Our beautiful child was a very active, engaged in life child who caught a cold one winter eight years ago and her life changed for ever. The cold virus triggered something in her body and she developed M.E. This is a 'hidden' chronic disability in that it is not obvious to anyone looking at her that she has a disability. In a matter of months her, and our family's, life changed completely. She couldn't walk, had to stop all her activities, severely restrict schooling, suffers 'brain fog' (an inability to process thought) and is in constant pain. Some children become bed bound, intravenously fed, living in a darkened room as you become sensitive to light and noise. It is reported that 1 in 500 children develop M.E, is the number one medical reason for non attendance at school and there is very little research being conducted into M.E. Some medical practitioners still deny it even exists!

Now our child has turned 16 and left school, having enrolled in college to do two GCSE's. This is a 100% increase on what she has been able to do in the last eight years. We do not know if she will manage it, but she needs the basic qualifications. BUT, as she will not be doing 12hrs or more, we lose both the child benefit and child tax credits. Our child has not done 12 hrs of schooling since Year 4 and she is being discriminated against because of her disability. If she did not have M.E, she would have been in full time education and full time college. She wants to be in full time education - her health, due to her disability, will just not allow it.

The Citizens Advice Bureau agree with me that it is discrimination and have flagged it as a social issues policy. Discrimination due to a disability is illegal. I cannot afford to hire a barrister to take the government to court and challenge this. I do not qualify for Legal Aid. Help me to help thousands of other children and young people across the UK to fight this discrimination. Families are devastated by this chronic condition and struggle to support their child with daily living. We never knew this condition existed, until our daughter caught a cold one winter. Our lives have been changed for ever. Help me to fight this injustice and sign the petition.  Thank you.