My name is Mark and I have 85% terminal bone cancer. Eleven years ago, I was told I had six months to live, I've been lucky to outlive my prognosis. However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has punished me over and over again for trying to access benefits.

They have sent people around to my house to question my income, savings and spending. I'm dying and want to make memories with my family while I can. The DWP seems to want to punish me.

When I first applied for support after my doctor said I couldn't work, the DWP said I didn't qualify and I had to fight to get support for my wife and me. Over the years, they have stopped my benefits without warning several times - this makes me feel like  I've lived too long and they are punishing me for that.

I am fighting this fight with Michelle and the picture shown is of her mum Christine who died in 2018.

The photo was taken just a week after the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) told Christine she didn't qualify for any welfare support. At the time they didn't know she had terminal lung disease but was going for scans to try and find out why she was breathless and had a cough. 

She was assessed by someone from the DWP in her own home, despite her consultant and doctor having records of her showing Chrohn's Disease stroke and other health concerns. At the assessment, she weighed just 34.4kg. We found out she had lung cancer a few weeks later.

They took away the benefits that she was receiving having been registered as disabled since the 1980s.

They fined her for not notifying her change of circumstances, Michelle had also been fined £120 for obtaining dental care fraudulently which she was told she was entitled to.

In doing all this, they took away her fight. Christine was dying but she would have been here longer if not for the cruel treatment of the DWP.

TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE BENEFITS SYSTEM FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL and DISABLED.

Last year, the government said it would extend fast-track support to people with 12 months left to live, previously it was six months. This still hasn't been passed into law. Both myself and Michelle were part of this campaign alongside Marie Curie, this campaign was called the #Scrap6Months.

Please support our campaign to help terminally ill and disabled people get the benefits they need, dying people shouldn't have to fight for this.

We want the government to do the following:

• Extend fast-track welfare support to anyone who is dying: Terminal means terminal and support should be available to everyone who needs it no matter how long they have left 
• Stop DWP assessments for the terminally ill: The assessors who visited Christine are not specialists. The DWP should look to the experts - the patient's doctor. Home assessments for dying people must stop now.

The government encourages you to save and get a pension which you're taxed on, what they don't say is if you become terminally ill and your savings are over 16k they halve your benefits. This means you lose free dental and eye care along with other benefits.

Before Michelle's mum died she asked her to keep fighting the DWP. Please sign our petition and help me and Michelle keep fighting for her mother and the thousands of terminally ill and disabled suffering on a daily basis.

Thank you

Mark & Michelle