms Buchan says living off the state has allowed her to enjoy a life of extravagance
Marie Buchan, nicknamed “the queen of British wellness”, photographed with her eight children in 2015
Mrs Buchan has received a total of around half a million pounds in taxpayers’ cash to support her eight children.
She caused a stir in 2018 after travelling to Türkiye for a £1,500 breast augmentation operation, going from a 34A to a 34D cup.
And the following year, she traveled again to receive laser treatment to achieve a “designer vagina.”
He also bought a horse with his profits, but said he later had to give it away because he couldn’t afford to keep it.
“Receiving benefits has never stopped me from doing anything,” Buchan was quoted as saying. The sun“I have had many luxuries.”
“I paid £600 up front for the horse and then had to pay a further £100 a month to keep him in the yard. Food was about £25 a month,” said Buchan, who lives in Selly Oak, Birmingham.
“It was a big mistake. I was rubbing it in people’s faces and bragging, and I really regret that.”
Ms Buchan has insisted she used money raised from car boot sales to pay for her plastic surgery, but says she now understands why people were outraged.
It is also likely that the items sold at the events were purchased with money she was claiming from the state.
The mother of eight, who said she didn’t have much growing up, went on benefits when she had her first child at 19.
She said that at the time she was on and off benefits because every time she had a child she stopped working.
Ms Buchan said she ultimately decided to continue receiving benefits so she could devote herself to raising her children.
Marie Buchan, 42, said she has indulged in a boob job, a designer vagina and a horse over the past decade, despite spending most of her adult life on welfare.
She caused a stir in 2018 after travelling to Türkiye for a £1,500 breast augmentation operation, going from a 34A to a 34D cup.
She explained that there is little incentive to work because her family is “better off thanks to benefits.”
“It’s very easy to stay in the system for the rest of your life,” Buchan said.
She previously made headlines after claiming she was forced to use food banks to feed her children due to benefit cuts.
Ms Buchan said in 2021: “It’s a massive struggle for me. Two of my daughters are now over 16 so my benefits, such as child benefit and tax credit, have been cut.
‘I’m now losing around 160 pounds a week. It’s a struggle and I’m turning to food banks just to survive. I’m basically living off food banks at the moment.
“You have to do what you have to do to survive and I’m so grateful to be able to turn to them. They’re a lifeline for me and so many other people.”
She continued: ‘Unfortunately, I was given the nickname Octomum and that stuck. It definitely stops me from getting a job.
‘I have applied for several jobs. At first, employers seem interested, but when they realize who I am, they reject me.
“I’m afraid I’ll never be able to shake off the octopus label.”
Ms Buchan is pictured with a horse she brought with her benefits. She said she later had to give it away because she could not afford to keep it.
Ms Buchan said she ultimately decided to continue receiving benefits so she could devote herself to raising her children.
Ms Buchan also revealed how she receives horrendous abuse online from people who hate her and tell her she is a “s***” and that they “hope she dies”.
She said: “Some of the abuse I receive is just vile. They call me a parasite, a moron and expect me to die soon.”
‘Others say I’m a ‘freeloader’ and I’ve received threats from men who come to find me and ‘teach me a lesson.’
“It can be hell at times. I don’t know what people get out of being so awful, but I’m sure they love it.”
“It’s really hard to read that stuff sometimes, and it’s horrible for kids too. When you’re feeling down, it can really drag you down even further.
“This has to stop. People don’t understand the impact this has on someone who is in the spotlight. I have contacted the police before because of the threats.”
Ms Buchan moved into the terraced house in 2015 after complaining that Government cuts to the benefits cap would leave her family destitute.
But he fell into arrears despite receiving a £500-a-week benefit package consisting of council tax, child benefit, child tax, income support and housing benefit.
Ms Buchan moved into the terraced house in 2015 after complaining that Government cuts to the benefits cap would leave her family destitute.
The mother of eight, who said she didn’t have much growing up, entered the benefits system when she had her first child at 19.
In January 2021, Ms Buchan revealed she had been isolating at home with coronavirus when she became seriously ill and was hospitalised.
An ambulance was sent to her home and she was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she was put on a drip.
Ms Buchan said she thought she was going to die as she coughed up blood and suffered coughing fits, but she survived.
The single mother previously attended a course for a job in the NHS but was told she would not be able to take her place because her youngest child would not be entitled to childcare.
In the UK, almost three million people are currently out of work due to ill health, which is 500,000 more than in 2019.
The cost of sickness and disability benefits is expected to rise by £30bn over the next five years, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The Prime Minister has announced that his government will crack down on welfare fraud with new legislation in a bid to “tackle unemployment”.
Sir Keir said during his speech at the Labour conference on Tuesday: “If we want to maintain support for the welfare state then we will legislate to stop benefit fraud and do everything we can to tackle unemployment.”
He also said he believes long-term benefit claimants should look for work if they can.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the Prime Minister said: I think the basic proposition that we should be looking for work is right.
“Obviously there will be difficult cases, but the way I would do it is to say yes, that is the basic proposal, but we also want to support that so that more people can get jobs.”
He had previously said: ‘I have gone out and looked at the schemes where businesses are supporting people to return to work after long-term illness.
‘Because very often I think what’s behind all this is the fear of someone who’s been off work for a long time: will they be able to go back to work? Will they be able to cope? Is everything going to go desperately wrong?’
“Yes, they need to get back into the workplace when they can, but I think if we can provide the right support, which I’ve seen in pilot projects, they work pretty well and we want to see more of that across the country.”