Families could push for assisted death for their own gain – Tory former minister

Some people could be tempted to encourage ageing relatives to choose an assisted death for their own financial gain, a Conservative former minister has suggested.

As peers debated the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the upper chamber heard the legislation would “protect” the inheritance of family members.

Lord Deben said “families who have never seen any real money” could feel their older family members are “spending money which would be much better left to them”.

Former deputy prime minister Baroness Coffey also warned of the dangers of “indirect coercion”.

Speaking at second reading, Conservative peer Lord Deben said: “I was an MP for 40 years, and I met wonderful people in both my urban constituency and my rural constituency, but I also met people who felt that their old relations were a terrible burden and were spending money which would be much better left to them.

“I don’t think we can ignore that fact. And I disagree with my noble friend Lord Dubs when he suggested that somehow or other, this was an inconceivable concept. What I want to put to the House is this: that not only is it conceivable, but it is increasingly dangerous.

“Because many families who have never seen any real money now see an aged relative who has a house, which is now worth £200,000 and more, the temptation for those people that I know and have met to say to that person ‘you really have a duty to save this money for your family’.”

He added: “No doctor is going to be able to analyse what has happened over maybe some long time, because the incident we are discussing is very often the end of a long period, and people come to that decision with that kind of pressure.

“I’m sorry that that is the case, and it’s the case in a society which has far too many people who have been suggested that they don’t work, they’re not worth anything.”

Conservative peer Lady Coffey said the “indirect coercion is real”.

She added: “The feeling of being a burden, knowing you could save money for the NHS if you went that bit earlier, knowing you might be able to leave more money to your children rather than paying care home fees.”

Lord Curry of Kirkharle, a crossbench peer, said: “There’s absolutely no question that this Bill if passed will devalue the importance of human life and economics will become part of the decision-making process – the NHS will save money and families will protect their inheritance.”