A woman, who hasn’t worked since she was 18, received roughly $150,000 in government benefits. But, that wasn’t enough. She had one more request for the taxpayers.
At 33 years old, Anna Broom had depended on government benefits to pay her way through life for 14 years. Unemployed since the age of 18, she received an estimated $150,000 from the government. And, she wants more. While receiving over $1,000 per month in benefits with her fiancé, 39-year-old Jordan Burford, Broom requested an extra $13,000 from the government.
Earning the title “unemployed bridezilla,” the Gillingham resident wanted taxpayers to fund her dream wedding, complete with a designer dress and shoes, a horse-drawn carriage, a party at an English castle following the nuptials, and champagne for her 50 guests. She also wanted money to jet off to Mexico on her honeymoon, which would be an additional $2,500.
Broom believed her big dream wedding and being a bride were her basic human rights but claimed she was simply too fat to work. She also said she was asking for a “loan,” but it’s unclear how she would pay it back since the only money she received came from taxpayer-funded government benefits. Broom even admitted she would struggle to repay the full amount and said she preferred to go halves.
Broom, who left school without any qualifications, alleged that tying the knot would boost her fragile confidence and encourage her to try to find a job again. “I’m stuck in a rut at the moment and can’t find the motivation to lose weight, but if I was getting married, I know I’d slim down because all eyes would be on me,” she said.
At 16, Broom landed a job as a nursery nurse, where she worked for two years. She said that she left after she was overlooked for a secretarial role by a “skinny blonde.” She said that she applied for several other jobs but had no success getting hired, causing her to lose interest in finding work. She opted to binge-eat chips and sweets instead. Within a year, her weight skyrocketed to 240 pounds.
Broom was declared unfit to work at 19 years old due to depression and back pain associated with her weight, earning her nearly $600 a month in the form of a disability living allowance, in addition to a $260 joint housing benefit she received with Burford, who was also given roughly $174 income support a month. Like his bride, Burford didn’t have a job. He was diagnosed with epilepsy and has never worked.
The couple met at a pub, and, “It was love at first sight,” Broom recalled. Two years later, Burford popped the question with a “lovely” ring, featuring “a gold band with a pink stone.” Broom immediately started leafing through glossy magazines and watching wedding shows on TV to get ideas for her big day. The result was pricey plans she felt someone else should pay for. “I want the taxpayer to fund my £10,000 [$13,000] dream wedding,” she declared.
“It’s a basic human right to be a bride. I don’t see why I should have a small wedding at a registry office — I wouldn’t be able to fit in all my guests and a church wedding is far more romantic,” Broom, who’s a size 24, said. “I’ve dreamed about being a bride since I was 12 years old,” she added. “I deserve a fairy-tale church wedding and a party in a castle — but there’s no way I could afford it on benefits, and I can’t work because I’m overweight.”
That didn’t cause her to rethink her plans, though. While her groom would like a limo and a cream suit, Anna wanted “to feel like a princess” on their big day. “I picture myself in a silk dress that shows off my cleavage, as Jordan likes my boobs!” Broom explained.
“I’d like a long veil and sparkly red designer heels, and I want two bridesmaids and flower girls scattering petals down the aisle,” she added. “We’d serve posh prawn canapes, a roast dinner, and champagne. I’d have around 50 guests with a five-tier cake and a big buffet too,” she continued, laying out her lavish plans. “I’d also love a big band.”
It’s quite the wishlist for someone who doesn’t work, and it didn’t sit well with Broom when she realized she couldn’t afford it. “I was gutted,” she said. “After we’ve paid for bills, a night out at the pub, dog food for our Labrador, cigarettes, and the odd kebab, there’s barely anything left,” she whined.
“I’d rather not get married than have a cheap do — it’d only make me unhappy,” she added. “Even if I only got £5,000 [$6,500] in vouchers to put towards the wedding, that’d make life easier.” Although it’s not known how she paid for it or which wedding plans came to fruition, according to social media, Anna Bloom and Jordan Burford appear to have eventually tied the knot.
However, more recent posts indicate the couple is no longer together. According to her Facebook account, Anna Bloom Burford is more recently in a relationship with a man named “Vinnie,” which means the money she had been asking for would have been wasted on what appears to be a failed marriage.
It sounds like Anna Broom’s life was made “easier” for far too long. Those who work understand having a budget and priorities. She could have sacrificed the night out at the pub, cigarettes, and “odd kebab” to fund her wedding or not get married at all. If she didn’t make her wedding a priority over those extras, why should the taxpayer? Government benefits are a safety net to catch you, not a comfort blanket snuggle up in, keeping you happy and making life easy so you can enjoy a nice long, 14-year rest from reality and responsibility.
