At 50, I lost my high-flying fashion career of three decades and ended up on benefits. After applying for 150 roles with not one reply, I was in despair…and I know why so many women my age are in the same panic-stricken position
Stacey Duguid, a former Elle fashion editor and editorial director at Harrods, describes how she went from a six-figure salary to claiming Universal Credit at 50 after struggling to find work. Having left her corporate career in 2021 to regroup amid the breakdown of her marriage and the pressures of raising two young children largely without support, she attempted to return to full-time employment last year but found herself effectively shut out of the job market, illustrating a wider problem facing experienced midlife women.
Despite an impressive CV spanning roles at Prada, Armani, Net-a-Porter and Harrods, Duguid applied for around 150 jobs without receiving a single reply, even after sending at least ten applications a week and actively networking on LinkedIn. The financial strain forced her to downsize her home and seek help from friends before ultimately visiting a JobCentre in Harlesden, north-west London, to claim benefits, an experience she says left her humiliated and which she believes reflects a broader pattern of age-related barriers facing accomplished women in their fifties.
- Ex-Elle editor Stacey Duguid went from six-figure job to benefits.
- Applied for 150 jobs at 50, got zero responses.
- She says it reflects wider ageism against midlife professional women.