A struggling father of eight with a pregnant wife who's battling breast cancer says he will need to give up hot dinners due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. Mark Skelly, 50, became his family's only source of income after his wife's heart breaking diagnosis last month and says the government should be doing more to help vulnerable families.
The helpless dad from Ely, Cambridgeshire will need to take time off to care for his wife of 17 years which will result in his income falling by 30% while their bills will only continue to rise, Stoke Sentinel reports. Mark says the household's energy bills have significantly increased between February and now, from a previous weekly bill of £25 on electricity and £10 on gas to £80 on electricity and £25 on gas.
Mark believes the Government's strategy to combat the cost of living crisis will not benefit working class families in the long run. Prime Minister, Liz Truss has declared plans to freeze energy bills at an average of £2,500 a year in an attempt to support the widespread struggle that millions across the UK are facing due to the rise of cost of living.
But Mark believes this will fail to protect the poorest in society, including his family. "This energy cap of £2,500 Liz Truss announced is still quite a high figure," the dad said. I think it is not going to work because energy prices are still going to affect us and other working class families.
''That grant will only cover around three weeks of electricity for us, so it is not a long-term solution at all. We have to make tough decisions." Mark, who is a big Newcastle United FC fan, said: "As long as we can give the children hot meals, Sandy and I will skip them and will just have a sandwich or a toastie or something.
''The kids come first, obviously. It is a learning curve because I'm slowly finding I can work less and less and things are going to have to change.
''We were only just getting by but now we will be struggling a bit with the cost of living. We used to do a weekly shop but now we are shopping on a day to day, or as-and-when basis.
"We are used to doing meal plans because some of our kids have allergies, so we have to be careful what they eat and plan meals that are suitable. We usually spend £150 a week on food but we can't do that now.
''We will have to budget carefully to cut that down. I'd probably say we need to stick to £15 a day altogether on all food.
"We have been to food banks but I only do so when we are really really desperate. It may be we have to go back but I am quite proud and so I really only want to use these as a last resort."
Friends have created a fundraising page to help support the family. To donate, visit this link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/this-dad-needs-time.
Sandy, 36, discovered three lumps around her breast in August and was referred by her GP to a specialist at hospital, where she was told she had triple negative cancer. It was feared she would lose her baby but she is scheduled to deliver him at 37 weeks - during a break between gruelling chemotherapy stints.
The treatment will be carried out in reverse chronology to traditional chemotherapy to give the couple's ninth child the best chances. Mark, originally from Cramlington, Northumberland, said: "It is one of the most hard to treat cancers because it is quite aggressive.
''They (doctors) were worried about the baby but there have been many women with this cancer who have gone on to give birth to healthy babies so it's hopeful. The chemotherapy will be done in reverse essentially because this is the best way for the baby.
''It will be stressful though and I know I will have to take days off, lots of days off work and sometimes these will be unpaid; will lose income. Some will be holiday days but most won't be with appointments and stays and things.
"So I take around £2,000 a month now and we've worked out that this will fall to £1,400. Losing £600 a month is quite a lot of money really."
Sandy, who met Mark at a party in Ely not long after he had moved to the area in 2000, will undergo several stints of chemo and then radiotherapy. The baby should be delivered at 37 weeks or, if her condition deteriorates, medics may have to induce labour sooner.
But there is a high probability the cancer could return regardless, Mark said. He said: "There is currently a 70 per cent chance of it coming back but it depends how the plan goes.
''The chemo will mean she will lose her hair and she is very upset about that. It is very stressful for her at the moment.
"I am just making sure I support her but I'm doing my shifts at work and then will need to take her to appointments and things. We are keeping our minds occupied the best we can but it is tough. The older children are fully aware of the situation and are asking questions, but we don't know all the answers. They are all helping out though."
Friends have created a fundraising page to help support the family. To donate, visit this link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/this-dad-needs-time.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here