Unemployed mum spends £2,000 of benefits on makeup, Botox and haircuts
Mum-of-four Deborah Hodge changed her look to boost her self-esteem
AN unemployed mother has admitted she has splashed out on a £2,045 makeover in a bid to raise her self-esteem.
Deborah Hodge, 43, from London decided to change her image by spending her welfare handouts on Botox, makeup, weight loss supplements and six different haircuts.
The former teacher explained that had gained weight since she split up with her toyboy lover, Daniel, who was 15 years younger than her.
With the new year approaching, she decided at the end of 2016 that she needed to improve her image.
She splashed out thousands on Botox, facials, mani pedis, weight loss supplements and a gym membership in a bid to transform her look.
She also went to the hairdresser six times in order to try out different colours and styles – at £60 a visit – before settling on her current look.
She said that feeling good about herself and her body is as important as paying gas bills, and sets a positive example to her children.
"My mental attitude is critical and as part of that treating myself to makeover and feeling good about my body is just as important as paying the power or gas bill," she explained.
DEBORAH'S BENEFIT-FUNDED MAKEOVER
Gym membership - £240
Fat removal pads - £100
Diet supplements - £75
Facials - £80
Massages - £150
Mani pedis - £120
Botox - £400
Haircuts - £360
Clothes - £300
Makeup- £60
Fake tan- £100
Vitamins - £60
Total - £2,045
She said of her new brunette cut that she had wanted to get rid of her blonde middle class teacher look and be more 'on trend.'
"I want my kids to know looking good is important to achieving their goals," she said.
"It’s value for money because a happy confident single mum on benefits is a better deal for the taxpayer than me suffering from depression and anxiety."
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Deborah, who previously appeared on Channel 5’s On Benefits, shocked This Morning viewers this week, when she revealed she blew £2,800 of taxpayers’ money on Christmas presents.
This included buying husky puppies and used her £10 state bonus to get two bottles of fizz.
Deborah told how a series of unfortunate events resulted in her ending up needing state help.
She explained: “I was a teacher for a long time and unfortunately my partner had a breakdown.
“He’d been in the army and it was quite a serious one, he was sectioned and we left the village that we were in and returned to London.
“My children had PTSD, my youngest had health problems. I walked out on my job, but there were serious reasons.”
Clearly unimpressed from the start, Phil said: “The number four features quite heavily, four-bedroom house, four children, four different fathers."
Deborah, who we previously revealed claimed to have married Virgin boss Richard Branson, reasoned that she did once pay a lot in tax.
She said she’d had a high income and revealed she’s been headhunted for a sales position which she will take "if it fits around the children".
Phil argued she could have saved the money she splashed out on Christmas for the future education of her children, aged three, ten, 14 and 19, or something that was "worthwhile".
But what really "got his back up"; was her choice to splash her £10 Christmas bonus on booze.
He told Deborah: “You bought two bottles of Prosecco with it, which you’re perfectly able to do.
“But then you said, ‘So cheers to the taxpayer for my Christmas gift’. Do you not think that’s a little bit incendiary?”
Deborah argued: “I work very hard, I don’t drink Prosecco much because of its adverse effects, so I was grateful for that.”
Previously we covered the shocked reactions her Christmas gift spending habits had prompted after her This Morning appearance.