Petition
keep disabled people out of the Assisted Dying bill
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
do not include disability in the criteria within the assisted suicide bill
We call on the government to immediately invest in social care, housing, and financial support for Disabled people. The focus must be on enabling life, not facilitating death.
We call on the government to immediately invest in social care, housing, and financial support for Disabled people. The focus must be on enabling life, not facilitating death.
years of cuts to the NHS and public funding, disabled people are going without accessible housing, unable to afford food, energy other essentials, and the care they need the introduction of assisted suicide bill comes at a time where disabled people are at risk of being pressured into decisions driven by fear, desperation, or lack of options rather than genuine choice. This legislation could deepen inequalities and reinforce societal biases that view Disabled people’s lives as less valuable.
Why it was rejected
The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill makes provision for a person who is terminally ill and meets the eligibility criteria to choose to request and lawfully be provided with assistance to end their own life. The Bill is currently being considered by Parliament.
Clause 2 of the Bill defines when a person is “terminally ill” for the purposes of the Bill. The person must have an inevitably progressive illness, disease or medical condition that cannot be reversed by treatment, and must also be expected to die within 6 months.
Subsection (2) of the Clause makes it clear that a person is not to be regarded as terminally ill by reason of them being mentally ill or having a disability.
You can read more about this in the Bill's Explanatory Notes, available here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3774/publications
If you'd like changes to be made to the Bill, you could start a petition about that. Or if you'd like changes to the support for disabled people more generally, you could start a petition setting out what action you'd like the Government or Parliament to take.
Clause 2 of the Bill defines when a person is “terminally ill” for the purposes of the Bill. The person must have an inevitably progressive illness, disease or medical condition that cannot be reversed by treatment, and must also be expected to die within 6 months.
Subsection (2) of the Clause makes it clear that a person is not to be regarded as terminally ill by reason of them being mentally ill or having a disability.
You can read more about this in the Bill's Explanatory Notes, available here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3774/publications
If you'd like changes to be made to the Bill, you could start a petition about that. Or if you'd like changes to the support for disabled people more generally, you could start a petition setting out what action you'd like the Government or Parliament to take.
Timeline
| 29 Nov 2024 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 17 Feb 2025 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
17 Feb 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 27 Jul 2026.