Why This 43-Year-Old Claims She’s ‘Too Old’ To Ever Work Again—And Demands Benefits

Is there an age when you’re officially too old to work, or is that just the excuse we whisper to ourselves between reruns of daytime TV? Meet Marie Buchan—dubbed “Britain’s benefits queen”—who’s decided 43 is the new retirement, even if the only thing she’s retired from is the idea of ever clocking in. Now, I’ve heard of people living their best lives, but most don’t do it to the tune of £500,000 in taxpayer cash, a house packed with seven kids (out of eight!), and a gleaming resume of, well… collecting benefits for over two decades. With one eyebrow permanently raised, TV host Stacey Dooley waltzes into Marie’s Birmingham home in the latest series of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, hoping—perhaps against hope—to nudge Marie into the world of work. The response? “Easier just to stay on benefits!” Marie grins, apparently undeterred by public scorn or the raging cost of living crisis.

Is it simply cheek or a sign of something deeper in our system? One thing’s for sure—the saga of a woman who’s had more cosmetic surgery than job interviews is nothing if not headline-worthy. For anyone who’s ever wanted a peep behind the tabloid curtain, this one’s a wild ride. If your curiosity’s piqued—or you just want a laugh at the madness of it all— LEARN MORE.

A woman dubbed Britain’s benefits queen has suggested that she’s too old for work at the age of 43.

Mother-of-eight Marie Buchan has hit headlines over the years having used taxpayers’ money for a horse, and surgeries including a boob job and a ‘designer vagina’, whatever the hell that means.

The single mum has never held down a job and instead has relied on £500,000 in government benefits to sustain a lavish lifestyle and keep the seven kids still living at home happy.

In the new series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, the TV host was invited to Marie’s four-bed housing association in Birmingham, where she encouraged the ‘benefits queen’ to apply for a job as a carer.

However, Marie seems perfectly happy spending the hard-earned money of others and suggested that it was far easier for her to just claim benefits, rather than contributing to society with a job.

Benefits queen Marie Buchan has collected £500k from the government over 23 years (This Morning/YouTube)

She said: “I’ve done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I’m 43 I think I’m getting too old to work.

“It is easier and less stressful to claim benefits which I still do and I am entitled to!”

It was a big relief for the 43-year-old that the TV show offered her an appearance fee but she also wanted to dispel bad press from over the years, with many left furious with her luxury purchases while other working families struggle to pay the bills during an ongoing cost of living crisis.

Marie added: “There would be a fee paid which is always good to hear! I’m a much better person than the press make out so I said, ‘What have I got to lose?’

“The questions fired at me were quite intense. It was an emotional roller coaster.

“I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press.”

Stacey Dooley went to visit Marie in a new series of her show (Scott Garfitt/BAFTA via Getty Images)

However, it seems as if Marie has seen the error of her ways, admitting that the ‘designer vagina’ surgery was ’embarrassing for her kids’, and she suggests that the money from the TV show will go towards a new cooker.

After 23 years of claiming benefits, it seems as if Marie has no real plans to stop, suggesting that she and her family are ‘better off’ this way.

She concluded: “I believe we are better off on benefits, because we get help in every area of our lives, whether that’s the rent, bringing up the kids, or bills.

“You can access food banks or fuel vouchers. There’s a lot of help out there.

“I’ve completed six college courses on mechanics and social work, but I’m still sitting here claiming my benefits. I’ve done nothing with them.

“It’s very easy to sit in the system for the rest of your life.”

Marie will feature in an upcoming episode of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over which is due to be released later this month on U and U&W.