A struggling dad-of-eight whose wife has cancer is using food banks and plans to skip hot meals to ensure his family is fed.
Taxi driver Mark Skelly is the household's sole breadwinner after partner Sandy's devastating breast cancer diagnosis last month.
The 50-year-old has blasted the Government for failing to do enough to help the most vulnerable during the cost of living crisis.
He will have to take more time off work to help Sandy and the kids, meaning his income will drop by an estimated 30% - despite bills continuing to soar, reports the Daily Express.
Mark, from near Ely, Cambridgeshire, said the family's energy bills have shot up by threefold since February to £80 a week for electricity and £25 for gas.
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Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced plans to freeze energy bills at an average of £2,500 a year for two years in a bid to prevent increased widespread hardship.
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," he 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 and Sandy, 36, plan to skip hot meals during the winter to ensure their children have enough food.
The dad 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."
He said they can no longer afford to shop on a weekly basis and are now buying food day to day or as and when.
Some of the children have food allergies and so meals had to be planned in advance, but Mark said that's become harder.
They previously spent around £150 a week on food, but now stick to around £15 a day.
Mark said he's been to food banks as well but only "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," he added.
Sandy noticed three lumps around her breast in August and was referred to a specialist where she was told she had triple negative cancer.
Despite initial fears she would lose her baby, she is scheduled to delivery him at 37 weeks during a break from chemo.
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."
Mark earns around £2,000 a month currently but this will fall to an estimated £1,400 when he reduces his workload.
He said Sandy's cancer is very aggressive and there is a high probability it will return after treatment.
"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," he explained.
"We are keeping our minds occupied the best we can but it is tough."
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
