Anna Broom was 33 years old and had relied on government subsidies to get by for 14 years. She had been unemployed since she was 18 and received an estimated $150,000 from the government. And she wants more. Broom sought an additional $13,000 from the government while collecting over $1,000 each month in benefits with her fiancé, 39-year-old Jordan Burford.
The Gillingham resident, who earned the moniker “unemployed bridezilla,” wanted taxpayers to finance her fantasy wedding, which included a fancy gown and shoes, a horse-drawn carriage, a reception at an English castle after the ceremony, and champagne for her 50 guests. She also requested money to go to Mexico for her honeymoon, which would cost another $2,500.
Broom thought that her huge dream wedding and becoming a bride were fundamental human rights, but she argued that she was just too obese to work. She also said that she was seeking a “loan,” although it’s unclear how she plans to repay it given that the only money she got came from taxpayer-funded government programs. Broom even stated she would struggle to return the whole sum and chose to pay in installments.
Broom, who dropped out of school with no credentials, said that marrying would bolster her weak confidence and motivate her to look for work again.
Broom got a job as a nursery nurse when she was 16, and she stayed there for two years. She said that she departed after being passed over for a secretarial position by a “thin blonde,” and that she tried for numerous other jobs but was unsuccessful in being employed, leading her to lose interest in seeking employment. Rather, she chose to feast on chips and sweets. Her weight increased to 240 pounds in a year.
Broom was declared unfit to work at the age of 19 due to depression and back pain caused by her weight, earning her nearly $600 per month in the form of a disability living allowance, in addition to a $260 joint housing benefit she received with Burford, who received roughly $174 in monthly income support. Burford, like his wife, was unemployed. He suffers from epilepsy and has never worked.
It was love at first sight, as Broom recounted their meeting at a tavern. Burford proposed two years later with a “beautiful” ring containing a “gold band with a pink stone,” and Broom immediately began leafing through glossy magazines and watching wedding programs on TV to find ideas for her big day. As a consequence, she opted for expensive plans that she believed should be paid for by someone else. She wants the public to pay for her fantasy wedding, she announced.
Being a bride is a fundamental human right. She does not understand why she should have a tiny wedding at a register office; she wouldn’t be able to accommodate all of her guests, and a church wedding is way more romantic, Broom, a size 24, said. She has wanted to be a bride since she was 12 years old, she says. She deserved a fairy-tale church wedding and a castle reception, but she couldn’t afford it on benefits, and she can’t work since she is overweight.
It didn’t make her reconsider her ideas. Although her fiance preferred a limo and a cream suit, Anna wanted to feel like a princess on their special day.
She says she’d picture herself in a silk dress that showed off her cleavage since Jordan likes her boobs. She wants a long veil and dazzling red designer shoes, and she would like two bridesmaids and flower girls to spread petals down the aisle, she says. There would be fine prawn appetisers, a roast meal, and champagne. She’d have roughly 50 people, a five-tier cake, and a large buffet, she said, outlining her extravagant preparations. She’d also like to see a huge band.
It’s quite the wishlist for someone who doesn’t work, and Broom was disappointed when she discovered she couldn’t afford everything. She complained that she was upset. After they paid for bills, a night out at the pub, dog food for their Labrador, cigarettes, and the odd kebab, there’s barely anything left.
She added that she’d rather not marry than have a cheap wedding—it’d only make her miserable. Even if she simply received £5,000 [$6,500] in vouchers to go towards the wedding, that’d make things simpler. While it’s unclear how she paid for it or which wedding plans came to fruition, Anna Bloom and Jordan Burford seem to have married according to social media.
Recent postings, though, imply that the pair is no longer together. Anna Bloom Burford is now in a relationship with a guy called “Vinnie,” according to her Facebook account, which means the money she was requesting would have been squandered on what looks to be a failed marriage.
For much too long, Anna Broom’s life seemed to have been made “easier.” People who work realize the importance of having a budget and setting priorities. She could have forgone a night out at the bar, cigarettes, and “odd kebabs” to pay for her wedding, or she may have chosen not to marry at all. Why should the taxpayer prioritize her wedding above those extras if she doesn’t? Government benefits are a safety net to catch you, not a comfort blanket to burrow into, keeping you happy and making life easier so you can take a lovely long, 14-year break from reality and responsibilities.
