A mum who is battling terminal cancer says she has been forced to start saving for her own funeral due to the cost of living crisis.
Melanie Finlay, 48, who lives in Inverness in Scotland, says she worries her family will struggle financially after she is gone following the huge rise in bills.
The mum-of-one has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer that has spread to her bones, lungs, hips, knees and bone marrow.
She has been told she has 12 to 18 months to live, and if her current course of treatment does not work, she will be placed on palliative care.
Melanie receives reduced pay from her employer and is claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP). She had to wait six months for this benefit to be awarded to her.
Backpay from her PIP helped Melanie pay for her £3,000 wedding last month, and she has some money left over to put toward her funeral.
Her husband Tom is on reduced hours and works from home so he can care for her full-time.
"I'm worried that Tom is not going to be financially secure with Joseph because he's going to lose a lot of money when I go," Melanie told the BBC.
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"There was some money left over from the wedding and I'm now using it as my funeral fund.
“Because I don't want my family to be burdened with the heavy cost of a funeral so soon.”
The family live in a two-bed flat and spend at least £300 a month on their energy bills following a huge spike in the Ofgem price cap last month.
Melanie says petrol costs are also a concern, due to her frequent visits to the hospital for appointments.
Parents of children with cystic fibrosis have also shared how they're having to make heart-wrenching decisions to “starve” some family members so their kids get the food they need.
Most people with the genetic condition need to eat more calories due to the mucus which builds up in the lungs and digestive system, causing them to have issues digesting food.
As a result of the cost of living crisis some families are having to choose for some to go without so their children with CF get enough food to survive, Birmingham Live reports.
Nicola Johnson, whose eleven-year-old son George Monckton has the condition, says many mothers like her are worried about rising prices.
She added: “George’s health has to come first."
