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Single mum-of-eight Marie Buchan is facing eviction from her new Selly Oak home after being taken to court over £4,000 in unpaid rent

But the 33-year-old has blamed the government’s benefits cap for her situation, saying she cannot cope on the maximum annual £20,000 hand-outs.

Marie appeared at Birmingham County Court on Wednesday where housing association Bournville Village Trust is carrying out eviction procedures as she has been failing to pay her £600 per month rent. All of the outstanding rent has been racked up at the home she has occupied since last summer.

She will reappear on Monday where a county court judge will rule on the case. If the decision goes against her, the mum and her eight children will be evicted on April 13.

Marie spoke out last year complaining she would be on the breadline following government cuts which saw her benefits fall from £26,000 to £20,000.

Devastated Marie told the Birmingham Mail: “Lots of people are getting themselves in this situation because of the benefits cap. Raising eight kids on the cap while paying full rent is hard enough.

“I have been trying to find work for a long time now but it is not that easy. As soon as you say you have eight dependents they don’t want to know. My only way out of the cap is doing 16 hours of work a week.”

She added: “It’s a very worrying time for me at the moment. If it goes the wrong way on Monday and the house is taken, where is the support to re-house me and my eight children?

“I am packing my stuff up as you should hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Marie and her children moved into the new four-bedroomed housing association home last summer after moving from a three bedroomed property in Selly Oak.

At Christmas, Marie had said: “It is the first time I have been able to have a bedroom to myself as I usually have to share with one of my children. This new home is just great and is all I ever wanted.”

Below: Marie Buchan is confronted about whether she wants to work

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Marie has eight children between the ages of 13 and two. Her £20,000 annual benefits package is composed of council tax, child benefit, child tax, income support and housing benefit of 50p a week.

Last year she had started training to be a mechanic at Bournville College and was hoping to set up a mobile mechanic business aimed at women, but struggled because of family commitments.

She has been criticised for not having a job but says she works a 21-hour day caring for her children, rising at 6am and often not going to bed until 3am,

Ann Ryan, Head of Housing at Bournville Village Trust, said: “We continue to work with and offer support to Ms Buchan in regards to her rent account and we await the outcome of the court hearing.”

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