Assisted suicide could be allowed in the UK for those wanting to end their lives to reduce financial
burdens on their families, under Labour MP Kim Leadbeate’s Assisted Suicide Bill.
During a recent Committee Stage debate on her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, Leadbeater
was asked if people seeking assisted suicide to save their families money would be approved. She
repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility.

In an exchange reported by Right to Life UK, Danny Kruger MP, a key opponent of the Bill, asked
Leadbeater whether she would be “content” with someone choosing assisted death to save their
family money. Leadbeater described the issue as more complex than Kruger suggested.
Kruger then pressed, asking if someone with capacity choosing assisted death for financial reasons
would be acceptable under the Bill. Leadbeater again refused to rule it out, stating, “We are
oversimplifying a complex situation” and emphasising the need for “expertise” through extensive
training.

Leadbeater’s refusal to exclude financial reasons for assisted suicide has been widely criticised.
Professor Katherine Sleeman, a palliative care expert, posted on X, “If we legalise assisted dying, we
must accept that some may do it because they feel a burden.” She cited Oregon, where around 50%
of assisted suicides are driven by this feeling, urging supporters of the Bill to “own” this issue rather
than deflect it.